Abstract
Metals enter into a number of reactions, including complexation, precipitation and sorption, in the environment. These reactions affect their mobility and bioavailability. Standards for water quality have not yet included speciation of metals although the effect of complexation to reduce metal toxicity is well known. Sediment quality standards are presently under development in the United States. The ability of acid volatile sulfide to stoichiometrically react with cadmium and nickel has been established. When the concentration of added metal is less than the molar concentration of acid volatile sulfide (AVS), the sediments are not toxic. Modeling frameworks are available to permit the evaluation of metal binding in sediments that are oxic, and in contaminated sediments where the concentration of metal exceeds that of AVS. It appears that organic matter controls the sorption of metal under these circumstances. The primary variable of soils contributing to metal mobility and availability to plants is pH. This has not been incorporated into soil standards. A framework for the consideration of pH has been developed.
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