Objective
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
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
- engineering and technology medical engineering medical laboratory technology laboratory samples analysis
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology invertebrate zoology
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
6701 ES WAGENINGEN
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.