Bioavailability, causation and correlation: can we really conclude the herbicide diuron resulted in mangrove dieback in river estuaries of Central Queensland?

摘要

Statistically significant correlations in the form of dose-response relationships can provide valuable evidence to support the case that a particular stressor has caused an environmental impact. However, the selection of a parameter representing the dosage requires careful consideration if meaningful assessments of causation are to be made. Application of the concept of bioavailability can provide a valuable tool for parameter selection. This approach is applied to the proposition that the herbicidediuron is implicated in mangrove dieback in river estuaries of Central Queensland.