The STRATEGY project: decision tools to aid sustainable restoration and long-term management of contaminated agricultural ecosystems

The STRATEGY project (Sustainable Restoration and Long-Term Management of Contaminated Rural, Urban and Industrial Ecosystems) aimed to provide a holistic decision framework for the selection of optimal restoration strategies for the long-term sustainable management of contaminated areas in Western Europe. A critical evaluation was carried out of countermeasures and waste disposal options, from which compendia of state-of-the-art restoration methods were compiled. A decision support system capable of optimising spatially varying restoration strategies, that considered the level of averted dose, costs (including those of waste disposal) and environmental side effects was developed. Appropriate methods of estimating indirect costs associated with side effects and of communicating with stakeholders were identified. The importance of stakeholder consultation at a local level and of ensuring that any response is site and scenario specific were emphasised. A value matrix approach was suggested as a method of addressing social and ethical issues within the decision-making process, and was designed to be compatible with both the countermeasure compendia and the decision support system. The applicability and usefulness of STRATEGY outputs for food production systems in the medium to long term is assessed.     

Effect of chloride in soil solution on the plant availability of biosolid-borne cadmium

Increasing chloride (Cl) concentration in soil solution has been shown to increase cadmium (Cd) concentration in soil solution and Cd uptake by plants, when grown in phosphate fertilizer- or biosolid-amended soils. However, previous experiments did not distinguish between the effect of Cl on biosolid-borne Cd compared with soil-borne Cd inherited from previous fertilizer history. A factorial pot experiment was conducted with biosolid application rates of 0, 20, 40, and 80 g biosolids kg(-1) and Cl concentration in soil solution ranging from 1 to 160 mM Cl. The Cd uptake of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Halberd) was measured and major cations and anions in soil solution were determined. Cadmium speciation in soil solution was calculated using GEOCHEM-PC. The Cd concentration in plant shoots and soil solution increased with biosolid application rates up to 40 g kg(-1), but decreased slightly in the 80 g kg(-1) biosolid treatment. Across biosolid application rates, the Cd concentration in soil solution and plant shoots was positively correlated with the Cl concentration in soil solution. This suggests that biosolid-borne Cd is also mobilized by chloride ligands in soil solution. The soil solution CdCl+ activity correlated best with the Cd uptake of plants, although little of the variation in plant Cd concentrations was explained by activity of CdCl+ in higher sludge treatments. It was concluded that chlorocomplexation of Cd increased the phytoavailability of biosolid-borne Cd to a similar degree as soil (fertilizer) Cd. There was a nonlinear increase in plant uptake and solubility of Cd in biosolid-amended soils, with highest plant Cd found at the 40 g kg(-1) rate of biosolid application, and higher rates (80 g kg(-1)) producing lower plant Cd uptake and lower Cd solubility in soil. This is postulated to be a result of Cd retention by CaCO3 formed as a result of the high alkalinity induced by biosolid application.     

Screening of organophosphorus compounds and their distribution in various indoor environments

Twelve organophosphorus compounds (OPs), which are used for diverse purposes (e.g. as plasticizers and flame retardants), were analysed in settled house dust from 15 indoor environments and in wipe test samples from computer screens and covers. Seven of the substances analysed dominated Swedish imports of OPs in 1999, six of these are also listed as EU High Production Volume Chemicals. Eight of the substances were found in all samples. Tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate was the most abundant in most of the samples, with levels ranging from 0.014 to 5.3 g/kg followed by tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate, tris(chloropropyl)phosphate and tris(1,3-dichloropropyl)phosphate. In wipe test samples from computers, triphenyl phosphate proved to be the main component of the OPs analysed (4.0 microg/m2). Potential sources of these compounds include, inter alia, floor polish, polyvinylchloride floor coverings, upholstery and plastic products. The distribution patterns of the OPs differed between the sites and generally reflected the building materials and consumer products used in their vicinity.     

Determining short chain fatty acids in sewage sludge hydrolysate：A comparison of three analytical methods and investigation of sample storage effects

In anaerobic digestion, the production of short-chain fatty acids （SCFAs） can be beneficial or harmful to the overall process, depending on the concentration of accumulated acids. Therefore, the accurate determination of the SCFA concentration in both fresh and stored sludge hydrolysates is important. To select a suitable method for monitoring SCFAs during the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, the accuracy of three available analytical methods, including 5 pH point acid titration （TITRA5）, gas chromatography （GC）, and spectrophotometry, were compared in the present study. The results revealed that TITRA5 and GC displayed better agreement in the achieved measurements and higher precision and accuracy than the spectrophotometric assay, as supported by the application of different statistical models. TITRA5 excelled in titrating unfiltered hydrolysate while simultaneously measuring the alkalinity, whereas the GC method provided detailed information on the contribution of different fatty acids to the total acidity. In contrast, the spectrophotometric assay suffered from many forms of interference, depending on the sample＇s matrix. SCFA production followed the pattern of enzymatic reactions and fitted the Michaelis-Menten model. In addition to promoting TITRA5 as an accurate and robust analytical tool for routine SCFA analyses, this comparative study also demonstrated the possibility of storing hydrolysate samples at different temperatures and durations without altering the SCFA measurements.     

Using Bacteriophages in Recycled Water Exposure Assessment Studies

Bacteriophages MS-2 and PRD-1 were used as indicators of human viral behaviour in a series of turf-grass irrigation and washing machine experiments to provide information about the level of human exposure to potential residual enteric viruses in recycled water that can affect health. Results provided evidence to support a potential inadvertent exposure volume of 0.01 ml for recycled water used for machine clothes washing. Results for irrigation experiments showed that a one log reduction in bacteriophage numbers on turf-grass was not achieved under exposure to high solar conditions after 4 h. Experimentation showed that bacteriophages may be usefully employed in exposure assessment studies based on the ease of their enumeration and logistical and cost considerations. In terms of future studies, observed differences in individual bacteriophage characteristics provide a rationale for using multiple viral indicators. However, limitations on the utility of bacteriophage also need to be considered.     

Ethics and biodiversity offsetting

Biodiversity offsetting is an increasingly applied tool aiming to compensate for environmental damage caused by exploitation projects. Critics, however, raise concerns over the purported effectiveness of offsetting and question the ethical underpinnings and implications of offsetting. These ethical dimensions have largely been overlooked in research, which may lead to offsetting systems that fail to respect the values intended to be safeguarded. To address these dimensions, 5 ethical objections in the scientific literature were identified: offsetting violates nature's intrinsic value; losses of nature cannot be compensated for by human interventions; too little is known to make adequate trades; offsetting impedes virtuous dispositions toward nature; and offsetting has negative justice implications. We examined these objections and arguments against them based on the ethical concepts of intrinsic and instrumental values, anthropocentrism, nonanthropocentrism, and deontological, consequentialist, and virtue-ethical paradigms. Both nonanthropocentric and anthropocentric concerns were expressed in deontological, consequential, and virtue-ethical framings. Objections mostly had a deontological or virtue-ethical basis, whereas counterarguments were based on consequential reasoning, but common ground in practice is often conceivable. Based on our findings, we formulated 10 recommendations for policy makers and 5 questions for practitioners to consider. We propose, for example, that policy makers clarify aims, legislate on no-go areas, and govern the use of multipliers. We suggest that practitioners consider, for instance, how to improve case-specific knowledge and promote learning and stakeholder engagement. We hope these recommendations and questions will encourage further discussion of the ethics of biodiversity offsets and ultimately strengthen the respect for biodiversity and human-welfare values at stake in offsetting projects.