Cel
A main objective in environmental policy of the European Commission is the safeguarding of soil ecosystems against detrimental effects of chemical contaminants. Therefore, EC-funded research is aiming to develop specific ecotoxicological test methods using terrestrial invertebrates. The advantage of these tests over chemical analysis of toxicants is that they account for bioavailability of hazardous compounds or detrimental effects on organisms. Furthermore, combined effects of different toxicants or the presence of unknown compounds can be measured using these test methods.
Biochemical fingerprint techniques offer perspectives as tools for the risk assessment of chemicals in soils. By using biochemical indicators (biomarkers), they have the potential to bridge the gap between chemical analyses and impairment of physiology leading to effects at the ecosystem level. At present, different biomarker test systems for soil organisms, which include heat shock proteins, metal binding proteins, esterases and specific metabolic patterns, are under development and preliminary results are promising. The biomarker response appears to be a sensitive early warning of chemical stress before sublethal effects, such as inhibition of growth or reproduction, become apparent. Combined effects are integrated in the biomarker response and also unknown compounds are accounted for.
The main objective of this collaborative project is the deployment of biochemical fingerprint techniques, which have already been developed, for assessing the exposure and effect of toxicants on soil invertebrates in the field. The participants are connected by: 1) applying specific biochemical expertise from each participant to various invertebrate species, 2) assessing confounding factors of biomarker response, 3) determining the effect of mixtures of toxicants and investigating the response persistence of biomarkers, 4) investigating the applicability of biomarkers in joint field experiments, and 5) aiming for standardisation of biomarker assays for risk assessment procedures by drawing up assay protocols.
The research programme includes organisms of different taxonomic and ecological groups which play a vital role in soil ecosystem processes, e.g. nematodes, isopods, Collembola, gastropods and oligochaetes.
BIOMARKERS, RISK ASSESSMENT, SOIL, TOXICANTS
Dziedzina nauki
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiology
- engineering and technologymedical engineeringmedical laboratory technologylaboratory samples analysis
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyinvertebrate zoology
Temat(-y)
Zaproszenie do składania wniosków
Data not availableSystem finansowania
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsKoordynator
6701 ES WAGENINGEN
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