title: Implementation of bioavailability in standard setting and risk assessment.
abstract: Bioavailability is, to an increasing extent, recognised as the key issue linking the increased levels of toxicants to actually occurring adverse effects in ecosystems, whilst taking the modifying effects of the abiotic components of the environment into account. Various factors may affect bioavailability in the field, and these factors are often time and space dependent. This is one of the main reasons why legislators have been reluctant to implement bioavailability in risk assessment procedures. Over the last few years, however, considerable scientific progress has been made with regard to increasing our understanding of the chemical and ecological mechanisms responsible for rendering chemicals available for uptake and toxicity. As a consequence, legislators face the challenge of having to anticipate the scientific progress and to implement bioavailability in legislation. This contribution reports on the possibilities of implementing various methodologies within a maximum time period of three years.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands. wjgm.peijnenburg@rivm.nl
authors.forename: Willie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peijnenburg
authors.forename: Else
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sneller
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sijm
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lijzen
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Traas
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verbruggen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D011050:Policy Making; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants