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Cancer is a huge threat for Europe’s citizens and health systems: in 2020 the cancer burden in the EU is estimated to have risen to 1.3 million deaths, making it the second leading cause of death.

Soil invertebrates perform a variety of different ecosystem services essential for agricultural sustainability. Yet, habitat loss and agrichemical pollution due to agricultural intensification have accelerated the decline of terrestrial invertebrates and, as a result, have contributed to the reduction of soil ecosystem services.

Climate change, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss and an unsustainable use of natural resources pose multiple risks to human, animal and ecosystem health. To build a Healthy Planet for All, the European Green Deal calls for the EU to better monitor, report, prevent and remedy air, water, soil and consumer products pollution, among other things.

Contrary to water and air, there is currently no coherent and integrated EU legal framework for protecting Europe’s soil. Measures on soil protection are fragmented among many policy instruments that lack coordination and which are often non-binding. A previous proposal to introduce a legal framework for soil protection in the EU was unsuccessful and was withdrawn in May 2014 by the Commission following years of blockage in the Council.

Since the focus of the study was to derive background values for PFAS, the 50 sampling locations were selected on the absence of PFAS sources in the immediate vicinity.

About half a year ago, OVAM published the first version of its “Guideline PFAS”. With this guideline, OVAM aimed to provide guidance on whether PFAS should be considered as a “suspect substance” and, if so, how an appropriate investigation strategy can be drawn up. In addition to this guideline, VITO, on behalf of OVAM, developed a proposal for remediation treshold values for PFOS and PFOA in soil and groundwater.

The LIFE PHOENIX project: a brief synopsis

Co-funded by the EU commission, the LIFE PHOENIX project aimed to build a management framework to deal with the serious PFAS pollution event that occurred in the Veneto Region (north-eastern Italy). The PFAS, emitted for more than 40 years by a production site in the territory, have heavily impacted groundwaters and surface waters used for drinking water production and agricultural irrigation, leaving a legacy that is difficult to manage with a serious risk for exposed populations.