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Methods to assess the influence of environmental
chemicals on biodiversity will
be tested for atmospheric emissions, surface
runoff, rivers, lakes, and soil.
The
groups of chemicals to be considered encompass
heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, persistent organic pollutants
and pesticides. Furthermore, nitrogen deposition
in riparian systems is considered.
Central concepts within this module are
exposure and effects.
Exposure is the composition
and concentration of the chemicals
that have an impact on the focal species.
Effect is the action that these species
display, e. g. changes in diversity or density,
behavioural changes etc.
Throughout
Europe we plan to model emissions for
several chemical substances and measure
the exposure onto focal organisms. Furthermore,
for appropriate chemicals, we will
measure the effect of the focal organisms.
Both exposure of and effects for largescale
systems will be assisted by indicator
toolboxes. By employing several modelling
techniques, it will be possible to derive
indicators from diversity change in natural
communities and to develop European
risk indicators to couple these results to
large-scale environmental pressures.
The environmental-chemicals module is headed by NERI, the National Environmental Research Institute. Other partners in this module are:
- University of Milano Bicocca (CoNISMa-UNIMIB)
- Natural Environmental Research Council, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (NERC)
- Jagiellonian University (UJAG)
- Bourgas University (LMC)
- Lancaster University, Environmental Science Dept. (ULANC)
- Utrecht University (IRAS-TOX)
- University of Stockholm (ITM)
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)
- Centre for Ecological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences (CBE)
- Procter & Gamble European Technical Centre (P&G)
For more information on the partners please visite the ALARM partner page.
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