Presence and significance of naturally occurring chemical elements of the periodic system in the plant organism and consequences for future investigations on inorganic environmental chemistry in ecosystems

Abstract

After acceptance of the “Element Concentration Cadasters in Ecosystems” (ECCE) programme as an international project sponsored by the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) at the 24th General Assembly of IUBS in Amsterdam in Sept 1991, the present status of “Biological Trace Element Research” (BTER) is presented here from the biological point of view. Especially information on occurrence, essentially, toxicity and uptake form of all 88 naturally occurring chemical elements is presented. In addition an estimated annual production of each element in the year 2000 and examples of their technical application is given. A scientific proposal for further research work on a local, regional and global scale has been discussed.