The utility of the terms “bioavailability” and “bioavailable fraction” for metals

Because concentrations of total or dissolved metal usually are not good predictors of the acute toxicity of metals to aquatic biota (i.e. not all of the metal appears to be bioavailable), it has been tempting for researchers and regulators to attempt to identify a form or combination of forms of a metal that is the bioavailable fraction. But from geochemical, biological, and analytical perspectives, the term “bioavailable fraction” is context-specific (i.e. not generalizable) and quantitatively elusive. Although the term “bioavailability” conveys a useful, general concept and should be retained in the aquatic-toxicology lexicon, the term “bioavailable fraction” should be avoided.