The increasing use of chemicals has led to the integration of the bioconcentration factor (BCF) into chemical regulation. A machine learning model trained on chemical properties and test conditions for 962 chemicals enabled us to estimate experimental BCFs in 16 fish species with up to 90 % accuracy. We showed that the BCF is not, as generally assumed, a fixed chemical-specific criterion, but increases with lower exposure concentration and longer exposure duration. A review of 165 regulatory studies submitted to EU authorities showed that about half of the chemicals that should have been classified as bioaccumulative according to worst-case criteria defined in our study were not so classified based on the experimental BCFs submitted. We therefore propose the implementation of two new objective metrics, BCF50 for minimum requirement bioaccumulation screening and BCF90 as a realistic worst-case surrogate, into regulation. © 2026 by the Authors
An einem Modellsystem wurde die Abbaufaehigkeit von TNT durch Weissfaeulepilze untersucht und durch Zugabe unterschiedlicher Kohlenhydratquellen wie auch Zuschlagstoffen optimiert. Das Modell soll dahingehend erweiter und optimiert werden, dass Lebensgemeinschaften aus Weissfaeulepilzen, Bodenmikroorganismen, streuabbauenden Pilzen und Mykorrhizen zu einem voelligen Abbau/Festlegung von TNT-Metaboliten fuehren. In Rhizotronexperimenten ist dies gelungen. Die Erprobung im Freiland steht an. Weiterfuehrende Experimente haben gezeigt, dass das Verfahren in situ einsetzbar und zum Abbau vielfaeltiger Bodenkontaminationen - insbesondere schwer abbaubarer Organica - einsetzbar ist. Dies soll ueberprueft und optimiert werden.
Objective: UPSOIL aims to achieve a breakthrough in in-situ remediation through an innovative technological perspective taking into account the physical properties and the biogeochemical reactivity of the soil as well as the contaminants. To this end UPSOIL will develop robust technologies for fast, cost-effective, integrated source zone and plume treatment. These are designed to result both in timely reached restored soil functions and associated risk levels, and a maximal use of the natural soil rehabilitation potential at a longer term. UPSOIL thus supports soil function preservation and faster restoration and sustainable redevelopment of European regions and cities that carry the burden of historical soil contamination. Accompanying goals are to broaden the market of soil remediation for SMEs and to build confidence with regulators in adopting sustainable in-situ remediation as the preferable approach for soil restoration. UPSOIL will focus on soils with organic contaminants while addressing effects on metal mobilization, aiding in the remediation of the most pressing soil pollution cases in Europe. Within the UPSOIL perspective, smart coupling of technologies is one approach to optimise remediation with respect to cost, time and soil sustainability. In addition, highly innovative techniques (to be patented) will be developed. These include the automatic targeting of the injection of the remedial agent, and the use of specifically developed selective remedial agents that preferably react with the contaminant and not with the soil matrix. UPSOIL joins strong partners from different EU regions that form a balanced mix of scientific knowledge groups, applied science experience, and practical input through SMEs and contractors that also secure testing of the technologies develop in real field site situations and a further market application of the developed knowledge.