Effect-Directed Analysis of Key Toxicants in European River Basins. A Review (9 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope Extensive monitoring programs on chemical contamination are run in many European river basins. With respect to the implementation of the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD), these programs are increasingly accompanied by monitoring the ecological status of the river basins. Assuming an impact of chemical contamination on the ecological status, the assignment of effects in aquatic ecosystems to those stressors that cause the effects is a prerequisite for taking political or technical measures to achieve the goals of the WFD. Thus, one focus of present European research is on toxicant identification in European river basins in order to allow for a reduction of toxic pressure on aquatic ecosystems according to the WFD. Main Features: An overview is presented on studies that were performed to link chemical pollution in European river basins to measurable ecotoxic effects. This includes correlation-based approaches as well as investigations that apply effect-directed analysis (EDA) integrating toxicity testing, fractionation and non-target chemical analysis. Effect-based key toxicants that were identified in European surface waters are compiled and compared to EU priority pollutants. Further needs for research are identified. Results: Studies on the identification of effect-based key toxicants focused on mutagenicity, aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated effects, endocrine disruption, green algae, and invertebrates. The identified pollutants include priority pollutants and other well-known environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, furans, and biphenyls, nonylphenol, some pesticides and tributyltin, but also other compounds that were neither considered as environmental pollutants before nor regulated such as substituted phenols, natural or synthetic estrogens and androgens, dinaphthofurans, 2-(2-naphthalenyl)benzothiophene, and N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine. Discussion: Individual studies at specific sites in a European river basin demonstrated the power of combined biological and chemical analytical approaches and, particularly, of effect-directed analysis. However, the available information on effect-based key toxicants is very limited with respect to the entirety of rivers possibly at risk due to chemical contamination and with respect to toxicological endpoints considered at a specific site. A relatively broad basis of information exists only for estrogenicity and aryl hydrocarbon, receptor-mediated effects. Conclusions: The development of tools and strategies for an identification of key toxicants on a broader scale are a challenging task for the next years. Since investigations dealing with toxicant identification are too labor and cost-intensive for monitoring purposes, they have to be focused on the key sites in a river basin. These should include hot spots of contamination, particularly if there is evidence that they might pose a risk for downstream areas, but may also involve accumulation zones in the lower reach of a river in order to get an integrated picture on the contamination of the basin. Perspectives: While EDA is almost exclusively based on measurable effects in in vitro and in vivo biotests to date, an increasing focus in the future should be on the integration of EDA into Ecological Risk Assessment and on the development of tools to confirm EDA-determined key toxicants as stressors in populations, communities and ecosystems. Considering these requirements and applied in a focused way, toxicant identification may significantly help to implement the Water Framework Directive by providing evidence on the main stressors and possible mitigation measures in order to improve the ecological status of a river ecosystem.     

Improving food security in Swaziland: The transition from subsistence to communally managed cash cropping

The Komati Downstream Development Project (KDDP), based upon the Maguga Dam has enabled 6,000 hectares of semi‐arid lowveld, in a region with low and highly variable rainfall to be converted from subsistence to irrigated commercial farming, mainly of sugar cane. This has transformed the Swazi sugar industry from one dominated by a small number of large‐scale commercial estates to one where more than 1,500 previously impoverished small‐scale Swazi farmers have been able to enter the industry by joining farmers’ associations and creating communally managed farms. Recent changes to the EU's Sugar Protocol have undermined the financial viability of the KDDP farms and undermined food security, especially for the poorest, due to the cut in sugar prices. However, some farmers’ associations have opted to keep some of their land as irrigated home gardens, rather than convert all their land to sugar cane. This model has improved food security at a time of low sugar prices and points to a more sustainable way of using water from large scale dams than the conventional model. It is argued that the EU should target support to members of the KDDP who have taken out large‐scale loans to pay for the in‐field infrastructure and encourage all farmers’ associations to adopt the food garden model. This would enable them to continue to benefit from the irrigation through improved production of subsistence crops, whilst they diversify their commercial production into novel markets.     

Reintroduction of the european bison into the forest ecosystem of the Orlovskoe Poles’e National Park

The forest ecosystem of the Orlovskoe Polese National Park has been studied in reference to the reintroduction of a rare species: the European bison (Bison bonasus L.). Preliminary data characterizing the state of forest resources and the populations of ungulates living in the forests, as well as the genetic problems associated with maintaining a viable population of the European bison, are considered.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 2, 2005, pp. 132–137.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Belousova, Smirnov, Kazmin, Kudrjavtsev.     

Review, development and monitoring of national sustainable development strategies in Ghana

Agenda 21 requires that countries adopt ‘national sustainable development strategies’ (NSDS), and this has been emphasized in several international commitments. Ghana has contributed to the methodology for peer review of such national strategies, as well as to guidelines designed by OECD and the United Nations for the NSDS process. Ghana has also adopted mechanisms to manage its own development planning in a sustainable manner. This article highlights various types of frameworks for sustainable development currently operating in Ghana, and considers to what extent they conform to NSDS principles. The article concludes that Ghana has made progress in several ways, but faces some of the same challenges as other countries in adhering to sustainability principles. The article offers recommendations as to how Ghana can achieve sustainable development. The article is an independent assessment by the author, who has also formulated most of the recommendations, except where otherwise indicated.     

Variability of the Flower Structure in European Starflower (Trientalis europaeaL.) in Natural Populations

Flower variability was studied in natural populations of European starflower (Trientalis europaeaL.). The results showed that the flower structure in this species is determined by two parameters: the multiplicity of primordia of flower components and the uniformity of flower meristem development. The frequencies of nonuniformly developing flowers differs depending on the habitat. It appears that both parameters are largely determined by random fluctuations.     

The impact of the European landfill directive on waste management in the United Kingdom

The European Union Landfill Directive calls on member states to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal solid waste disposed of to landfill. In addition, national waste strategies will require the constituent parts of the United Kingdom to achieve increased household waste recycling and recovery rates. Both these measures will require the development of the infrastructure to support national high-intensity recycling and composting schemes and the construction of at least 35 new municipal waste to energy incinerators. Before plans can be developed for meeting the targets several areas relating to municipal solid waste need to be clarified. Depending on the definition of municipal solid waste, its composition and likely future growth rates the number of incinerators required could be up to 170.     

The responsiveness of young rabbits to the mammary pheromone: developmental course in domestic and wild pups

Newborn rabbits rely on odour cues to localize and seize maternal nipples. In particular, they orally respond to the mammary pheromone (MP) emitted in rabbit milk. The activity of the MP was so far mainly investigated in newborns, and a drop in its releasing effect was shown in 23-day old pups. Here, we evaluated the activity of the MP in a large sample (n=1588) of domestic rabbit pups tested between birth and weaning. We also assessed whether wild-type pups respond to the MP, and whether the developmental course of their responsiveness matches the one of domestic pups. During the first postnatal week, the MP revealed to be a strong releasing stimulus in all pups, regardless of their genetic and environmental background. However, the saliency of the MP decreased with approaching weaning, and this decrease was clearly steeper in wild-type than in domestic pups. These results are discussed with regard to the concept of ontogenetic adaptation and the effects of artificial selection.     

Beyond the conventional: Meeting the challenges of landscape governance within the European Landscape Convention?

Academics and policy makers seeking to deconstruct landscape face major challenges conceptually, methodologically and institutionally. The meaning(s), identity(ies) and management of landscape are controversial and contested. The European Landscape Convention provides an opportunity for action and change set within new governance agendas addressing interdisciplinarity and spatial planning. This paper critically reviews the complex web of conceptual and methodological frameworks that characterise landscape planning and management and then focuses on emerging landscape governance in Scotland within a mixed method approach involving policy analyses, semi-structured interviews and best practice case studies. Using Dower's (2008) criteria from the Articles of the European Landscape Convention, the results show that whilst some progress has been made in landscape policy and practice, largely through the actions of key individuals and champions, there are significant institutional hurdles and resource limitations to overcome. The need to mainstream positive landscape outcomes requires a significant culture change where a one-size-fits-all approach does not work.     

欧盟土壤环境评价监测项目及其对我国农用地质量监测的启示

＂十二五＂期间,我国国土资源调查评价的重点任务之一是建立农用地质量监测体系。当前我国农用地质量变化监测技术仍然处于研究探索阶段,欧盟土壤环境评价监测项目是较为成熟的监测项目,可为中国农用地质量监测工作提供借鉴。文章分别就欧盟土壤环境评价监测的相关研究和国内学者对农用地质量监测的研究进行了综述,认为欧盟土壤环境评价监测项目在指标选取、监测网络建立、数据更新技术等方面建立了较为成功的机制。未来中国农用地质量监测工作可在关注土壤环境质量、分类土壤退化原因、针对性地选取指标、应用DPSIR模型、确定监测点的方法、充分利用原有监测网络和监测数据等方面借鉴欧盟经验。     

INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT OF THE RIO GRANDE BASIN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO1

ABSTRACT. Despite radical differences in water laws, water management agencies, approaches to water planning, and financial resources, Mexico and the United States forged a common program to manage water and related land on the Rio Grande. Actions of Rio Grande Commissions related to stream gaging, boundary definition, and multiple-purpose construction projects are among the more successful international water-management efforts in the world. Cost-sharing arrangements promoted rapid completing of international works. However, joint action accomplished only part of expectations. International developments were competitive rather than complementary until basin water appropriation was virtually complete. Moreover, Commissions were not empowered to consider long-range competitive water needs, or regional water requirements, throughout the basin. International groundwater use coordination does not exist. International structures produce less than anticipated benefits. Hydroelectric generators are financial liabilities, irrigated acreage exceeds dependable streamflow, and soil salinization is experienced. Unanticipated environmental changes occurred in every major program. The Rio Grande experience points to the need for society to specify goals to which the use of water should contribute and to specify priorities for water use among different sectors of river basins and various segments of society.