Suchergebnisse

AbstractIn the European Union (EU), a common understanding of the potential harmful effect of sewage sludge (SS) on the environment is regulated by the Sewage Sludge Directive 86/278/EEC (SSD). Limit values (LVs) for concentrations of heavy metals in soil are listed in Impact Assessment of this directive, and they were transposed by EU member states using different criteria. Member states adopted either single limit values or based on soil factors such as pH and texture to define the maximum limit values for concentrations of heavy metals in soils. Our work presents the first quantitative analysis of the SSD at the European level by using the Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) 2009 topsoil database. The reference values at the European level were arranged taking into account the upper value (EU_UL) and the lower value (EU_LL) for each heavy metal (arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead, and zinc) as well as taking into account the pH of the soil (cadmium, copper, mercury, nickel, lead, and zinc) as introduced in the SSD Annex IA. Single and integrated contamination rate indices were developed to identify those agricultural soils that exceeded the reference values for each heavy metal. In total, 10%, 36%, and 19% of the LUCAS 2009 topsoil samples exceeded the limit values. Additionally, 12% and 16% of agricultural soils exceeded the concentration of at least one single heavy metal when European LVs were fixed following the soil pH in Strategy II compared to those national ones in Strategy I. Generally, all member states apply similar or stricter limit values than those laid down in the SSD. Our work indicates that choosing LVs quantitatively affects further actions such as monitoring and remediation of contaminated soils. The actual soil parameters, such as heavy metal concentrations and soil pH values from the LUCAS 2009 topsoil database, could be used by SSD-involved policy stakeholders not only to lay down the LVs for concentrations of heavy metal in soils but also for monitoring the SSD compliance grade by using the LUCAS surveys over time (past and upcoming LUCAS datasets).

Dryland soils provide different societal and environmental services, such as food supply and biodiversity support. In Europe, most of the dryland areas are devoted to agriculture. In the next decades, both European and worldwide drylands are expected to suffer with increased intensity due to the expected climate change-derived rise in aridity. Many studies have focussed on aridity-induced changes in major nutrients in drylands, but little is known of the impact of environmental and biogeochemical factors on micronutrients with critical roles in life, and as inorganic contaminants with ecotoxicological implications. We analysed and explored drivers of total and available concentrations of micronutrients (Co, Cu, Fe, Mo, Mn, Ni and Zn) and contaminants (As, Cd and Pb) in 148 soil samples collected from European drylands covering a wide range of aridity and of other geochemical parameters. The availability of micronutrients increased with their total content, decreased with pH and was enhanced by organic C content. Aridity decreased the availability of Fe, a key element in human diet. Our findings also highlight the scarcity of this micronutrient in European drylands, as well as of some other important micronutrients like Zn and Mo in agricultural soils. Total content was the main driver of the availability of Cd and Pb, and organic matter exerted synergistic effects on contaminant release. Our data show the need for precise management practices to be incentivised by agricultural and environmental policies in order to ensure micronutrient supply and avoid contamination, thus maintaining adequate levels of agricultural productivity and simultaneously preserving dryland ecosystems. Highlights: Drylands are important for food production in Europe and sensitive to climate change. The occurrence of metals in European Union dry soils and the drivers influencing them were studied. Some micronutrients (Fe, Mo and Zn) were scarce while contaminants were abundant. SOC, pH and clays were the main drivers of element availability; aridity reduced Fe. Agricultural practises are needed to ensure nutrient supply and prevent contamination ; We thank all the people involved in sampling soils for LUCAS soil database. This work was funded by a 2018 Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators of the Fundacion BBVA (Spain)

peer-reviewed ; There is increasing recognition that soils fulfil many functions for society. Each soil can deliver a range of functions, but some soils are more effective at some functions than others due to their intrinsic properties. In this study we mapped four different soil functions on agricultural lands across the European Union. For each soil function, indicators were developed to evaluate their performance. To calculate the indicators and assess the interdependencies between the soil functions, data from continental long‐term simulation with the DayCent model were used to build crop‐specific Bayesian networks. These Bayesian Networks were then used to calculate the soil functions' performance and trade‐offs between the soil functions under current conditions. For each soil function the maximum potential was estimated across the European Union and changes in trade‐offs were assessed. By deriving current and potential soil function delivery from Bayesian networks a better understanding is gained of how different soil functions and their interdependencies can differ depending on soil, climate and management. Highlights When increasing a soil function, how do trade‐offs affect the other functions under different conditions? Bayesian networks evaluate trade‐offs between soil functions and estimate their maximal delivery. Maximizing a soil function has varied effects on other functions depending on soil, climate and management. Differences in trade‐offs make some locations more suitable for increasing a soil function then others.

Soils underpin our existence through food production and represent the largest terrestrial carbon store. Understanding soil state-and-change in response to climate and land use change is a major challenge. Our aim is to bridge the science-policy interface by developing a natural capital accounting structure for soil, for example, attempting a mass balance between soil erosion and production, which indicates that barren land, and woody crop areas are most vulnerable to potential soil loss. We test out our approach using earth observation, modelling and ground based sample data from the European Union's Land Use/Cover Area frame statistical Survey (LUCAS) soil monitoring program. Using land cover change data for 2000–2012 we are able to identify land covers susceptible to change, and the soil resources most at risk. Tree covered soils are associated with the highest carbon stocks, and are on the increase, while areas of arable crops are declining, but artificial surfaces are increasing. The framework developed offers a substantial step forward, demonstrating the development of biophysical soil accounts that can be used in wider socio-economic and policy assessment; initiating the development of an integrated soil monitoring approach called for by the United Nations Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils.

Soils underpin our existence through food production and represent the largest terrestrial carbon store. Understanding soil state-and-change in response to climate and land use change is a major challenge. Our aim is to bridge the science-policy interface by developing a natural capital accounting structure for soil, for example, attempting a mass balance between soil erosion and production, which indicates that barren land, and woody crop areas are most vulnerable to potential soil loss. We test out our approach using earth observation, modelling and ground based sample data from the European Union's Land Use/Cover Area frame statistical Survey (LUCAS) soil monitoring program. Using land cover change data for 2000–2012 we are able to identify land covers susceptible to change, and the soil resources most at risk. Tree covered soils are associated with the highest carbon stocks, and are on the increase, while areas of arable crops are declining, but artificial surfaces are increasing. The framework developed offers a substantial step forward, demonstrating the development of biophysical soil accounts that can be used in wider socio-economic and policy assessment; initiating the development of an integrated soil monitoring approach called for by the United Nations Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils.

peer-reviewed ; Agricultural ecosystems provide a range of benefits that are vital to human well-being. These benefits are dependent on several soil functions that are affected in different ways by legislation from the European Union, national, and regional levels. We evaluated current European Union soil-related legislation and examples of regional legislation with regard to direct and indirect impacts on five soil functions: the production of food, fiber, and fuel; water purification and regulation; carbon sequestration and climate regulation; habitat for biodiversity provisioning; and the recycling of nutrients/agro-chemicals. Our results illustrate the diversity of existing policies and the complex interactions present between different spatial and temporal scales. The impact of most policies, positive or negative, on a soil function is usually not established, but depends on how the policy is implemented by local authorities and the farmers. This makes it difficult to estimate the overall state and trends of the different soil functions in agricultural ecosystems. To implement functional management and sustainable use of the different soil functions in agricultural ecosystems, more knowledge is needed on the policy interactions as well as on the impact of management options on the different soil functions.

Accurate and complete environmental information is at the basis of any effective sustainable development policy. This report summarises for the first time the status of air, climate, water and soil in the Western Balkans (WB), describing current knowledge as of 2021 and gaps with respect to the EU aquis in order to: a) benchmark the progress during the accession process, and b) support the implementation of the Green Agenda for the WB with particular reference to depollution and decarbonisation priorities. This information is also relevant for the EU Green Deal zero pollution ambition, as depollution in WB also reduces pollutant levels in neighbouring EU Member States. Despite significant improvements in the alignment of the climate and GHG emissions monitoring and reporting legislation and the good progress in the areas of air and water pollution in the latest two years, the EU aquis implementation is still lagging. The overall WB air quality situation is still critical and the pollution trend is often upwards, despite PM10 and PM2.5 concentration have decreased in certain areas. Due to its dominant impact on mortality, PM2.5 can be considered the main pollutant to target in the WB. The energy sector, in particular coal-fuelled power plants, is the major source of SO2 and CO2 emissions and an important source of other pollutants. It offers a concrete opportunity for co-benefits between air quality and climate policies. The increase in intensity and frequency of summer heatwaves in the latest decades is an indicator of climate change in the WB and the need to design appropriate adaptation plans to cope with it. The status of waterbodies in the WB can generally be assessed as unsatisfactory. In the case of chemical status, 45% of waterbodies assessed failed to reach good status, while in the ecological assessment 54% failed to reach good status. Case studies on antibiotic resistance, as well as effect-based studies on mixtures of pollutants confirmed that aquatic ecosystems, particularly large fluvial rivers, are ...

Pillar Two of the GSP underpins many of the actions under the other Pillars by addressing the general lack of societal awareness of the importance of soil in people's lives and the well - being of the planet. In many cases, deficiency in education is the specific underlying cause of unsustainable land management practices, of the general lack of investment (both in education and physical measures to protect soil) and, as importantly, of the widespread political reluctance to adopt short - and long - term measures to preserve and enhance soil conditions. The Plan of Action (PoA) for Pillar 2 consists of six interlinked and interdependent components: policy, investment, education, extension, public awareness and technical cooperation. The development of the PoA was initiated at the European Network Soil Awareness (ENSA) workshop in Aberdeen in September 2013. This was followed by discussions at the 2013 Global Soil Week in Berlin which lead to the establishment of a Working Group to produce a draft plan of action , which was eventually endorsed by t he ITPS in April 2014. The PoA was presented, reviewed and adopted by the Plenary Assembly of the GSP in July 2014. Seven key recommendations are presented. Robust policy frameworks are one means of ensuring the sustainable management and protection of soils. Therefore, governments must be in vited to create or reinforce policies on soil and its protection. Whereas soil protection and management is a long - term aim, most political decisions are governed by short - term ambitions that reflect the lifetime of governments or politicians. Today's highly urbanised society means that the population is largely detached from food and fibre production issues and lack s a fundamental understanding of the role o f soil in enabling such life - critical services. It is disappointing to observe that society in many parts of the world attaches a greater value to developments in subjects such as particle physics and mobile communication than essential issues such as soil fertility. The PoA calls for a systematic awareness raising campaign in all countries on how soil relates to people's everyday lives. This can be done through brief and vivid messages, not only as part of the World Soil Day celebrations and during the forthcoming International Year of Soils, but also as a sustained long - term outreach and engagement programme. The PoA recommends a significant increase in investments to support such actions. Education in soil sciences is important and needs to be taken into account by other disciplines. The current soil science community should strive to show synergies with other domains to demonstrate its relevance. Pressure should be brought at all levels to halt the decline in soil science teaching at tertiary level, while boosting professional technical qualifications and support to educationalists, so that soils and agriculture can be more appealing for the younger generations. Soil extension services should interpret and present relevant research - based information to a broader range of stakeholders in an understandable and usable form, including farmer - to - farmer schemes or through initiatives such as the Soils Doctors Programme. The technical approach underlying the extension services should reflect mutually beneficial cooperation rather than from mere transfers from one partner to another. Finally, investments must go hand in hand with awareness o f the importance of soil resources. These investments should develop an effective skills base and entrepreneurship among soil users. The GSP should make full use of such tools as the Healthy Soils Facility to generate and facilitate the collection of financial contributions to the PoA.

Pillar Two of the GSP underpins many of the actions under the other Pillars by addressing the general lack of societal awareness of the importance of soil in people's lives and the well - being of the planet. In many cases, deficiency in education is the specific underlying cause of unsustainable land management practices, of the general lack of investment (both in education and physical measures to protect soil) and, as importantly, of the widespread political reluctance to adopt short - and long - term measures to preserve and enhance soil conditions. The Plan of Action (PoA) for Pillar 2 consists of six interlinked and interdependent components: policy, investment, education, extension, public awareness and technical cooperation. The development of the PoA was initiated at the European Network Soil Awareness (ENSA) workshop in Aberdeen in September 2013. This was followed by discussions at the 2013 Global Soil Week in Berlin which lead to the establishment of a Working Group to produce a draft plan of action , which was eventually endorsed by t he ITPS in April 2014. The PoA was presented, reviewed and adopted by the Plenary Assembly of the GSP in July 2014. Seven key recommendations are presented. Robust policy frameworks are one means of ensuring the sustainable management and protection of soils. Therefore, governments must be in vited to create or reinforce policies on soil and its protection. Whereas soil protection and management is a long - term aim, most political decisions are governed by short - term ambitions that reflect the lifetime of governments or politicians. Today's highly urbanised society means that the population is largely detached from food and fibre production issues and lack s a fundamental understanding of the role o f soil in enabling such life - critical services. It is disappointing to observe that society in many parts of the world attaches a greater value to developments in subjects such as particle physics and mobile communication than essential issues such as soil fertility. ...