Replacement of peat in artificial soils and sediments

The toxicity of chemicals to soil and sediment organisms is strongly influenced by the properties of the soil or sediment to which the organisms are exposed. Therefore, the OECD standardised bioassays for testing chemical toxicity use artificial soils or sediments with a precisely defined composition. These test substrates always contain peat as a source of organic material.

As there are fewer and fewer peatlands in Europe and most of them are in a poor ecological state, peat extraction is to be restricted in future. In order to continue testing chemicals according to OECD guidelines, the development of a peat alternative as an organic component in artificial soils and sediments is necessary. As a first step towards achieving this goal, the Ecotox Centre is working with international experts to compile a detailed literature review in order to identify possible peat alternatives for OECD tests to determine soil and sediment toxicity.