31. October 2022, Topic: Soil Ecotoxicology Risk Assessment

Bioindicators and mixture toxicity for plant protection products

The National Action Plan on Plant Protection Products (PPP) aims to halve the environmental risks posed by PPPs by 2027. To achieve this, the monitoring of PPP residues in agricultural soils first needs to be established. This is necessary to detect possible contamination and assess soil quality. The Ecotox Centre supports the Federal Offices for the Environment and Agriculture in this task; other project partners are EnviBioSoil and the National Soil Monitoring Office (NABO).

In the first phase of the project, the state of knowledge on the derivation of ecological reference values for soils was summarised and a procedure proposed on this basis; this was subsequently applied to important PPPs. In the second phase of the project, which is now beginning, the researchers are compiling a toolbox with possible bioindicators. The influence of the various soil organisms on the ecological soil functions and on soil fertility will be taken into account. The organisms selected as bioindicators will then be further assessed in pilot studies. In addition, the experts are developing an approach for the risk assessment of mixtures of PPPs in soils.

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