Andreas Focks

Publications (14) View all

• Article: The use of traits-based approaches and eco(toxico)logical models to advance the ecological risk assessment framework for chemicals.

  Paul J Van den Brink, Donald J Baird, Hans J M Baveco, Andreas Focks
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  ABSTRACT: This paper presents a framework to diagnose and predict the effects of chemicals, integrating two promising tools to incorporate more ecology into ecological risk assessment, viz. traits-based approaches and ecological modelling. Traits-based approaches are increasingly used to derive correlations between the occurrence of species traits and chemical exposure from biological and chemical monitoring data. This assessment can also be used in a diagnostic way, i.e. to identify the chemicals probably posing the highest risks to the aquatic ecosystems. The paper also describes how ecological models can be used to explore how traits govern the species-substance interactions and to predict effects at the individual, population and community/ecosystem level, i.e. from the receptor to the landscape level. This can be done by developing models describing the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of the chemical in the individual, the life-history of species and the connectivity of populations, determining their recovery and the food-web relations at the community/ecosystem level which determine the indirect effects. A special attention is given on how spatial aspects can be included into the ecological risk assessments using ecological models. The components of the framework are introduced and critically discussed. We describe how the different tools and data generated through experimentation (lab and semi-field) and biomonitoring can be integrated. The paper uses examples from the aquatic compartment, but the concepts that are used, and their integration within the framework can be generalised to other environmental compartments. Integr Environ Assess Manag © 2013 SETAC.
  Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 04/2013;
• Source

  Available from: Andreu Rico

  Dataset: ERA-AQUAv2.0 TechnicalDescription&Manual

  Yue Geng, Andreu Rico, Andreas Focks, Paul J Van Den Brink
• Article: To the Editor.

  Ralf B Schäfer, Mirco Bundschuh, Andreas Focks, Peter C von der Ohe
  Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 04/2013; 32(4):734-735. · 2.81 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Andreu Rico

  Article: Modelling environmental and human health risks of veterinary medicinal products applied in pond aquaculture.

  Andreu Rico, Yue Geng, Andreas Focks, Paul J Van Den Brink
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  ABSTRACT: A Decision Support System called ERA-AQUA was developed to assess the risks posed by the use of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMPs) applied in aquaculture ponds for the targeted produce, surrounding aquatic ecosystems, consumers, and the trade of the aquaculture produce. Risks are calculated by following a risk quotient approach, by calculating predicted exposure concentrations (exposure assessment) and predicted no effect concentrations (effect assessment) for the endpoint under study. The exposure assessment is performed by combining information on the environmental characteristics of the aquaculture pond, characteristics of the cultured species, aquaculture management practices and physico-chemical properties of the compound under study. The model predicts concentrations of VMPs in the pond water, pond sediment, cultured species, and in the watercourse receiving pond effluent discharges by mass balance equations. The effect assessment is performed by combining (eco) toxicological information and food safety threshold concentrations for the studied compound. In the present paper the scientific background, strengths and limitations of the ERA-AQUA Decision Support System are presented together with a sensitivity analysis and an example showing its potential applications.
  Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 02/2013; · 2.81 Impact Factor
• Article: Short-term extractability of sulfadiazine after application to soils.

  Tanja Müller, Ingrid Rosendahl, Andreas Focks, Jan Siemens, Jörg Klasmeier, Michael Matthies
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  ABSTRACT: The long-term environmental fate of the veterinary antibiotic sulfadiazine (SDZ) in soils is determined by a reversible sequestration into a residual fraction and an irreversible formation of non-extractable residues (NER), which can be described as first-order rate processes. However, the concentration dynamics of the resulting fractions of SDZ in soil show an unexplained rapid reduction of extractability during the first 24 h. We therefore investigated the short-term extractability of SDZ in two different soils under different SDZ application procedures over 24 h: with and without manure, for air-dried and for moist soils. In all batches, we observed an instantaneous loss of extractability on a time scale of minutes as well as kinetically determined sequestration and NER formation over 24 h. Data evaluation with a simple kinetic model led to the conclusion that application with manure accelerated the short-term formation of NER, whereas sequestration was very similar for all batches.
  Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex: 1987) 10/2012; 172C:180-185. · 3.43 Impact Factor