Aquaterra and functional endpoints

 
 
Aquaterra and funtional endpoints
     

2004-2008

Client(s) & funding

EU

Objectives

Aquaterra is an Integrated Project of the 6th EU RTD Framework Programme. IMARES perfromed environmental assessments under the workpackage TREND.
The objective was to assess the long term development in temporal trends of specific chemical, physical, and biological parameters in (floodplain) soils and sediments and related ecological functioning, and the effects of the perturbations climate change, land-use, and contamination on these parameters and the following impacts on ecological functioning, specifically focussing on:

• understanding resilience of natural cycling processes in soils and sediments, towards perturbations as contamination and inundation, taking organic material mineralisation as the model functional process to investigate this phenomenon
• and to link the sensitivity of functional processes to other parameters.

Summary

The work done in this project was a combination of field (in situ) research on selected floodplain sites and laboratory research on soil/sediment samples collected at those sites. The specific sites to be studied are: the river Dommel (tributary of the Meuse), and the Hamburg harbour region (Elbe). Involved research partners and stakeholders identified these sites as being of specific interest and appropriate to have a better insight in ecological . The integration of the different activities was ensured by shared samples of sediments. The important asset of the WP was the integrated approach taken in characterising soil and sediment material, which will enabled us to investigate the effect of specific physical, chemical and biological properties on the bioavailability of different pollutants and its variability and effects with time.

More specifily in the laboratory:
In the laboratory, experimental model ecosystems (picture) were set up containing sediments, Dommel water and representative Dommel macrofaunaspecies. The degradation of leaf material was studied as the model process of ecosystem functioning in response to contamination in relation to different temperatures (climate change). Therefore, the leaf pack methodology (picture) was used. Based on these results, a protocol was set up in order to provide reference values for in situ leaf breakdown. The methodology of laboratory based model ecosystems, was further developed during this experiment as well.

As WFD defines the good ecological status as its main endpoint, Aquaterra TREND1 included studies that link the physical and chemical state to the ecological state of the system. Different steps between chemical status and ecological status were identified and used in tools. These monitoring tools could be used to further quality or quantify the detoriation of a specific location by:

• Pointing out specific impact on ecological relevant endpoints
• Linking chemical status and ecological status
• Being feasible tool for risk assessment / communication

However, bioassays in general, aswell those with a functional endpoint, cannot stand alone in water or sediment quality assessment.They contribute to knowledge of ecological impairment, and it is suggested to use these techniques in tailor made quality assessments of water and sediments. Coorpartion and discussion between chemists, ecologists, ecotoxicologists and administrators is however crusial to obtain and link most relevant data.

It was discussed to take into account the ecotoxicological framework to communicate and underpin different disciplines of ecotoxicology and their interrelationshis to each other and the WFD.