Environmental Bioavailability Handbook

Methods and Assessments

This practical guide on environmental bioavailability explains the importance of its use and includes specific methods for testing bioavailability of pollutants in the atmosphere, water bodies, soils, and sediments. Detailed methods and techniques are given to measure bioavailability and includes a case study for each approach.

Bioavailability processes are essential for assessing environmental risk, environmental health, and decision-making in environmental management. This practical guide on environmental bioavailability explains its importance and includes specific methods for testing the bioavailability of pollutants in water (freshwater and seawater), soils, and sediments. Detailed methods and techniques are given to measure and assess bioavailability using biotic methods, abiotic methods, and modeling. Case studies help environmental researchers and practitioners understand the applications of bioavailability in field and laboratory.

This book contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of environmental bioavailability in contemporary environmental science in the following ways:

• Provides information on the importance of environmental bioavailability of pollutants.
• Explains, in a “how-to” manner, the use of environmental bioavailability in the context of Environmental Risk Assessment and environmental management decision-making.
• Includes areas of applicability, optimum conditions, and pros and cons for bioavailability methods provided.
• Summarizes state-of-the-art in modeling environmental bioavailability and discusses current best practices.
• Includes case studies illustrating the assessment of bioavailability using different approaches.

This handbook is intended for professionals, researchers, academics, environmental practitioners, and policymakers working in the areas of Environmental Risk Assessment, environmental health, environmental management, sustainability, and related fields. It is also an excellent resource for students studying in any of these fields and looking for a foundational text on environmental bioavailability.