Is it worth to include nematodes in environmental risk assessment? A plea for a promising organism group
Event details
| Date | 06.10.2015 |
| Hour | 12:15 › 13:15 |
| Speaker | Dr Sebastian Höss, ECOSSA (Ecological Sediment & Soil Assessment), Starnberg, DE |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Abstract:
Nematodes are important representatives of terrestrial mesofauna and aquatic meiofauna. Possessing key position in food webs of soils and sediments, they play a significant role for the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, e.g. by contributing to nutrient cycling via stimulation of bacterial and fungal decomposition pathways. However, in spite of their ecological relevance, nematodes are still underrepresented in the field of environmental risk assessment (ERA). Especially in freshwaters, there is a long tradition to use macro-invertebrates for toxicity testing and to describe the ecological status of an ecosystem. Meiofaunal organisms have been neglected, because they can hardly be seen with the naked eye and are considered as taxonomically challenging. Moreover, no standardized toxicity tests with meiofaunal organisms had been available. Arguing stakeholders and endusers into the advantages of nematodes as bioindicators is a tedious exercise and is only promising if certain criteria are fulfilled: (1) good ecotoxicologically and ecologically scientific background; (2) standardized methods; (3) simple, but reliable (bio)indices. In this presentation, some case studies should demonstrate the suitability of nematodes in several fields of ecotoxicology and ERA. Moreover, the significance of standard methods (ASTM E2172-01; ISO 10872) and stress indices (Maturity Index; NemaSPEAR[%]) as a basis for a routine, and thus commercial use in ERA is pointed out.
Short biography:
Sebastian Höss, born 1968 in Ingolstadt (Germany), studied biology and graduated at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. In 2001 he did his Ph.D. at the Humbold University in Berlin, working on the development and standardization of a sediment and soil toxicity test using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In 2000, Sebastian Höss started a research and contract laboratory called Ecossa (Ecological Sediment and Soil Assessment), developing and applying ecotoxicological and ecological tools for the quality assessment of soils and sediments. Since 2004 S. Höss is chair of the Institute of Biodiversity-Network (ibn). He works as consultant in several national and international advisory boards (e.g. DIN and ISO: Standardization of Biological Test Systems, Association of German Engineers (VDI): Biodi-versity, GMO-Monitoring and Risk Management). His scientific research is documented in over 40 peer-reviewed publications (16 as first author).
Nematodes are important representatives of terrestrial mesofauna and aquatic meiofauna. Possessing key position in food webs of soils and sediments, they play a significant role for the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, e.g. by contributing to nutrient cycling via stimulation of bacterial and fungal decomposition pathways. However, in spite of their ecological relevance, nematodes are still underrepresented in the field of environmental risk assessment (ERA). Especially in freshwaters, there is a long tradition to use macro-invertebrates for toxicity testing and to describe the ecological status of an ecosystem. Meiofaunal organisms have been neglected, because they can hardly be seen with the naked eye and are considered as taxonomically challenging. Moreover, no standardized toxicity tests with meiofaunal organisms had been available. Arguing stakeholders and endusers into the advantages of nematodes as bioindicators is a tedious exercise and is only promising if certain criteria are fulfilled: (1) good ecotoxicologically and ecologically scientific background; (2) standardized methods; (3) simple, but reliable (bio)indices. In this presentation, some case studies should demonstrate the suitability of nematodes in several fields of ecotoxicology and ERA. Moreover, the significance of standard methods (ASTM E2172-01; ISO 10872) and stress indices (Maturity Index; NemaSPEAR[%]) as a basis for a routine, and thus commercial use in ERA is pointed out.
Short biography:
Sebastian Höss, born 1968 in Ingolstadt (Germany), studied biology and graduated at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. In 2001 he did his Ph.D. at the Humbold University in Berlin, working on the development and standardization of a sediment and soil toxicity test using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In 2000, Sebastian Höss started a research and contract laboratory called Ecossa (Ecological Sediment and Soil Assessment), developing and applying ecotoxicological and ecological tools for the quality assessment of soils and sediments. Since 2004 S. Höss is chair of the Institute of Biodiversity-Network (ibn). He works as consultant in several national and international advisory boards (e.g. DIN and ISO: Standardization of Biological Test Systems, Association of German Engineers (VDI): Biodi-versity, GMO-Monitoring and Risk Management). His scientific research is documented in over 40 peer-reviewed publications (16 as first author).
Practical information
- General public
- Free
- This event is internal
Organizer
- EESS - IIE
Contact
- Dr Benoît Ferrari, Centre Suisse d'Ecotoxicologie EAWAG-EPFL