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| Objectives of the NORMAN JPA for 2009-2011 |
The NORMAN network is designed to meet the challenges now posed by emerging substances.
It will operate via the organisation of a number of activities, including expert group meetings,
workshops, databases and methods validation exercises.
The objectives in this Joint Programme of Activities reflect the current priorities
at the European and MS level.
Our goal for 2009-2011 is to stimulate the discussion and build a more structured
common approach for the identification of "emerging" compounds and
risk assessment of emerging substances, including all aspects related to the use
of chemical and biological integrated approaches for the identification
of "relevant pollutants".
Today we still lack the capacity to capture those substances, which are really emerging
in a European context and to distinguish them from those "believed" to be emerging.
The selection of the proposed actions is made with the following criteria in mind:
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there is a need to keep the public authorities clearly informed about the state
of progress of the research activity (i.e. what we have achieved and what more
we can expect to achieve). This will entail bringing together experts to arrive
to a common understanding on identified topics.
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there are synergies to be derived from a co-operative effort
(e.g. interlaboratory studies on "difficult matrices"
where it would be asking too much of a single country and there is a need
for international co-operation among laboratories).
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a topic is identified as emerging and Working Groups need to be set up
at the earliest moment.
In the light of those considerations and the identified policy needs,
we have set the following priorities for this 2009-2011 JPA.
Actions
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Provide a system for prioritisation to identify which substances deserve higher priority
for further investigations based on agreed criteria, such as their (eco)toxicity,
persistence, bioaccumulation, spatial and temporal distribution, occurrence levels, use, etc.
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A Working Group on "Prioritisation of emerging substances" will be organised
for the development of a set of criteria allowing for prioritisation of emerging substances
and their allocation to clearly pre-defined categories
(e.g. substances for which info is not yet sufficient, substances for which
there is evidence of hazard but analytical performance is not yet satisfactory)
along with a yearly update of the NORMAN list of emerging substances in close cooperation
with all NORMAN partners.
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Closely follow the progress of research on identification of the toxicants that are causing
the observed effects and bridge the gap between chemical and ecological status,
and prepare a common position to be transferred to policy-makers and environmental managers.
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A workshop on
"Emerging pollutants in the WFD: Support for identification
of river basin specific pollutants through NORMAN – MS strategies and needs"
will be organised, addressing the MSs’ needs in their strategies for the identification
of the relevant pollutants of concern.
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The metabolisation of the target substances (i.e. the metabolites / degradation products
that should actually be monitored for the different categories of substances)
is a hot topic when discussing emerging contaminants and their associated risks.
Metabolites or degradation products may be more toxic or persistent than the parent compounds.
NORMAN will organise a workshop on the topic of metabolites.
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NORMAN will organise an Expert Group meeting on
"Toxicity profiling (in vitro, in vivo assays, and omics):
the state of the art and the perspectives" to define what is today the position
of the leading experts on this specific topic, with publication of a final position paper.
These tools can be used in combination with statistical clustering methods
to provide specific information on toxicity profiles of environmental matrices
to assess the risks of environmental pollution, and information on the modes of action
of substances in samples. In combination with TIE/EDA approaches,
it can allow the identification of the toxicants that are causing the observed effects.
Toxicity profiles can also be transformed to hazard profiles by linking e.g.
in vitro to in vivo and field effects OR "hot-spots"
and reference locations.
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Define and standardise the interpretation of the results of monitoring with bioassays.
When using bioassays, what we can and cannot say about our water quality and
how decision-makers can use the results of these tools
(e.g. in future implementation under the WFD).
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Closely linked with the above-mentioned Expert Group meeting, NORMAN will organise a
Working Group on "The use of bioassays in monitoring programmes:
interpretation of results" to organise, based on the experience
of the different experts, common exercises to "calibrate / validate"
the proposed bioassays / biomarkers in controlled semi-field experiments
(e.g. in mesocosm and experimental ditch facilities) and get to the definition
of a harmonised approach for the interpretation of the results.
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Harmonise work in the area of passive sampling, and bring together the disparate research groups
to develop sound validation procedures for all aspects of the use of passive sampling devices,
including laboratory calibration, handling, field deployment, chemical analysis
or toxicological analysis and data interpretation.
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The application of passive samplers opens new perspectives in the design of monitoring programmes
and ecotoxicological assessments. Passive samplers show a great potential in the identification
of emerging pollutants (e.g. in combination with bioassays-directed chemical analysis),
in the assessment of their bioavailability and bioaccumulation as well as in situ measurement
of time-weighted average concentrations over extended periods.
The state of the art and the performance achieved in the use of passive samplers
for emerging chemicals, in particular for polar compounds, will be the object of an
Expert Group meeting and a science note in the Scientific Watch Bulletin in 2009,
followed by the organisation of a common interlaboratory study in 2010.
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Inform environmental managers and policy-makers about the possible benefits deriving
from the implementation of environmental specimen banks (ESB) as tools for the retrospective
monitoring of emerging pollutants.
This method involves collecting and storing biota samples from freshwater, marine and terrestrial
environments.
The application of direct effects assessment on ESB samples is an ideal tool in identifying effects
of emerging substances.
ESB also offers the following advantages for exposure assessment:
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Concentration trends can be identified by analyses of appropriate biota samples
from different levels of the trophic system allowing the identification of emerging pollutants
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Even small temporal changes or slight regional differences of concentrations become obvious
due to standardised samples
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The monitoring data can be used as a basis for the justification of political measures
(e.g. banning of pollutants with accumulation potential)
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Monitoring results allow the assessment of results of political measures taken in the past
(e.g. use restrictions for TBT)
The topic of environmental specimen banks will be the subject of regular science notes
in the Scientific Watch bulletin.
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Find synergies in collaboration, so as to reduce the use of resources for harmonisation
and validation of analytical methods.
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NORMAN has identified pharmaceuticals and PFC as two topics that are already at quite
an advanced stage (‘mature emerging substances’) but that justify a collaborative effort.
Depending on the resources available either one or two interlaboratory exercises
will be organised in 2009.
In the case of pharmaceuticals this means harmonising routine laboratory methods
for handling substances identified as relevant, with a view to including these substances
in future monitoring programmes.
In the case of PFC, matters are less advanced: the choice is determined by the need
to have reliable data to support research results on the risks associated
with these contaminants – the exposure, fate and availability of which
are still poorly understood.
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Address emerging issues at the earliest possible stage.
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For engineered nanoparticles (ENP): exposure, fate & availability are poorly understood.
An important issue in ENP literature is that exposure is not known.
Currently, no methods are available to quantitatively detect ENP levels in the environment.
Further, there are currently no ENPs in the environment. So, the primary question is:
What future ENP levels can be anticipated, based on production volumes & fate processes?
The organisation of and Expert Group meeting on engineered nanoparticles is proposed
for 2010, to address, amongst others, behaviour of nanoparticles in the water environment,
interaction with other chemicals, nanoparticles fate and exposure modelling.
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