Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CHRONIC (CHronic exposure scenarios driving enviRONmental rIsks of Chemicals)
Reporting period: 2021-03-01 to 2023-02-28
CHronic exposure scenarios driving enviRONmental rIsks of Chemicals (CHRONIC)
Environmental risk assessment (ERA) of chemicals has traditionally dealt with the prospective management of individual chemicals based on short-term effects measured in a few species using standard tests and retrospective assessment conducted for the worst contaminated sites. However, chemicals present at low concentrations over extended times-scales, especially when combined with other stressors, can contribute to wildlife population declines and community changes that threaten ecosystem function and service provision. In many cases, such effects would not have been expected for the low to moderate chemical concentrations that frequently prevail for current widely used standard ERA methods that measure short-term effect on survival, growth, and reproduction. However, recent work for biologically active molecules (pesticides, biocide, pharmaceuticals) has identified how chronic impacts and novel modes of action (e.g. behavioural, immune modulation and genotoxicity) can lead to population change in certain species. The enhanced sensitivity that can occur for such endpoints from long-term (multigenerational) exposures, especially in association with other environmental stressors, can lead to effects on species that can have implications for ecosystem service provision.
CHRONIC aims at delivering a cohort of highly skilled and informed future research leaders trained in understanding and integrating, into risk-assessment practice, the long-term, low-dose chronic chemical exposure and their interactions with other environmental stressors.
CHRONIC include 13 PhD projects aimed at developing tools and approaches to identify relevant nonstandard modes of toxicity for low chronic chemical exposure and integrate these with environmental stressors. The program allow for a training that is broader than that achieved from conventional narrower one-system concept generally included in PhD-programmes and in standard protection goals.
CHRONIC includes academic institutions, research centres, government institutions, SMEs, and an NGO. The CHRONIC program lay the basis for an integrated approach to environmental risk assessment that includes non-standard yet ecologically relevant endpoints and low chronic exposure as key elements. Thus, CHRONIC represents a paradigm shift in ERA methods and practices needed to deal with current and future contaminant challenges, and to meet the goals for advancing ERA. This new generation of researchers and professionals are needed to provide understanding of the more complex and multifaceted consequences of chronic low-level chemical impacts as potential drivers of population change.
Environmental risk assessment (ERA) of chemicals has traditionally dealt with the prospective management of individual chemicals based on short-term effects measured in a few species using standard tests and retrospective assessment conducted for the worst contaminated sites. However, chemicals present at low concentrations over extended times-scales, especially when combined with other stressors, can contribute to wildlife population declines and community changes that threaten ecosystem function and service provision. In many cases, such effects would not have been expected for the low to moderate chemical concentrations that frequently prevail for current widely used standard ERA methods that measure short-term effect on survival, growth, and reproduction. However, recent work for biologically active molecules (pesticides, biocide, pharmaceuticals) has identified how chronic impacts and novel modes of action (e.g. behavioural, immune modulation and genotoxicity) can lead to population change in certain species. The enhanced sensitivity that can occur for such endpoints from long-term (multigenerational) exposures, especially in association with other environmental stressors, can lead to effects on species that can have implications for ecosystem service provision.
CHRONIC aims at delivering a cohort of highly skilled and informed future research leaders trained in understanding and integrating, into risk-assessment practice, the long-term, low-dose chronic chemical exposure and their interactions with other environmental stressors.
CHRONIC include 13 PhD projects aimed at developing tools and approaches to identify relevant nonstandard modes of toxicity for low chronic chemical exposure and integrate these with environmental stressors. The program allow for a training that is broader than that achieved from conventional narrower one-system concept generally included in PhD-programmes and in standard protection goals.
CHRONIC includes academic institutions, research centres, government institutions, SMEs, and an NGO. The CHRONIC program lay the basis for an integrated approach to environmental risk assessment that includes non-standard yet ecologically relevant endpoints and low chronic exposure as key elements. Thus, CHRONIC represents a paradigm shift in ERA methods and practices needed to deal with current and future contaminant challenges, and to meet the goals for advancing ERA. This new generation of researchers and professionals are needed to provide understanding of the more complex and multifaceted consequences of chronic low-level chemical impacts as potential drivers of population change.
SCIENTIFIC
Each fellow work on an individual research project addressing a topic relating to the overall aim of the project. The ESRs have developed project plans containing a project description and a work plan for the PhD project, including a description of the scientific content of the PhD project with the principal elements of the project and considerations regarding methods and theory. The ESRs have established experimental systems covering low chronic exposure to contaminants in different environmental organisms (macrophytes, invertebrates, vertebrates), end-of-line systems (freshwater, sediment, soil) and non-conventional endpoints. These experimental setups further include different model chemical - (metals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals), environmental (e.g. temperature, food quality/quantity, predator) and biotic (perceived and realized predation pressure, parasites etc.) stressors, and have been established to:
• Quantify effects of within and among individual behavioural trait changes to estimate and validate effects on population and community level (e.g. competition and predator-prey) models.
• Assess interactions of chemical stress, environmental, biotic and abiotic (pH) stressors on behaviour, population growth rate and community dynamics in response to low chronic exposure.
• Investigate putative links and propagation of effects between biomarkers (e.g. for neurotoxicity and oxidative stress, and specific biomarkers like serotonin levels) and invertebrate behaviour (predator-prey responses, avoidance, and behavioural syndromes), life-history (survival, fecundity, growth) and community dynamics.
So far, all ESRs have developed and tested their experimental approach and have completed and analysed their first experiments. Further, each ESR have developed their theoretical adverse outcome pathways (AOP) and linked it to their experimental designs.
TRAINING
The networked joint Training Events (TE), include training modules for scientific/technical- and transferable skills, and is augmented by implementing a coordinated individual training plan for all ESRs. Every half year the fellows have attended short (5 days) training modules of specific topics and techniques useful to widen their knowledge and skills (October/November 2021 (online sessions), March 2022 at WU, and September 2022 at UAVR) including lectures related to chronic effects; regulatory risk assessment, exposure modelling in risk assessment; monitoring application for management and stewardship; multiple stressor and mixture effects; modelling, toxicokinetics, interactions of natural stressors with chemical stressors, ethical issues in science and business. The training also included a SETAC-organized workshop on Early Career and a CHRONIC-organized session on transferable skills.
SECONDMENTS
A working group developed a suitable secondment revision procedure integrating input from the ESRs as well as the organisations offering secondments. All ESRs have completed at least one of their planned secondments.
DISSEMINATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
A communication, exploitation and dissemination plan has been developed for CHRONIC to assure the impact of CHRONIC research and findings: The CHRONIC website (hhtp://chronic-mc.eu/; published May 20, 2021); A CHRONIC logo (November 2021); E-Newsletters (all 3 available on the website); A shared CHRONIC SharePoint was developed (contain documents/training material of interest to all members of the consortium); The ESRs have a Whats-App group to share e.g. pictures and experiences; A CHRONIC LinkedIn group (established in 2023 (https://www.linkedin.com/company/chronic-mc-itn/(opens in new window)).
Two ESRs have submitted their first manuscripts for peer review, and all ESRs are in different stages of completing their first manuscripts. All ESRs have presented and received feedback on their research aim and results from the external advisory board, MB and SB, and have presented at international conferences. Some ESRs have participated actively in public debates about their research.
Each fellow work on an individual research project addressing a topic relating to the overall aim of the project. The ESRs have developed project plans containing a project description and a work plan for the PhD project, including a description of the scientific content of the PhD project with the principal elements of the project and considerations regarding methods and theory. The ESRs have established experimental systems covering low chronic exposure to contaminants in different environmental organisms (macrophytes, invertebrates, vertebrates), end-of-line systems (freshwater, sediment, soil) and non-conventional endpoints. These experimental setups further include different model chemical - (metals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals), environmental (e.g. temperature, food quality/quantity, predator) and biotic (perceived and realized predation pressure, parasites etc.) stressors, and have been established to:
• Quantify effects of within and among individual behavioural trait changes to estimate and validate effects on population and community level (e.g. competition and predator-prey) models.
• Assess interactions of chemical stress, environmental, biotic and abiotic (pH) stressors on behaviour, population growth rate and community dynamics in response to low chronic exposure.
• Investigate putative links and propagation of effects between biomarkers (e.g. for neurotoxicity and oxidative stress, and specific biomarkers like serotonin levels) and invertebrate behaviour (predator-prey responses, avoidance, and behavioural syndromes), life-history (survival, fecundity, growth) and community dynamics.
So far, all ESRs have developed and tested their experimental approach and have completed and analysed their first experiments. Further, each ESR have developed their theoretical adverse outcome pathways (AOP) and linked it to their experimental designs.
TRAINING
The networked joint Training Events (TE), include training modules for scientific/technical- and transferable skills, and is augmented by implementing a coordinated individual training plan for all ESRs. Every half year the fellows have attended short (5 days) training modules of specific topics and techniques useful to widen their knowledge and skills (October/November 2021 (online sessions), March 2022 at WU, and September 2022 at UAVR) including lectures related to chronic effects; regulatory risk assessment, exposure modelling in risk assessment; monitoring application for management and stewardship; multiple stressor and mixture effects; modelling, toxicokinetics, interactions of natural stressors with chemical stressors, ethical issues in science and business. The training also included a SETAC-organized workshop on Early Career and a CHRONIC-organized session on transferable skills.
SECONDMENTS
A working group developed a suitable secondment revision procedure integrating input from the ESRs as well as the organisations offering secondments. All ESRs have completed at least one of their planned secondments.
DISSEMINATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
A communication, exploitation and dissemination plan has been developed for CHRONIC to assure the impact of CHRONIC research and findings: The CHRONIC website (hhtp://chronic-mc.eu/; published May 20, 2021); A CHRONIC logo (November 2021); E-Newsletters (all 3 available on the website); A shared CHRONIC SharePoint was developed (contain documents/training material of interest to all members of the consortium); The ESRs have a Whats-App group to share e.g. pictures and experiences; A CHRONIC LinkedIn group (established in 2023 (https://www.linkedin.com/company/chronic-mc-itn/(opens in new window)).
Two ESRs have submitted their first manuscripts for peer review, and all ESRs are in different stages of completing their first manuscripts. All ESRs have presented and received feedback on their research aim and results from the external advisory board, MB and SB, and have presented at international conferences. Some ESRs have participated actively in public debates about their research.
CHRONIC represents a paradigm shift in ERA methods and practices needed to deal with current and future contaminant challenges. The professionals educated through CHRONIC will be skilled across a range of analytical, physiological, modelling and risk assessment tools to be able to detect, manage and mitigate chronic impacts in different environments to achieve greatest benefit from their safe chemical use, while limiting (and preferably eliminating) detrimental impacts that can compromise human health and environmental service. This will support public acceptance of chemical products and uses and, thereby, the sustainability of multiple industry sectors.