SOLACE – Understanding the links between SOiL pollution and CancEr
Soil pollution is a major environmental and health concern in Europe, with potential links to cancer. The SOLACE research project aimed to explore the complex relationships between soil properties, pollution, land use, and human health. This project, which is part of the Joint Research Centre's (JRC) strategic scientific development, provides a foundation for further research and policy development.
May 6, 2025
The 2025 SOLACE report presents a framework with four key objectives:
Understanding Soil Pollution in EU Soils: The SOLACE project investigates the link between soil pollution and cancer using statistical analyses and GIS, identifying industrial activities, urbanization, agriculture, and military operations as primary causes. It evaluates urban soil threats, assesses heavy metal concentrations using the LUCAS topsoil survey, and models arsenic contamination, highlighting high-risk areas.
Analysing Associations Between Soil Pollution and Cancer Outcomes: A comprehensive literature review uncovers gaps in knowledge about the soil pollution-cancer link. An ecological study across 26 EU countries reveals associations between regional lung cancer mortality rates and soil pollution with arsenic and cadmium, identifying the most polluted regions and correlating them with higher lung cancer rates.
Enhancing the Zero Pollution Action Plan Clean Soil Outlook: The project develops a model to evaluate the impact of soil pollutants on human health, incorporating crop and pollutant maps, and reviewing the current plan to identify pollutant pathways into the food chain.
Revising the Sewage Sludge Directive: This objective evaluates the impact of sewage sludge on soil and human health, using GIS to manage updated soil conditions and estimate risks from pollutant loads in the food chain.
The SOLACE project emphasizes the need for continued investment in research, monitoring, and policy development to address the complex issues surrounding soil pollution and its impact on human health. The achievements of the SOLACE project support the goals of the JRC by contributing to soil-related directives like the Soil Monitoring Law and the Zero Pollution Action Plan.
For a comprehensive look at these findings and recommendations, be sure to read the full report here.
Save the date for the EmConSoil Webinar Series on the 21st and 28th of April and the 5th and 12th of May!
A new EmConSoil webinar series is coming! Get ready for inspiring talks, cutting-edge insights, and practical solutions from leading experts in emerging contaminants, contaminated soils and environmental sustainability. Four sessions are planned at the end of April (21st and 28th) and beginning of May (5th and 12th) 2026 each time from 9:00 till 10:00 CET.
Exploratory societal cost–benefit analysis for PFAS in soil and groundwater: new study points the way toward effective policy
A new OVAM study explores the possibilities of asocietal cost-benefit analysis (SCBA) for PFAS policy in Flanders, with a focus on the management of PFAS in soil and groundwater. The report maps the challenge, describes economic, health, environmental, and social effects, and applies these to two cases (soil investigation and remediation, and soil excavation and relocation). The study reveals the societal impact of different response options, from doing nothing to full remediation, and highlights which measures deliver the greatest public value, which major knowledge gaps remain, and why cleaning up heavily contaminated sites and preventing new emissions are the most cost-effective strategies.
Microplastics and plant health: sources, distribution, toxicity, and remediation
Microplastics have become widespread across the planet as plastic production continues to rise. Most plastics are not recycled, and nearly 80% ends up in landfills or the environment, where they can break down into small fragments that spread through air, water, and soil. These microplastics come from many everyday sources: synthetic clothing fibres, car tire wear, agricultural films, packaging, sewage sludge, personal care products with microbeads, and even medical waste such as disposable masks.
Understanding chemical contamination in free-range eggs: what recent research on brominated flame retardants reveals
In several polluted regions, eggs from outdoor foraging chickens were found to contain brominated flame retardants (BFRs), chemicals such as PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) and HBCDD (hexabromocyclododecane). These chemicals are often added to plastics, textiles and electronics in order to reduce fire risk. These substances, along with their toxic degradation products, known as polybrominated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs), are known to persist in soil, dust and fragments of discarded materials long after the products themselves are thrown away. Foraging chickens have been found to contain brominated flame retardants (BFRs)dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs).
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