The research project is intended to improve the hazard and risk assessment of the soil environment by implementing ecological principles in effect assessment methodologies. Terrestrial Model Ecosystem (TMEs) are used for the investigation of terrestrial ecosystem parameters. Both, structural and functional aspects of the soil environment can be assessed within this system.

The overall aim of the project is to establish a standardised method for the terrestrial environment which can be used for the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) in the frame of European chemicals legislation. For new notified substances according to Directive 67/548/EEC respectively its seventh amendment 92/32/EEC, the TMEs can be used if additional information and tests are required for level 2 of the notification procedure. Furthermore, the TMEs can be appplied if the risk assessment according to Directive 93/67/EEC shows that new substances are of concern for the terrestrial environment and further information is required. The same is valid if there is need to refine the risk assessment of existing substances according to Regulation (EEC) 1488/94.

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TMEs consist of encased intact (non-homogenized) soil-cores that are extracted from the site of interest (e.g. from a natural grassland). By this method the disturbance of the natural vegetation, soil microflora and fauna, and the layering of the soil inside the cores is minimised. The size of a soil-core is 17.5 cm in diameter and 40 cm in depth. All soil-cores are placed in special containers and kept under temperature-, moisture-, and light-controlled conditions in a greenhouse/growth chamber. Each soil-core is watered via special rain-heads and leachates are sampled at the bottom of each core.

5 partners conduct the TME test each with 80 soil-cores taken from 4 different soils which are related to EURO-Soil types.

For details click on the appropriate picture.

Fate End-Points:

Vertical distribution of the test substance (Carbendazim) in the soil-cores (HPLC)
Amount of test substance in leachates (HPLC)
Accumulation of test substance in vegetation

Effect End-Points:

Amount of nutrients (C,N,P, K, S) in soil (KCl extraction)
Amount of nutrients (C,N,P, K, S) in leachate
Soil microbial biomass (SIR)
Bacterial growth rate (Tritiated Thymidine Assay)
Enzyme activities in soil (Cellulase, Dehydrogenase)
Feeding activity of the soil biocenosis (Bait Lamina)
Abundance and diversity of earthworms (hand sorting)
Abundance and diversity of enchytraeids (wet extraxtion)
Abundance and diversity of collembola and gamasid mites (Tullgren extraction)
Abundance and trophic groups of nematodes (wet extraxtion)
Decomposition (litter bags)
Plant biomass (aboveground, fresh weight)

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Table of End-Points and Sampling Times within the TME-Test Study

	Weeks before/after Chemical Application
End-Points	-1	+1	+4	+8	+16
FATE
Residues in Soil		*	*	*	*
Residues in Leachates			*	*	*
Residues in Plants			*	*	*
EFFECT
Nutrients in Soil	*	*	*	*	*
Nutrients in Leachates			*	*	*
Microbial Biomass	*	*	*	*	*
Enzyme Activity	*	*	*	*	*
Bacterial Growth Rate			*		*
Plant Biomass			*	*	*
Plant Diversity	*				*
Collembola/Gamasid Mites	*	*	*	*	*
Enchytraeidae	*	*	*	*	*
Earthworms	*	*	*	*	*
Nematoda					*
Bait Lamina			*	*	*

The validated and successfully ring-tested TME method can be used as an instrument of prognosis within the notification of new substances. The benefit for regulatory authorities is to be able to conduct an improved environmental risk assessment for the soil compartment which includes experimental data on ecosystem structure and function; the benefit for the chemical industry is to have a reliable cost basis when discussing a terrestrial-level-2-study with regulatory authorities; further the industry as well as the regulatory authorities are in a position to evaluate the test results on the basis of agreed assessment rules; last but not least the benefit for the environment can be expected to be a risk reduction for soil contaminations.

The TME method can also be used as an instrument of prognosis for evaluating environmental risks caused by complex contaminants (e.g. fly ash, sewage sludge) and by genetically modified micro-organisms. Further, the TME method can be used as an instrument of diagnosis for contaminated field sites and for quality control purposes of remediated soils. Finally the TME method can be applied as an instrument in ecological research.

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An approved TME method allows the chemical industry to improve the cost calculation of the notification procedure of new substances and facilitates the application of criteria related to the concept of sustainable development. Data derived from TME tests which reflect ecosystem level parameters will reduce the uncertainties of environmental risk assessments and, in the long run, will reduce the costs required to remediate contaminated soil sites. Finally, an ecologically relevant test system and an advanced environmental risk assessment will create more confidence in the products of the European chemical industry.

On a different scale and for the participating partners, the project will demonstrate the applicability and transfer of scientific results to environmentally relevant administrative measures on an European level.

To validate the results from the TME, a field study will be conducted in 1999 next to the field from which the soil-cores are extracted. The test substance and doses, the end-points and the sampling regime will be the same as for the model ecosystems. However, leachates will not be collected in the field.

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We are grateful for the financial support granted by the EU (Grant No.: ENV4-CT97-0470).

Contractor 1

ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH
Böttgerstr. 2-14
D-65439 Flörsheim a.M., Germany;
Tel.: +49 6145 9564 11
Fax: +49 6145 9564 99
e-mail: th-knacker@ect.de
homepage: http://www.ect.de

Team:

Dr. Thomas Knacker (project coordinator and team leader); Dr. Jörg Römbke; Dr. Bernhard Förster.

Responsibilities:

Overall management and coordination of the project; conduction of the TME pre-test and the TME main-test by using a soil related to type 4 of the Euro-soils; measurement of the abundance and diversity of Enchytraeids and Nematodes in the samples of all contractors.

Contractor 2

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Department of Ecology and Ecotoxicology
De Boelelaan 1087
1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Tel: +31-20-4447004
Fax: +31-20-4447123
e-mail: gestel@bio.vu.nl
homepage: http://www.bio.vu.nl/do/

Team:

Dr. C.A.M. (Kees) van Gestel (team leader); Josée E. Koolhaas.

Responsibilities:

Conduction of the TME pre-test and the TME main-test by using a soil related to type 5 of the Euro-soils; nutrient analysis in the soil and leachate (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur); measurement of the abundance and diversity of soil arthropods (Collembola and Gamasid Mites) in the samples of all contractors.

Contractor 3

IAV, Instituto Ambiente e Vida, Universidade de Coimbra
3049 Coimbra Codex, Portugal
Tel.: +351 39 34729
Fax: + 351 39 26798
e-mail: jps@cygnus.ci.uc.pt
homepage: www.uc.pt/iav

Team:

Prof. Dr. Amadeu M.V.M. Soares (team leader); Dr. Paulo Sousa (assisstant team leader).

Responsibilities:

Performance of the TME pre-test and the TME main-test by using a soil related to type 1 of the Euro-soils; measurements of Microbial Biomass (substrate-induced respiration, basal respiration) and Enzyme Activity (cellulase activity) in the samples of all contractors.

Contractor 4

School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2 UW, U.K.
Tel.: +44 1248 351151
Fax: +44 1248 370731
e-mail: s.e.jones@bangor.ac.uk
homepage: http://www.bangor.ac.uk

Team:

Dr. Susan E. Jones (team leader); Dr. Peter Holliman; Denis Williams.

Responsibilities:

Performance of the TME pre-test and the TME main-test by using a soil related to type 3 of the Euro-soils; Residue Analysis of the test chemical in soil and leachate; measurement of Bacterial Growth Rates in the samples of all contractors.

Associated Contractor 5

Joint Research Centre of the European Communities
Environmental Institute (CRC-JRC-EI),
European Chemicals Bureau (ECB)
Via Enrico Fermi
I-21020 Ispra, Italy.
Tel.: +39 332 78 5849
Fax: +39 332 78 9184

Team:

Dr. Birgit Sokull-Klüttgen

Responsibilities:

Partner 5 was involved into identifying an appropriate test substance for the TME ring-test and field validation. Together with contractor 1 and 2 the associated contractor will develop recommendations for implementing TME data into environmental risk assessments of chemicals.

Associated Partner (6)

BASF - Agrarzentrum Limburgerhof
Carl Bosch Str. 64
D-67114 Limburgerhof
Tel: +49 621 6027598
e-mail: holger.mebes@msm.basf-ag.de

Team:

Dr. Andreas Ufer (team leader); Holger Mebes; Michael Glockzin.

Responsibilities:

Performance of the TME pre-test and the TME main-test by using the same soil as contractor 1 (related to type 4 of the Eurosoils); BASF joined the group as a scientific partner after the start of the project and decided to adopt the principles of the TME test design. Several end-points are measured by BASF independent from the contractors. BASF will not perform a field study.

Financial support is provided by internal BASF research funds.

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Links

Project related links:

Literature

Council Directive 92/32/EEC (1992) amending for the seventh time Directive 67/548/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances. Official J. European Com. No. L 154, p. 1.

Commission Directive 93/67/EEC (1993) laying down the principles for assessment of risks to man and the environment of substances notified in accordance with Council Directive 67/548/EEC. Official J. European Com. No. L 227, p. 9.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 (1994) laying down the principles for assessment of risks to man and the environment of existing substances in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93. Official J. European Com. No. L 161, p. 3.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1179/94 (1994) concerning the first list of priority substances as foreseen under Council Regulation (EEC) no 793/93. Official J. European Com. No. 131, p. 3.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 793/93 (1993) on the evaluation and control of risks of existing substances. Official J. European Com. L 84, Vol. 36.

Technical Guidance Document in support of the Commission Directive 93/67/EEC on risk assessment for new notified substances and the Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 on risk assessment for existing substances (1996). Luxembourg, Office for Offical Publications of the European Communities, Part II: Environmntal Risk Assessment, p. 241, ISBN 92-827-8011-2.

Kuhnt, G., Muntau, H. (eds.) (1992) EURO-Soils: identification, collection, treatment, chracterization. Ispra, Italy.

UBA (1994) UBA-Workshop on Terrestrial Model Ecosystems. Texte 54/94, Umweltbundesamt, Postfach 330022, D-14191 Berlin, pp. 89.

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