Exploring the planetary boundary for chemical pollution
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Übersichtsarbeiten › Forschung
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in: Environmental international, Jahrgang 78, 01.05.2015, S. 8 - 15.
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Übersichtsarbeiten › Forschung
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the planetary boundary for chemical pollution
AU - Diamond, Miriam L
AU - de Wit, Cynthia A
AU - Molander, Sverker
AU - Scheringer, Martin
AU - Backhaus, Thomas
AU - Lohmann, Rainer
AU - Arvidsson, Rickard
AU - Bergman, Åke
AU - Hauschild, Michael
AU - Holoubek, Ivan
AU - Persson, Linn
AU - Suzuki, Noriyuki
AU - Vighi, Marco
AU - Zetzsch, Cornelius
N1 - Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2015/5/1
Y1 - 2015/5/1
N2 - Rockström et al. (2009a, 2009b) have warned that humanity must reduce anthropogenic impacts defined by nine planetary boundaries if "unacceptable global change" is to be avoided. Chemical pollution was identified as one of those boundaries for which continued impacts could erode the resilience of ecosystems and humanity. The central concept of the planetary boundary (or boundaries) for chemical pollution (PBCP or PBCPs) is that the Earth has a finite assimilative capacity for chemical pollution, which includes persistent, as well as readily degradable chemicals released at local to regional scales, which in aggregate threaten ecosystem and human viability. The PBCP allows humanity to explicitly address the increasingly global aspects of chemical pollution throughout a chemical's life cycle and the need for a global response of internationally coordinated control measures. We submit that sufficient evidence shows stresses on ecosystem and human health at local to global scales, suggesting that conditions are transgressing the safe operating space delimited by a PBCP. As such, current local to global pollution control measures are insufficient. However, while the PBCP is an important conceptual step forward, at this point single or multiple PBCPs are challenging to operationalize due to the extremely large number of commercial chemicals or mixtures of chemicals that cause myriad adverse effects to innumerable species and ecosystems, and the complex linkages between emissions, environmental concentrations, exposures and adverse effects. As well, the normative nature of a PBCP presents challenges of negotiating pollution limits amongst societal groups with differing viewpoints. Thus, a combination of approaches is recommended as follows: develop indicators of chemical pollution, for both control and response variables, that will aid in quantifying a PBCP(s) and gauging progress towards reducing chemical pollution; develop new technologies and technical and social approaches to mitigate global chemical pollution that emphasize a preventative approach; coordinate pollution control and sustainability efforts; and facilitate implementation of multiple (and potentially decentralized) control efforts involving scientists, civil society, government, non-governmental organizations and international bodies.
AB - Rockström et al. (2009a, 2009b) have warned that humanity must reduce anthropogenic impacts defined by nine planetary boundaries if "unacceptable global change" is to be avoided. Chemical pollution was identified as one of those boundaries for which continued impacts could erode the resilience of ecosystems and humanity. The central concept of the planetary boundary (or boundaries) for chemical pollution (PBCP or PBCPs) is that the Earth has a finite assimilative capacity for chemical pollution, which includes persistent, as well as readily degradable chemicals released at local to regional scales, which in aggregate threaten ecosystem and human viability. The PBCP allows humanity to explicitly address the increasingly global aspects of chemical pollution throughout a chemical's life cycle and the need for a global response of internationally coordinated control measures. We submit that sufficient evidence shows stresses on ecosystem and human health at local to global scales, suggesting that conditions are transgressing the safe operating space delimited by a PBCP. As such, current local to global pollution control measures are insufficient. However, while the PBCP is an important conceptual step forward, at this point single or multiple PBCPs are challenging to operationalize due to the extremely large number of commercial chemicals or mixtures of chemicals that cause myriad adverse effects to innumerable species and ecosystems, and the complex linkages between emissions, environmental concentrations, exposures and adverse effects. As well, the normative nature of a PBCP presents challenges of negotiating pollution limits amongst societal groups with differing viewpoints. Thus, a combination of approaches is recommended as follows: develop indicators of chemical pollution, for both control and response variables, that will aid in quantifying a PBCP(s) and gauging progress towards reducing chemical pollution; develop new technologies and technical and social approaches to mitigate global chemical pollution that emphasize a preventative approach; coordinate pollution control and sustainability efforts; and facilitate implementation of multiple (and potentially decentralized) control efforts involving scientists, civil society, government, non-governmental organizations and international bodies.
KW - Chemistry
KW - Chemical emissions
KW - Chemical management
KW - Chemical pollution
KW - Ecosystem health protection
KW - Global threshold
KW - Human health protection
KW - Planetary boundary
KW - Pollution controls
KW - Stockholm Convention
KW - Tipping point
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84922439343&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envint.2015.02.001
DO - 10.1016/j.envint.2015.02.001
M3 - Scientific review articles
C2 - 25679962
VL - 78
SP - 8
EP - 15
JO - Environmental international
JF - Environmental international
SN - 0160-4120
ER -