| Title: |
SOWA report #1
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| Resource Type: |
document --> technical publication --> report
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| Country: |
EU Projects
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| Year: |
2004 |
| Availability: |
as download from the SOWA home page
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| Author 1/Producer: |
Dietrich Halm, Editor
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| Author / Producer Type: |
University research group / research institute
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| Format (e.g. PDF): |
PDF
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| Size: (e.g. 20mb) |
485
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EUGRIS Keyword(s): |
Diffuse pollution-->Contaminants-->Contaminants overview
Diffuse pollution-->Contaminants-->Hydrocarbons
Diffuse pollution-->Contaminants-->Persistent Organic Pollutants
Diffuse pollution-->Contaminants-->Pesticides
Diffuse pollution-->Diffuse pollution overview
Diffuse pollution-->Monitoring
Diffuse pollution-->Processes
Diffuse pollution-->Regulation
Diffuse pollution-->Scales
Diffuse pollution-->Sources
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| Short description: |
This first SOWA-report provides the results of five thematic working groups on the future challenges in research towards integrated soil and water protection. It includes a range of questions asking e.g. for suitable ways how to identify potentially dangerous chemicals in future or for management options of soil and water pollution at different scales incl. socio-economic issues.
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| Long description: |
Diffuse distribution of chemical substances is ubiquitously occurring including urban spaces as well as rural regions. Industrial development has brought prosperity to millions of people, but has also left a legacy of environmental damage that continues to impact natural resources and ultimately the human well being. A wide range of man-made chemicals designed for use in industry, agriculture, pest control, consumer goods and emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels are the main sources for diffuse pollution of soils. Soil pollution and thus degradation is therefore a result of population growth
and technological development. Within the water cycle, soils act as the key zone for storage, filtration and transport of water and associated pollutants. If the accumulation of pollutants exceeds the buffer capacity, then soils or sediments can become a source of diffuse pollution releasing pollutants to adjacent compartments such as groundwater and surface waters. This is recognised in the EU Soil Thematic Strategy (DG ENV - Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection, COM(2002), 179
final) where diffuse pollution is itemised as a threat to the soil by direct or either indirect pollution due to the disposal/use of sewage sludge, incineration sludge, compost and pesticides. SOWA focuses on the risks from diffuse pollution of soils leading to a damage of crucial soil functions such as:
• Base for ecosystem quality, sustainable land use and safe food production
• Filter for drinking water
• Sink/source for anthropogenic and natural pollutants
The leitmotif of SOWA is that soil has to be recognised as a key compartment in global
biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, water…). The most relevant scientific questions for future research addressing the physic-chemical multi-functionality of soils, long-term vs. short term issues and European/global scale opposed to local dimensions are evaluated in SOWA. With that, SOWA helps to structure research needed for integrated soil and water protection.
With totally 9 different disciplines involved (soil science, soil chemistry, soil physics, hydrogeology, water resources management, agricultural sciences, environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, environmental/civil engineering) SOWA provides a multidisciplinary forum of experts for the identification of research needs and strategies for integrated soil and water protection. The research needs and strategies were identified in five thematic working groups:
1) Inventory of priority compounds and trends
2) Screening and monitoring tools at different scales
3) Chemical and physical processes in the unsaturated soil zone
4) Heterogeneity and scale issues in soil and groundwater
5) Diffuse soil and groundwater pollution: Monitoring, remediation and management
options
This first SOWA-report provides the results of five thematic working groups on the future challengesin research towards integrated soil and water protection. It includes a range of questions asking e.g. for suitable ways how to identify potentially dangerous chemicals in future or for management options ofsoil and water pollution at different scales incl. socio-economic issues.
The five thematic chapters correspond to the draft reports of the five SOWA working groups which at the same time correspond to the workpackages of SOWA. After an introduction, the chapters discuss the state of the art and point out research needs for future challenges and conclusions. Annexed to each chapter, boxes summarise the most crucial scientific questions which were identified by the authors.
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Submitted By:
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Mr Jörg Frauenstein WhoDoesWhat?
Last update: 25/02/2005
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