Aim

The overall aim of IBRACS has been to provide policymakers, other authorities and service providers with guidelines on how chemical bioavailability tests and results of bioavailability-based risk assessment models can be used for risk-based management decisions on contaminated land.

The specific objectives were:

  1. To review existing risk assessment models for soils in Sweden, Belgium (Flanders, Wallonia) and the Netherlands with focus on bioavailablity.
  2. To evaluate the ability of so-called passive samplers and established soil extracts to predict toxic responses of plants to exposures of metals (Cu, Ni, Zn) and organic contaminants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs).
  3. To evaluate plant uptake models and soil tests for PAH and how to incorporate them into risk assessment models.
  4. To make a cost-benefit analysis of including bioavailability tests in site specific risk assessment.
  5. To give recommendations on how to integrate chemical bioavailability tests in risk assessment frameworks (Cu, Zn, Ni and PAH).