Standard methods for the assessment of structural and functional diversity of soil organisms

Critical review: Standard methods for the assessment of structural and functional diversity of soil organisms

The lack of standardised methods to study soil organisms prevents comparisons across datasets and hampers the development of new global and regional experiments and assessments. Standardised methods are also needed to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic stressors, such as chemicals, on soil organism communities in the regulatory context. The objective of this critical review is […]

Use of prospective and retrospective risk assessment methods for chemical mixtures in wastewater discharges

New publication: Use of prospective and retrospective risk assessment methods for chemical mixtures in wastewater discharges

The SETAC Pellston Workshop ‘Simplifying environmental mixtures – an aquatic exposure-based approach via exposure scenarios’ addressed the need to improve mixture assessments by considering different exposure scenarios related to land use. Recently, a series of papers from this workshop was published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, including the work ‘Use of prospective and retrospective risk assessment methods that simplify chemical mixtures associated with treated domestic wastewater discharges’, to which Anja Coors contributed.

Environmental risk assessment of biocidal products: identification of relevant components

New publication: Environmental risk assessment of biocidal products – identification of relevant components…

The recently published work ‘Environmental risk assessment of biocidal products: identification of relevant components and reliability of a component-based mixture assessment’ contributes to the currently ongoing debate on how to perform a mixture assessment in the environmental risk assessment within the authorisation process of biocidal products. Biocidal products are mixtures of one or more active […]

Effects of insecticides on survival and reproduction of microarthropods in African and European soils

New publication: Effects of insecticides on survival and reproduction of microarthropods in African and European soils

In many parts of Africa, pesticides are used indiscriminately. Yet, ecotoxicological data relevant for the protection of soil organisms have usually been obtained under temperate conditions. In order to assess the effects of three commonly used insecticides (deltamethrin, dimethoate, chlorpyrifos) on microarthropods in African soils, uncontaminated natural soils were collected from Nigeria and Tunisia. In […]

Further news on the Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Environmental Integration

Further news on the Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Environmental Integration

About 500 scientists representing more than 20 countries participated in the 1st Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Environmental Integration (EMCEI) that took place in Sousse (Tunisia) from 22 to 25 November 2017. ECT co-organised this conference, actively contributing via a keynote speech on environmental risk assessment of pesticides in soil, and by chairing two sessions on environmental […]

Meet ECT at the 16th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium

The 16th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium takes place in Forte Village, Santa Margherita di Pula (Sardinia, Italy) from 2 to 6 October 2017. ECT is contributing with the following platform presentation: J. Römbke: Testing of 24 potentially hazardous wastes using ecotoxicological tests For further information on the International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium […]