What do we need to know about pollutants and their impact on Scotland’s environment (water, land and air)?
Background
Question Group: Focused on safeguarding and enhancing Scotland’s natural resources, its air, soils, land, water, plants and wildlife, by addressing the drivers of nature loss and environmental degradation. Emphasises restoration of degraded ecosystems, sustainable use of wild species, minimising of pollution, improving the management of invasive non-native species. Targets sustainable use of resources to support thriving communities, nature, and the economy in a changing climate.
Sub-questions: -What are the impacts of chemicals and other substances of emerging and increasing environmental concern on the state of the environment? This includes PFAS, POPs, microplastics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and pathogens.
-What are the implication of these impacts for environmental classification, and for the approach to regulation and monitoring?
-What are the most efficient tools and technologies for assessment?
-Horizon scanning - how do we understand future threats better? What chemicals will be of concern in 10 years time and how will climate change impact on that, taking into account changes to resilience and capacity, changes to ecosystem responses?
-What can we learn from how other countries are addressing emerging contaminants?
-What measures should be taken for Scotland specific chemical problems (esp. PFAS)?
-What are the socio-economic costs and benefits of controlling contaminants of emerging concern?
- What new measures could be developed to reduce nitrogen pollution in Scotland in support of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ)?
Next steps
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Source
This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
Environment natural resources agriculture research strategy 2027 2032
Research fields
Related UKRI funded projects
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SYBERAC Towards a SYstems-Based, holistic Environmental Risk Assessment of Chemicals
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Funded by: Horizon Europe Guarantee
Lead research organisation: UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY
Why might this be relevant?
Addresses the impacts of chemicals on biodiversity and ecosystem services, proposing a systems-based approach to environmental risk assessment.
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Monitoring, Modelling And Mitigating Pollution Impacts In A Changing World: Science And Tools For Tomorrow's Rivers
For centuries, human activities have impacted our rivers by shifting the sources and combinations of physical, biological and chemical drivers and pressures. However, our understanding of their impact on ecosystems has b...
Funded by: NERC
Lead research organisation: University of Stirling
Why might this be relevant?
Focuses on monitoring and mitigating pollution impacts in rivers, including emerging contaminants and their effects on freshwater species under changing environmental conditions.
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Assessing and Managing the Impacts of Mixtures of Chemicals on UK Freshwater Biodiversity in a Changing World
We are facing a global biodiversity crisis and freshwater biodiversity is declining more rapidly than either terrestrial or marine biodiversity. One in ten freshwater and wetland species in England are threatened with ex...
Funded by: NERC
Lead research organisation: University of York
Why might this be relevant?
The project focuses on assessing and managing the impacts of chemicals on freshwater biodiversity, which aligns with the question about pollutants and their impact on Scotland's environment.