Inicio: 11/04/2007
Fin: 13/04/2007
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WATER POLLUTIONQ
Pollution of our surface water and groundwater resources is one of the most serious environmental problems of our time. Its extent and environmental impacts are commonly assessed based on the concentrations of pollutants present in these aquatic environments. However, these systems exist in a delicate balance controlled by physical, chemical and biological parameters, which are dynamically responding to natural and anthropogenic influences. Consequently, the quality of the affected terrestrial and aquatic environment is not only defined by its chemical status (e.g., concentration levels of pollutants), but also by other factors, such as ecosystem health. Hence, the traditional approach of bringing pollutant loads to permitted concentration levels appears inappropriate for dealing with environmental risk. Alternative approaches of risk assessment need to be developed to assess the cumulative effects that “known” and “unknown” (i.e., not chemically identified and/or not toxicologically evaluated substances) pollutants have on the system and how they interact toxicologically. In order to do so and considering the complexity of porous systems at the field and lab scale, the following questions need to be addressed:
(1) Which parameters govern the environmental risk that pollutants pose in soil and aquifer systems
(2) What generic methodologies need to be adopted to determine these parameters and
(3) How can such information be implemented in computer simulations to predict environmental risks and to protect soils and water resources from further deterioration.
These questions and related topics have been addressed by the European COST Action 629 “Water Pollution in Natural Porous Media: Fate, Impact and Indicators”. In doing so, the Action has significantly contributed to the scientific understanding required for the development of integrated indicators of pollution in water systems and in natural porous media including soils, subsoil, vadose zone and aquifers. For further information, please see http://www.cost.esf.org .
E-mail: ude.cpu@zilef.sibla.ardnajela