LIBERATION Development of a decision support system for sustainable management of contaminated land by linking bioavailability, ecological risk and ground water pollution of organic pollutants
Country: EU Projects
Start Date:   30/12/2001         Duration: 42 months         Project Type: RTD
Contract Number: EVK1-CT-2001-00105
Organisation Type:  EC Project
Topics: 
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Receptor: Ecological
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Receptor: Water
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Tools and procedures
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Contaminant hydrology
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Ecotoxicology
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Geochemistry
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Soil and groundwater processes overview
Groundwater protection-->Groundwater protection overview
Project objectives: 
Processes underlying sorption, ageing and bioavailability are the key soil parameters controlling dispersion of pollution to ground water and exposure 
of fauna and plants within in the soil environment. It is therefore the overall aim of this project to improve ground water protection and assessment of ecological 
risk of contaminated land and connective freshwater by developing and validating a novel decision support system for sustainable management of contaminated 
land that includes measures of bioavailability. We will study the underlying mechanisms affecting the bioavailability and mobility of contaminants in soils 
and identify key parameters controlling sorption, desorption, mobility, leaching and ecotoxicity in soil and aquatic receptors. We will assess changes 
in the bioavailable fraction of model compounds in different soil types using various biological assessment tools and chemical extraction methods. We will 
measure and monitor changes in the bioavailable fraction during ageing processes. The usefulness and ecological relevance of these measures of bioavailability 
will be evaluated by correlating them to ecotoxicological studies with soil and water organisms and with changes in ecosystem structure observed at field 
sites with mixed pollution, and by collecting ground water samples.
Project Summary: 
The primary objective is to improve ground water: protection and ecological risk assessment by developing and validating a decision support system (DSS) 
for sustainable management of  contaminated land and connective freshwater and groundwater systems. Current risk assessment practise is based on determining 
total concentrations in soils, which overestimate  risks by not considering bioavailability. Bioavailability provides a measure of exposure to organisms 
within in the soil and influence dispersion of pollutants to ground water . The results from this project will help in reducing remediation costs and at the same 
time ensure sustainable land management, as it links bioavailability measures to ecological effects and  ground water pollution. The DSS will help site redevelopers 
to manage risk by providing rapid, cheap and reliable chemical and biological tools for assessing bioavailability and leaching.
Achieved Objectives: 
nothing public available
Product Descriptions: 
nothing public available
Additional Information:
Project Resources:
Weblink:
http://www.liberation.dk/
Funding Programme(s): 
EC Framework Programme 5
Link to Organisations:
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Prof Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/07/2003 17:48:00
Updated by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/10/2006 12:25:00