Fate of foreign compounds in the environment.

The behavior of a foreign compound, once introduced into the environment, depends upon the nature of the compound and its interaction with the physical, chemical, and biological components of the ecosystem. It is important to understand the interaction of exogenous compounds with the ecosystem, because only in this way can the potential human health effects of these compounds be predicted. This paper outlines the various parameters that must be considered when predicting the fate of a compound in the environment. An example is then given which relates these factors to the distribution and fate of arsenical compounds.