Abstract
Abstract In this contribution, inorganic and organic chemicals are considered together as for both group of pollutants many aspects of biogeochemical distribution, environmental fate, toxicodynamic and toxicokinetic aspects as well as remedial possibilities are comparable. An overview of the occurrence and distribution of chemical substances in various environmental compartments is given. Special emphasis is placed on naturally-occurring substances and the influence of anthropogenic activities on their biogeochemical distribution. The significance of chemical substances in living organisms is considered in greater detail, and aspects of essentiality, the biological function of chemicals in plants, animals and man, the uptake form of various chemicals by living organisms and the interrelationship are discussed. Typical data are given for emissions of specific chemical substances into the environment by man. Special attention is given to the cycles and availability times of various chemical substances in the environment. Examples are given of corresponding effects in the animal and plant kingdoms. Finally, possible remedial and revitalizing measures for soils contaminated with trace substances, which as a field is expected to acquire much greater significance in the future, are outlined.
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