Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/S000143/1
Does the discharge of chemicals to the environment harm wildlife populations?
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor JP Sumpter, Brunel University London, Life Sciences
- Grant held at:
- Brunel University London, Life Sciences
- Science Area:
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Pollution and Waste
- Biodiversity
- Science Topics:
- Terrestrial populations
- Population Ecology
- Marine populations
- Ecosystem services
- Freshwater populations
- Environmental pollutants
- Environmental risk assessment
- Persistent organic compounds
- Pharmaceuticals personal care
- Polychlorinated biphenyls
- Water quality
- Ecotoxicology
- Pollution
- Diffuse pollution
- Ecotoxicity
- Pesticides
- Water pollution
- Pesticide pollution
- Ecological status
- Water Quality
- Abstract:
- Traditional chemical risk assessment relies on undertaking laboratory ecotoxicity studies, but can only assume what the population or ecosystem functioning consequences might be. We aim to move beyond these current limitations by interrogating wildlife population data (terrestrial, freshwater and marine) in the context of chemical exposure in a way that will progress the field. Our high-level aim is to identify which populations and environments are doing well under the current chemical regime and which are not. This will allow the UK to focus its research where the greatest wildlife declines are occurring and bring clarity to the issue of chemical risk in the environment that continues to cause great uncertainty. Only a few studies have exploited Britain's long-term wildlife population data with regards to the influence of chemical exposure. Chemical exposures we will examine will include pesticides in the terrestrial and freshwater environments, the chemical mixture in sewage effluent, metals and persistent organic pollutants. We will be looking at macroinvertebrates and fishes in our rivers, invertebrates and sparrowhawks on land and cetaceans (dolphins and killer whales) off our coasts. These environments and species represent current concerns across the natural environment for both diffuse and point source pollution. We will focus on species and taxa that are either core providers of ES or represent aspects of native biodiversity identified by the public as important to societal wellbeing. There are many stressors and compensating factors other than chemicals that can influence wildlife populations. We will incorporate such factors into our analyses to assess their role and significance and thus also address the research question: How important are chemical stressors in relation to other pressures in the environment? By comparing long-term and spatially explicit trends in natural populations, with the response predicted by classical ecotoxicity as reported in the literature, we will evaluate whether such tests are indicative of impacts in the wild. This is essential to assess to what extent traditional risk assessments, typical of those used in the Water Framework and similar Directives, are predictive of outcomes for wildlife populations in terrestrial, freshwater or marine environments.
- Period of Award:
- 7 Sep 2018 - 31 Mar 2023
- Value:
- £259,039 Split Award
Authorised funds only
- NERC Reference:
- NE/S000143/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Directed (Research Programmes)
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Chemicals
This grant award has a total value of £259,039
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff | DA - Other Directly Allocated | DI - T&S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £79,408 | £97,165 | £20,754 | £53,334 | £1,965 | £6,413 |
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