Biological Tissue Analysis (BIOTA)

The determination of toxic residues in organisms in a contaminated area is an important part of the ecological risk assessment process. Biological Tissue Analysis (BIOTA) measures the accumulation of toxic substances in plant and animal tissues. This data is often used as an indicator of contamination impacting the food chain and human health. Biota analyses can also provide evidence of the short- or long-range transport of specific compounds.

Biota samples are often tested in conjunction with other types of matrices such as water and/or sediment. However, assessing contaminants in biota provides a different view of the contamination. While sediment analysis can show the level of contaminants in the environment, biota analysis measures how much of that contaminant is taken up by plants and animals (referred to as the bioavailable). This difference is more pronounced for some compounds or groups of compounds, such as dioxins.