Challenges and opportunities for the environmental risk assessment of chemicals in soils: a recap and follow-up of a SETAC webinar

Soil sustainability is unquestionable but is under various threats, one of which includes chemical pollution. Under the vision of reaching healthy soils by 2050, the SETAC Webinar "Assessing Risks in Soil: Challenges and Opportunities" was held to understand the current state of soil health in Europe and, identify gaps in the environmental risk assessment (ERA) framework for chemicals entering soils. In reflection of the webinar and soil protection, strategies to describe the current state of soils, including knowledge on existing chemical pollution in soils and soil biodiversity metrics are discussed. With respect to soil pollution by chemicals, the current ERA framework was analysed to identify gaps and needs to protect in-soil biodiversity exposed to chemicals. Here, the importance of soil monitoring and cyclical feedback mechanisms for ERA is highlighted as well as the need to shift the current ERA framework towards a holistic approach that considers long-term impacts on in-soil organisms and soil biodiversity under realistic conditions. Two methods (terrestrial model ecosystems and trait-based approaches) are reviewed as potential suitable tools for the detection of community level effects within the ERA of chemicals entering soils. Finally, the need for cooperation and engagement between member states and stakeholders is tabled.

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Publication Details

Journal
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
Published
2025-08-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf102
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.42

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article

Challenges and opportunities for the environmental risk assessment of chemicals in soils: a recap and follow-up of a SETAC webinar

David J. Russell, Ulrich Menke, Paola Grenni, Diana Vieira et al.
1 citations
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
2.42
article

Challenges and opportunities for the environmental risk assessment of chemicals in soils: a recap and follow-up of a SETAC webinar

David J. Russell, Ulrich Menke, Paola Grenni, Diana Vieira, Silvia Pieper, Mathieu Renaud, Pia Kotschik, Vera Silva, Cornelis A.M. van Gestel, Ingrid Rijk, Tiago Natal‐da‐Luz, Juliska Princz, Cláudia de Lima e Silva, Bonnie Brooks
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Soil sustainability is unquestionable but is under various threats, one of which includes chemical pollution. Under the vision of reaching healthy soils by 2050, the SETAC Webinar "Assessing Risks in Soil: Challenges and Opportunities" was held to understand the current state of soil health in Europe and, identify gaps in the environmental risk assessment (ERA) framework for chemicals entering soils. In reflection of the webinar and soil protection, strategies to describe the current state of soils, including knowledge on existing chemical pollution in soils and soil biodiversity metrics are discussed. With respect to soil pollution by chemicals, the current ERA framework was analysed to identify gaps and needs to protect in-soil biodiversity exposed to chemicals. Here, the importance of soil monitoring and cyclical feedback mechanisms for ERA is highlighted as well as the need to shift the current ERA framework towards a holistic approach that considers long-term impacts on in-soil organisms and soil biodiversity under realistic conditions. Two methods (terrestrial model ecosystems and trait-based approaches) are reviewed as potential suitable tools for the detection of community level effects within the ERA of chemicals entering soils. Finally, the need for cooperation and engagement between member states and stakeholders is tabled.

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
Washington State Department of Ecology (US), Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA), Örebro University (SE), European Commission (BE), Water Research Institute (IT), Joint Research Centre (IT), National Biodiversity Institute (CR), National Research Council (RO), German Environment Agency (DE), Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz (DE), National Research Council (IT), Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (CH), Bayer (Germany) (DE), University of Coimbra (PT), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL), Wageningen University & Research (NL)
Bayer, European Commission, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Universidade de Coimbra, Umweltbundesamt, Joint Research Centre, Wageningen University and Research
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
2.42
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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