Aquatic ecotoxicology – can we improve its influence on policies and risk management?

1. Aquatic ecotoxicology – can we improve its influence on policies and risk management? • European Environment Agency, Copenhagen 6-7 May 2010 • Organizing committee: • Peter Pärt European Commission-JRC • Ingvar Thorn former Swedish EPA and European Environment Agency • Christina Rudén Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden • Dorota Jarosinska European Environment Agency, Copenhagen • Robert Collins European Environment Agency, Copenhagen

2. Objectives • Retrospective analysis –“Lessons learned” - how we can optimize the science and decision basis in the ecotoxicology area. • How has research findings in the ecotoxicology area found their way into policy and how they have been used in risk management and decision-making. • Capacity building - the importance of research projects for capacity building. • Research priorities for the future –“Are we doing the right thing”?

3. Projects • ESTHER (1982 – 1987, Swedish EPA) • NewS (1998-2003, New Strategy on Chemicals, MISTRA, Sweden) • NOMIRACLE (Novel Methods for Integrated Risk Assessment of Cumulative Stressors, EU 2004-2009 http://nomiracle.jrc.ec.europa.eu) • MODELKEY (Models for Assessing and Forecasting the Impact of Environ-mental Key Pollutants on Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity (www.modelkey.org)

4. Questions for speakers • Presentation of your research and what you think are the highlights • Has your research/findings been used or been taken up in policy making? In case, give examples! • How has your projects assisted in capacity building. • What do you see as research priorities in ecotoxicology for the future?

5. Ecotox findings has changed policy • The risk of mercury to wildlife and human health was originally based on observations of acute mercury poisoning in the nature (birds) • The ban on use of the insecticide DDT was based on observed effects in wild life, mainly birds • The ban on, and phasing out, of PCBs was based on observations on reproductive disturbances in birds and animals in the environment • PBT (persistant – bioaccumulation – toxicity) criteria based on ecotox observations • The discovery of imposex among marine snails as a result of the use of tributyltin (TBT) antifoulants has lead to a worldwide prohibition of the use • The acidification of lakes and the impacts of acid deposition on terrestrial environments - legislation to reduce acidifying sulphur emissions from use of fossil fuels

6. Ecotox – policy impact (cont) • Phasing-out of chlorine bleaching in pulp and paper industry – negative impact of chlorinated compounds in the aquatic environment • Reproductive damage to fish and invertebrate populations observed in the 1990’s has been shown to be caused by exposure to complex mixtures of oestrogens and other endocrine disrupting chemicals • EEA report 1998 “Chemicals in the European Environment: Low doses, High stakes?” - one of the drivers for the REACH legislation • The United Nations Stockholm Environment Conference 1972 – the creation of UNEP and the “Stockholm Convention -

7. Conclusions - policy • Policy advice: • International Panel on Chemical Pollution (IPCP), http://www.ipcp.ch/ • The Network of reference laboratories for monitoring of emerging environmental pollutants (NORMAN). Collaboration agreement with JRC. • Contribute to the European Chemicals Agencies (ECHA) environmental risk assessments through their public consultations • Closer collaboration with European agencies like European Environment Agency, European Food Safety Authority, European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, • Create “win-win” situations between human health concerns and ecotoxicological concerns

8. Conclusions - policy • Communication • Arrange short targeted seminars in the European Parliament and in National Parliaments with the theme “Water, health and wealth”. • Participate in the Green week- conference arranged by the European Commission DG Environment in June every year (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/greenweek/home.html). • Timing. Experiences show us that a topical issue has greater change of influencing policy. • Write summary reports. Use a non-technical language and terminology. Include writing of scientific reports in research funding applications • Important to establish direct contacts with users/regulators to promote a continuous dialogue between scientists and regulators. Direct contacts with scientists have for example been very important for the work of the Swedish EPA • Work with NGOs • Work with science journalists

9. Conclusions - Research • Research in ecotoxicology can be categorised into 2 groups • Research that aims to understand effects and observations in the environment. This is research that at a later stage may anticipate policy initiatives. • Research which aims to develop procedures (tools) to assess the hazard and environmental risk of chemicals, chemical products, mixtures and complex pollution like industrial and municipal effluents

10. Conclusions - Research • Widening the ecotoxicology concept • Stress ecology approach • Ecotoxicology – environmental pathology (immune defense and disease) • Alien species and pathogens • Climate change (ecosystem responses to anthropogenic stress, example marine acidification. • Retrospective analysis (what has happened – how could it be prevented) • Mechanisms, biomarkers, mixtures, test methods, in vitro methods, omics, bioavailability

11. Participants • Thomas Backhaus Göteborg University, Sweden • Poul Bjerregaard University of South Western Denmark, Odense, Denmark • Hans Blanck Göteborg University, Sweden • Magnus Breitholtz Stockholm University, Sweden • Finn Bro-Rasmussen Prof. em., Copenhagen, Denmark • Nicholas Bury King's College, London, UK) • Argelia Castaño Inst. Carlos III, Madrid, Spain • Robert Collins European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark • Watze de Wolf DuPont, Belgium • Britta Eklund Stockholm University, Sweden • Lars Förlin Göteborg University, Sweden • David Gee European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark • Enken Hassold UBA, Berlin, Germany • Michaela Hein UFZ, Leipzig-Halle, Germany • Christer Hogstrand Kings College, London, UK • Ludo Holsbeek Flemish Government, Brussels, Belgium • Tom Hutchinson CEFAS, UK • Ketil Hylland Oslo University and NIVA, Norway • Dorota Jarosinska European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark • Niklas Johansson Swedish EPA, Stockholm, Sweden • Teresa Lettieri European Commission - JRC, Ispra, Italy • Hans Lökke Prof. em., coordinator NOMIRACLE, Denmark • Aimo Oikari Univ. of Jyväskylä, Finland • Stuart Marshall Unilever, UK • Leif Norrgren Swedish Agricult. Univ. SLU, Uppsala, Sweden • Helmut Segner University of Bern, Schweiz • José Tarazona European Chemicals Agency, Helsinki, Finland • Aldo Viarengo Univ Piemonte Orientale "Amedeo Avogadro", Italy • Marlene Ågerstrand Royal Inst. Technology, KTH, Stockholm, Sweden • Ingvar Thorn Stockholm, Sweden • Christina Rudén Royal Inst. Technology, KTH, Stockholm, Sweden • Peter Pärt European Commission - JRC, Ispra, Italy