Recommendations to derive quality standards for chemical pollutants in reclaimed water intended for reuse in agricultural irrigation

The reuse of treated municipal wastewater (herein referred to as reclaimed water) in agricultural irrigation (RWAI) as a means to alleviate water scarcity is gaining increasing policy attention, particularly in areas where water demand mitigation measures have proved insufficient. However, reclaimed water reuse in practice is lagging behind policy ambition, with <2.5% of it reused in a European context. A key barrier identified as limiting its full valorisation is concern over its impact on human and environmental health. To address this concern, and to meet further objectives including achieving parity between current reclaimed water reuse guidelines operational in various Member States, the European Commission has proposed a regulation which identifies minimum quality requirements (MQR) for a range of microbiological and physico-chemical parameters but the inclusion of compounds of emerging concern (CECs) in terms of the determination of quality standards (QS) is missing. This paper reviews the existing pertinent EU legislation in terms of identifying the need for CEC QS for RWAI, considering the scope and remit of on-going pan-European chemicals prioritisation schemes. It also evaluates opportunities to link in with the existing EQS derivation methodology under the EU WFD to address all protection targets in the environmental compartments exposed via potential pathways of RWAI. Finally, it identifies the main data gaps and research needs for terrestrial ecosystems, the removal efficiency of CECs by WWTPs and transformation products generated during the wastewater reuse cycle

Los bienes públicos y el derecho de propiedad

Reflections collected in public property are currently experiencing a renewed prominence, due mainly to the globalization of the concept. Certainly, the increasing of environmental concerns highlights the importance of a new category of public goods, which hasn't been addressed by the jurists yet: global public goods, Anglo-Saxon notion coming from the economy and that encompasses universal value goods, whose management must meet objectives of solidarity. In this context, it should be noted that one of the main elements of debate about environmental public goods is the analysis of the threats of overexploitation and degradation that affects them. Therefore, and to address this phenomenon, this paper identifies two categories of goods (financial assets and global and national public goods) and examines how to exercise the property law on each of them, focusing on its three attributes: the abusus, usus and fructus.Las reflexiones realizadas sobre los bienes públicos experimentan en la actualidad un nuevo auge debido, principalmente, a la mundialización del concepto. Ciertamente, el aumento de las preocupaciones medioambientales resalta la importancia de una nueva categoría de bienes públicos, que todavía no ha sido abordada por los juristas: los bienes públicos mundiales, noción anglosajona que proviene de la economía y engloba a los bienes de valor universal, cuya gestión debe responder a objetivos de solidaridad. En este contexto, debe señalarse que uno de los principales elementos del debate acerca de los bienes públicos medioambientales es el análisis de las amenazas de sobreexplotación y degradación que les afecta. Por ello y para abordar este fenómeno, el presente trabajo distingue dos categorías de bienes (los bienes demaniales y los bienes públicos mundiales y nacionales) y examina cómo se ejerce el derecho de propiedad sobre cada una de ellas, centrándose en los tres atributos del mismo: el abusus, el asits y el fructus

Réflexions sur l’état d’urgence

La réaction du législateur et des juges français face aux évènements tragiques de janvier (attentat de Charlie Hebdo) et novembre (attentat du Bataclan) survenus à Paris en 2015, l’indignation, l’émotion et l’inquiétude de l’opinion publique appelaient une réponse rapide et appropriée. Elle prit la forme de la remise en vigueur du régime dit de « l’état d’urgence », né en 1955 et dont on renforçait les contraintes. Cette réaction énergique mise au service de la sécurité reçut l’adhésion quasi unanime de l’opinion publique et de l’ensemble des courants politiques. Mais la mise en œuvre des nouvelles mesures ne manqua pas de susciter la réaction de certains intellectuels, philosophes et juristes qui firent valoir les risques d’atteinte aux libertés traditionnelles. On ne s’attachera pas à la dimension politique de la controverse mais on cherchera à montrer combien cette crise a été le révélateur de débats et conflits juridiques, portant notamment sur la qualification de la police exercée, le choix de la juridiction compétente, l’adaptation et la proportionnalité des mesures, questions toujours en débat

Actualitat del dret urbanístic a França: les finalitats mediambientals i socials

El dret urbanístic persegueix tres objectius inseparables: el desenvolupament econòmic, la protecció del medi ambient i la solidaritat social, que inspiren les recents reformes que han intervingut en el marc d’ordenances dites de simplificació (objectiu no atès!) del dret. La protecció del medi ambient ha estat durant molt de temps discreta, però d'ara endavant afecta el conjunt de les polítiques i, el dret urbanístic no pot escapar a les restriccions mediambientals que tenen una presència cada vegada més gran, sobretot les del dret comunitari. França va adoptar, el març de 2005, una Carta del medi ambient de 10 articles que proclama més deures que drets. Diversos principis, nascuts del dret del medi ambient, han estat transposats en el dret urbanístic: principi de desenvolupament durador, d'integració, de participació i de precaució. La integració de la solidaritat social al dret urbanístic és més recent. Es van procalamar dues finalitats: la de la mescla social i la de la diversitat de l'hàbitat, per tal d'intentar arreglar els problemes dels "barris en dificultats" però els seus resultats van ser decebedors. Més ambicioses són les recents lleis de 2005-2007 que retenen un "dret a l'allotjament oposable" i un vast programa de construccions en el marc de la renovació urbana

Indicators for the Assessment of Thresholds and Points of Non-Return

Ecological indicators are used increasingly to assess the conditions and/or status of ecosystems. Historically, the first approach was to develop indices based on a particular species or components, e.g. macrophytes, zooplankton, etc. In general, such indices are not broad enough to reflect the complexity of the ecosystem, as they do not include information at the structural, functional and system levels. To cope with these aspects new indices have been develop (for recent reviews see Rapport, 1995; Jørgensen et al., 2005) that try to synthesyze information at all ecosystem levels. In this project we are interested in evaluating indicators in terms of their potential to detect thresholds and point of non-return in coastal ecosystem.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

SOURCES OF COPPER INTO THE EUROPEAN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT.

Chemical contamination from point source discharges in developed (resource-rich) countries has been widely regulated and studied for decades; however, diffuse sources are largely unregulated and widespread. In the European Union, large dischargers report releases of some chemicals; yet, little is known of total emissions (point and diffuse) and their relative significance. We estimated copper loadings from all significant sources including industry, sewage treatment plants, surface runoff (from traffic, architecture and atmospheric deposition), septic tanks, agriculture, mariculture, marine transport (antifoulant leaching), and natural processes. A combination of European datasets, literature and industry data were utilised to generate export coefficients. These were then multiplied by activity rates to derive loads. A total of around 8 kilotons of copper per annum (ktpa) is estimated to enter freshwaters in the European Union and another 3.5 ktpa enters transitional and coastal waters. The main inputs to freshwater are natural processes (3.7 ktpa), agriculture (1.8 ktpa) and runoff (1.8 ktpa). Agricultural emissions are dominated by copper-based plant protection products and farmyard manure. Urban runoff is influenced by copper use in architecture and by vehicle brake linings. Antifoulant leaching from boats (3.2 ktpa) dominates saline water loads of copper. It is noteworthy that most of the emissions originate from a limited number of copper uses where environmental exposure and pathways exist, compared with the bulk of copper use within electrical and electronic equipment and infrastructure that has no environmental pathway during its use. A sensitivity analysis indicated significant uncertainty in data from abandoned mines and urban runoff load estimates. This study provided for the first time a methodology and comprehensive metal load apportionment to European aquatic systems, identifying data gaps and uncertainties which may be refined over time. Source apportionments using this methodology can inform more cost-effective environmental risk assessment and management. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2022 SETAC

Making Waves : Collaboration in the time of SARS-CoV-2-rapid development of an international co-operation and wastewater surveillance database to support public health decision-making

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater was first reported in March 2020. Over the subsequent months, the potential for wastewater surveillance to contribute to COVID-19 mitigation programmes has been the focus of intense national and international research activities, gaining the attention of policy makers and the public. As a new application of an established methodology, focused collaboration between public health practitioners and wastewater researchers is essential to developing a common understanding on how, when and where the outputs of this non-invasive community-level approach can deliver actionable outcomes for public health authorities. Within this context, the NORMAN SCORE "SARS-CoV-2 in sewage" database provides a platform for rapid, open access data sharing, validated by the uploading of 276 data sets from nine countries to-date. Through offering direct access to underpinning meta-data sets (and describing its use in data interpretation), the NORMAN SCORE database is a resource for the development of recommendations on minimum data requirements for wastewater pathogen surveillance. It is also a tool to engage public health practitioners in discussions on use of the approach, providing an opportunity to build mutual understanding of the demand and supply for data and facilitate the translation of this promising research application into public health practice. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Making waves: collaboration in the time of SARS-CoV-2 - rapid development of an international co-operation and wastewater surveillance database to support public health decision-making

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater was first reported in March 2020. Over the subsequent months, the potential for wastewater surveillance to contribute to COVID-19 mitigation programmes has been the focus of intense national and international research activities, gaining the attention of policy makers and the public. As a new application of an established methodology, focused collaboration between public health practitioners and wastewater researchers is essential to developing a common understanding on how, when and where the outputs of this non-invasive community-level approach can deliver actionable outcomes for public health authorities. Within this context, the NORMAN SCORE "SARS-CoV-2 in sewage" database provides a platform for rapid, open access data sharing, validated by the uploading of 276 data sets from nine countries to-date. Through offering direct access to underpinning meta-data sets (and describing its use in data interpretation), the NORMAN SCORE database is a resource for the development of recommendations on minimum data requirements for wastewater pathogen surveillance. It is also a tool to engage public health practitioners in discussions on use of the approach, providing an opportunity to build mutual understanding of the demand and supply for data and facilitate the translation of this promising research application into public health practice. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Making Waves:Collaboration in the time of SARS-CoV-2 - rapid development of an international co-operation and wastewater surveillance database to support public health decision-making

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater was first reported in March 2020. Over the subsequent months, the potential for wastewater surveillance to contribute to COVID-19 mitigation programmes has been the focus of intense national and international research activities, gaining the attention of policy makers and the public. As a new application of an established methodology, focused collaboration between public health practitioners and wastewater researchers is essential to developing a common understanding on how, when and where the outputs of this non-invasive community-level approach can deliver actionable outcomes for public health authorities. Within this context, the NORMAN SCORE “SARS-CoV-2 in sewage” database provides a platform for rapid, open access data sharing, validated by the uploading of 276 data sets from nine countries to-date. Through offering direct access to underpinning meta-data sets (and describing its use in data interpretation), the NORMAN SCORE database is a resource for the development of recommendations on minimum data requirements for wastewater pathogen surveillance. It is also a tool to engage public health practitioners in discussions on use of the approach, providing an opportunity to build mutual understanding of the demand and supply for data and facilitate the translation of this promising research application into public health practice.</p