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- Backhaus, Thomas, 1967, et al.
(author)
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Proposal for environmental mixture risk assessment in the context of the biocidal product authorization in the EU
- 2013
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In: Environmental Sciences Europe. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2190-4715 .- 2190-4707. ; 25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract Background: The EU Council and Parliament recently agreed on a new regulation that will implement a new EU-wide, harmonized system for the authorization for biocidal products. Such products are in most cases multi-component mixtures of one or more active substances plus a range of co-formulants that serve different purposes, e.g. as stabilizers or preservatives. They are only allowed on the European market if their intended use does not lead to unacceptable risks for the environment. Consequently, the assessment of possible combination effects is a critically important step during the regulatory environmental risk assessment of biocidal products. However, no specific guidance is at hand on how combination effects should be accounted for during the regulatory environmental risk assessment of biocidal products. Results and Conclusions: A tiered approach was developed that accommodates different data situations, optimizes resource usage, limits biotesting as far as possible and ensures adequate protection of the environment. It mainly builds on using Concentration Addition as a component-based approach for mixture toxicity prediction, complemented by whole product tests where appropriate. Concentration Addition is either approximated by summing up PEC/PNEC ratios or as sums of toxic units. The competing concept of Independent Action was assessed as not being suitable for incorporation into a tiered approach without explicit confirmatory studies, as it might otherwise lead to an underestimation of the actual environmental risk.
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- Brack, Werner, et al.
(author)
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The SOLUTIONS project : Challenges and responses for present and future emerging pollutants in land and water resources management
- 2015
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In: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 503, s. 22-31
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- SOLUTIONS (2013 to 2018) is a European Union Seventh Framework Programme Project (EU-FP7). The project aims to deliver a conceptual framework to support the evidence-based development of environmental policies with regard to water quality. SOLUTIONS will develop the tools for the identification, prioritisation and assessment of those water contaminants that may pose a risk to ecosystems and human health. To this end, a new generation of chemical and effect-based monitoring tools is developed and integrated with a full set of exposure, effect and risk assessment models. SOLUTIONS attempts to address legacy, present and future contamination by integrating monitoring and modelling based approaches with scenarios on future developments in society, economy and technology and thus in contamination. The project follows a solutions-oriented approach by addressing major problems of water and chemicals management and by assessing abatement options. SOLUTIONS takes advantage of the access to the infrastructure necessary to investigate the large basins of the Danube and Rhine as well as relevant Mediterranean basins as case studies, and puts major efforts on stakeholder dialogue and support. Particularly, the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) working groups, International River Commissions, and water works associations are directly supported. with consistent guidance for the early detection, identification, prioritisation, and abatement of chemicals in the water cycle. SOLUTIONS will give a specific emphasis on concepts and tools for the impact and risk assessment of complex mixtures of emerging pollutants, their metabolites and transformation products. Analytical and effect-based screening tools will be applied together with ecological assessment tools for the identification of toxicants and their impacts. The SOLUTIONS approach is expected to provide transparent and evidence-based candidates or River Basin Specific Pollutants in the case study basins and to assist future review of priority pollutants under the WFD as well as potential abatement options.
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- Brack, Werner, et al.
(author)
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Towards the review of the European Union Water Framework Directive : Recommendations for more efficient assessment and management of chemical contamination in European surface water resources
- 2017
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In: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 576, s. 720-737
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Water is a vital resource for natural ecosystems and human life, and assuring a high quality of water and protecting it from chemical contamination is a major societal goal in the European Union. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) and its daughter directives are the major body of legislation for the protection and sustainable use of European freshwater resources. The practical implementation of the WFD with regard to chemical pollution has faced some challenges. In support of the upcoming WFD review in 2019 the research project SOLUTIONS and the European monitoring network NORMAN has analyzed these challenges, evaluated the state-of-the-art of the science and suggested possible solutions. We give 10 recommendations to improve monitoring and to strengthen comprehensive prioritization, to foster consistent assessment and to support solution-oriented management of surface waters. The integration of effect-based tools, the application of passive sampling for bioaccumulative chemicals and an integrated strategy for prioritization of contaminants, accounting for knowledge gaps, are seen as important approaches to advance monitoring. Including all relevant chemical contaminants in more holistic chemical status assessment, using effect-based trigger values to address priority mixtures of chemicals, to better consider historical burdens accumulated in sediments and to use models to fill data gaps are recommended for a consistent assessment of contamination. Solution-oriented management should apply a tiered approach in investigative monitoring, to identify toxicity drivers, strengthen consistent legislative frameworks and apply solutions-oriented approaches that explore risk reduction scenarios before and along with risk assessment.
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- van Gils, Jos, et al.
(author)
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Computational material flow analysis for thousands of chemicals of emerging concern in European waters
- 2020
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In: Journal of Hazardous Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0304-3894 .- 1873-3336. ; 397
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Knowledge of exposure to a wide range of chemicals, and the spatio-temporal variability thereof, is urgently needed in the context of protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems. This paper discusses a computational material flow analysis to predict the occurrence of thousands of man-made organic chemicals on a European scale, based on a novel temporally and spatially resolved modelling framework. The goal was to increase understanding of pressures by emerging chemicals and to complement surface water monitoring data. The ambition was to provide a first step towards a real-life mixture exposure situation accounting for as many chemicals as possible. Comparison of simulated concentrations and chemical monitoring data for 226 substance/basin combinations showed that the simulated concentrations were accurate on average. For 65% and 90% of substance/basin combinations the error was within one and two orders of magnitude respectively. An analysis of the relative importance of uncertainties revealed that inaccuracies in use volume or use type information contributed most to the error for individual substances. To resolve this, we suggest better registration of use types of industrial chemicals, investigation of presence/absence of industrial chemicals in wastewater and runoff samples and more scientific information exchange.
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