Table 3.

Effects of climate change on fate processes for biological and chemical contaminants.

Fate/process	Impact of climate change
Biological
Death	Drier summers increase death rate for soil microbes Temperature extremes increase death rate Higher UV radiation levels increase death Flooding and anaerobic conditions decrease death
Growth	Increased temperature and wetness increase growth
Attenuation (loses active gene)	Uncertain
Potentiation (gene transfer)	Uncertain
Adherence	Not sensitive
Chemical
Hydrolysis	Not sensitive
Photolysis	Increases as UV radiation increases in summer
Biodegradation/transformation	Higher temperatures increase rate Wetter winters increase rate Drier summers decrease rate
Sequestration	Lower for contaminants that sorb to soil organic matter Might be affected by drier soils Small temperature effect
Volatilization	Increases with increasing temperature
Bioconcentration	Increases with increasing temperature
Biomagnification	Not sensitive
Dilution	Increases in periods of high rainfall Decreases in prolonged dry periods

UV, ultraviolet.