Identifying Chemicals That Are Planetary Boundary Threats

• Rockstrom et al. proposed a set of planetary boundaries that delimit a safe operating space for humanity Many of the planetary boundaries that have so far been identified are determined by chemical agents. Other chemical pollution-related planetary boundaries likely exist, but are currently unknown. A chemical posed an unknown planetary boundary threat if it simultaneously fulfills three conditions (1) it has an unknown disruptive effect on a vital Earth system process; (2) the disruptive effect is not discovered until it is a problem at the global scale, and (3) the effect is not readily reversible. In this paper, we outline scenarios in which chemical could fulfill each of the three conditions, then use the scenarios as the basis to define chemical profiles that fit each scenario. The chemical profiles are defined in terms of the nature of the effect of the chemical and the nature of exposure of the environment to the chemical. Priortization of chemicals in commerce against some of the profiles appears feasible, but there are considerable uncertainites and scientific challenges that must be addressed. Most challenging is prioritizing chemicals for the potential to have a currently unknown effect on a vital. Earth system process. We conclude that the most effective strategy currently available to identify chemicals that are planetary boundary threats is prioritization against profiles defined in terms of environmental exposure combined with monitoring and study of the biogeochemical process that underlie vital Earth system processes to identify currently unknown disruptive effects.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

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