Towards harmonised human health risk assessment across Europe: Sorting the possible from the impossible (original) (raw)
Related papers
The need for harmonizing methodologies for assessing soil threats in Europe
Soil Use and Management, 2010
Central to the EU thematic strategy for soil protection is that areas affected by soil degradation through erosion, soil organic matter (SOM) decline, compaction, salinization and landslides should be identified in a clear and consistent way. However, the current methodologies to achieve this often differ and this can result in different perceptions of risks amongst EU Member States. The aims of this paper are to: (i) assess the current status of assessment methodologies in Europe (EU27) associated with erosion, SOM decline, compaction, salinization and landslides and (ii) discuss the issues associated with harmonization of these methodologies throughout the EU27. The need for harmonization is assessed using the relative share of common elements between different methodologies. The results demonstrate that the need for harmonization in methodology is greatest for erosion and compaction and least for SOM decline and landslides. However, many of the methodologies which were investigated are still incomplete and there are significant differences in terms of: (i) understanding the threats, (ii) methods of data collection, (iii) processing and interpretation and (iv) risk perception. We propose two options for the harmonized assessment of soil threats: (i) a two-tiered approach based on data availability and spatial scale and (ii) a combination of standardization and harmonization for each assessment methodology. Future assessments should focus on the advantages and disadvantages of these options as the current situation will result in endless discussions on differences and the merits of particular methodologies instead of taking appropriate measures to reduce or eliminate the actual threats.
Almost all developed countries use risk assessment methodologies (RAMs) for the evaluation of risks related to soil degradation, viz. soil organic matter decline, erosion, landslides, salinization and/or compaction. However and for various reasons, seldom the use of such RAMs seldom results in actual measures to combat soil degradation in practice. In this study the current status of RAMs in EU-27 was evaluated and factors hampering the implementation of action plans were explored. To do so we used a so-called risk assessment chain, which describes the five successive steps of any risk assessment for soil threats viz., (1) notion of the threat, (2) data collection, (3) data processing, (4) risk interpretation and (5) risk perception. Based on this assessment we identified three factors that hampered the execution of measures to combat soil degradation following the application of soil RAMs: Many RAMs are incomplete and focus on the first steps of the risk assessment chain, and ignore the decision for action to combat land degradation; Member states preferably monitor soil threats that are clearly present (e.g. landslides) and may overlook “slow killers” like compaction and soil organic matter decline. Different RAMs for the same threat provide different results for the same exposure. This undermines the scientific credibility of the RAMs and the plausibility of the severity of the threat and may result in loss of commitment to take remedial actions. These factors may be overcome by harmonizing RAMs, i.e. by making results comparable and/or compatible. Therefore, complete RAMs, i.e. covering all aspects of the risk assessment chain, should be developed for each threat and different RAMs for the same threat should be made intercomparable, i.e. yield similar risk perceptions for a certain exposure to a threat. We recommend implementing a Tiered methodology, where the Tier 1 method is a standardized and uniformly applicable method across EU-27, at a relatively low spatial resolution and is used to identify areas at risk. The Tier 2 method is a regional-specific and more detailed assessment of the risk in the areas identified by the Tier 1 method, where the Tier 2 method is harmonized to the Tier 1 method. We urge to initiate this process timely considering that as long as different unharmonized soil RAMs are used simultaneously, the implementation of remedial measures will be frustrated by ambiguous results.
Generic and site-specific criteria in assessment of human health risk from contaminated soil
Soil Use and Management, 2005
Previous industrial and waste disposal activities and natural processes have led to elevated concentrations of harmful substances in soil. Risk-based land management requires the risk posed by such substances to be managed. Generic assessment criteria offer a simple and efficient but often over-cautious approach to human health risk assessment. Site-specific assessment criteria reduce over-conservatism but require extra time and effort to determine. Generic assessment criteria should represent contaminant concentrations below which there is no unacceptable risk to human health. Consistent definitions, application and interpretation are essential prerequisites for fostering and maintaining stakeholder confidence in risk-based land management.
Measures for Preventing, Mitigating and Remediating Soil Threats in Europe : A Literature Review
2015
The EU-funded RECARE project (Preventing and Remediating Degradation of Soils in Europe through Land Care, http://www.recare-project.eu) aims at the development of effective soil prevention, remediation and restoration measures using an innovative trans-disciplinary approach, actively integrating and advancing knowledge of stakeholders and scientists in 17 case study sites across different bio-physical and socioeconomic environments across Europe. The soil threats addressed by this project are soil erosion by water, soil erosion by wind, decline of soil organic matter (SOM) in peat soils, decline of SOM in minerals soils, soil compaction, soil sealing, soil contamination, soil salinization, desertification, flooding and landslides, and decline in soil biodiversity.
Sustainability
To ensure an adequate level of protection in the European Union (EU), the European Commission (EC) adopted the Soil Thematic Strategy in 2006, including a proposal for a Soil Framework Directive (the Directive). However, a minority of Member States (United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria, and The Netherlands) could not agree on the text of the proposed Directive. Consequently, the EC decided to withdraw the proposal in 2014. In the more than 10 years that have passed since the initial proposal, a great number of new evidences on soil degradation and its negative consequences, have proved the necessity of a common European soil protection Directive. This study is aimed at specifying the possible obstacles, differences, and gaps in legislature and administration in the countries that formed the blocking minority, which resulted in the refusal of the Directive. The individual legislations of the opposing countries on the matter, were summarized and compared with the goals set by the ...
Contaminated soil risk assessment methods overview
2013
Soil represents the upper part of the lithosphere, characterized by complex interdependencies, which plays a major structural and environmental role. Soil contamination can be perceived as the presence of man induced substances within a soil environment and represents one of our century’s major environmental issues. Assessing the consequences and the related risks of soil contamination has been the subject of debates between policymakers all around the globe. The direct result was an impressive number of risk assessment methods, based on different approaches, using multiple parameters and relating to various reference systems. The present paper aims at reviewing the risk assessment descriptions within the most important countries in terms of risk assessment policy making. Analysis parameters such as United Kingdom, Norway, France, Germany, USA, Australia and New Zeeland are also discussed. The main objective of the current research is to identify key elements that are present in all...
Policy instruments for soil protection among the EU member states: A comparative analysis
Land Use Policy, 2019
Many factors threaten European Soils, and currently, all the Member States (MS) are introducing many types of soil protection measures. Erosion, pollution, sealing and decline of the organic matter are just some of the threats that affect one of the primary non-removable resources of the planet. Soils play a vital role in the biodiversity and are the provider of numerous Ecosystem Services that support human life on Earth. Following the withdrawal of the Soil Framework Directive proposal by the European Commission, we investigate how the different MS of the European Union (EU) address sustainable soil management under the pressures of different threats. The methodology used is based on a gap analysis applied to the instruments and/or policies adopted by the MS to contrast the various threats according to their specific level of intensity. The study presents for the first time a systematic review of the current EU policies covering all the regulatory instruments, the economic instruments, the information tools, the monitoring systems, and the research and innovation activities. The comparative analysis of the different approaches adopted by MS reveals the absence of a common EU strategy to address soil protection and the inefficacy of the subsidiary principle in the sustainable management of soil resources especially in the view of addressing the Sustainable Development Goals achieving the targets by 2030. Results show how the lack of a Soil Framework Directive has weakened the possibility to have strong coordination among the MS for soil protection. Each Country is adopting an autonomous legislative framework which reveals a huge dis-homogeneity and un-coherences among approaches.
2005
Nationally and internationally there are an increasing number of legal initiatives to protect the ecological processes in soil. This article describes the legal situation concerning the protection of natural functions of soil in Europe (mainly The Netherlands (since 1987) and Germany (since 1998)). Examples of processes to be protected comprise the element cycles, the degradation of pollutants, and the conversion of organic matter. These processes are performed by organisms, and therefore, there is a growing consensus that protection of soil biodiversity is necessary for the survival of humans and the above-ground ecosystems. It is discussed that protection of soil ecosystems needs requires definitions and aims for the ecological quality of soil (as already provided for aquatic ecosystems). Taking into account that most soils are privately owned, legal initiatives are necessary to clarify responsibilities and to direct research toward the implementation of reproducible and standardized methods to determine the ecological quality of soil. r 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.