Sanne van den Berg

Wageningen University & Research | WUR · Wageningen Enviromental Research

In this study, a trait-based macroinvertebrate sensitivity modeling tool is presented that provides two main outcomes: (1) it constructs a macroinvertebrate sensitivity ranking and, subsequently, a predictive trait model for each one of a diverse set of pre-defined Modes of Action (MOAs) and (2) it reveals data gaps and restrictions, helping with t...

Water hyacinth occurs in numerous tropical and subtropical countries, either as a native or as an invasive exotic species, where it can establish large and dense mats. The plant is also frequently used for water purification and bioremediation purposes. Although it is a free-floating species, the plant roots into the sediment of shallow waters, tap...

Although previous studies suggest that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from reservoir sediment exposed to the atmosphere during drought may be substantial, this process has not been rigorously quantified. Here we determined carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions from sediment cores exposed to a drying and rewetting cycle. We found a strong...

Behavioural analysis has been attracting significant attention as a broad indicator of sub‐lethal toxicity and has secured a place as an important subdiscipline in ecotoxicology. Among the most notable characteristics of behavioural research, compared to other established approaches in sub‐lethal ecotoxicology (e.g. reproductive and developmental b...

Risk assessment for bees is mainly based on data for honey bees; however, risk assessment is intended to protect all bee species. This raises the question of whether data for honey bees are a good proxy for other bee species. This issue is not new and has resulted in several publications in which the sensitivity of bee species is compared based on...

Translation of environmental science to the practice aims to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services, and our future ability to do so relies on the development of a precision ecotoxicology approach wherein we leverage the genetics and informatics of species to better understand and manage the risks of global pollution. A little over a decade ag...

According to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, pesticide active substance to be approved shall not pose unacceptable effects for human health, animal health and the environment. For this purpose, applicants must submit a dossier, containing a data package including ecotoxicity studies in line with the EU data requirements. The evaluation of such studie...

In recent years, considerable computational advancements have been made allowing automated analysis of behavioural endpoints using video cameras. However, the results of such analyses are often confounded by a large variation among individuals, making it problematic to derive endpoints that allow distinguishing treatment effects in behavioural stud...

Fluoxetine is one of the worlds most prescribed antidepressant, and frequently detected in surface waters. Once present in the aquatic environment, fluoxetine has been shown to disrupt the swimming behaviour of fish and invertebrates. However, swimming behaviour is also known to be highly variable according to experimental conditions, potentially c...

In the Dutch project ‘Knowledge impulse water quality - toxicology’, water quality as a result of the presence of chemical mixtures is assessed using a two-pronged approach: The ‘Chemical track’ follows a traditional chemical target-based approach, while the ‘Bioassay track’ applies effect-based water quality assessment methods. In the latter, seve...

Water Matters, december 2021, pp. 16-19 https://www.h2owaternetwerk.nl/water-matters/wm-dec21 Er komt een groeiend aantal chemische stoffen in ons milieu terecht, ook in het oppervlaktewater. Het wordt daarmee voor waterbeheerders steeds lasti ger om inzicht te krijgen in de effecten van al die stoffen, en die kennis vervol gens te relateren aan br...

Mysid shrimps such as the marine Americamysis bahia have become a subject of interest in ecotoxicological research as they appear to react rather more sensitive to exposure to plant protection products than previously tested freshwater macroinvertebrates. Although it is curious that in the freshwater risk assessment of plant protection products a m...

River plastic pollution is an environmental challenge of growing concern. However, there are still many unknowns related to the principal drivers of river plastic transport. Floating aquatic vegetation, such as water hyacinths, have been found to aggregate and carry large amounts of plastic debris in tropical river systems. Monitoring the entrapmen...

Monitoring of chemicals in the aquatic environment by chemical analysis alone cannot completely assess and predict the effects on aquatic species and ecosystems because of the increasing number of (unknown) chemical stressors and mixture effects in the environment. In addition, the ability of ecological indices to identify underlying stressors caus...

River plastic pollution is an environmental challenge of growing concern. However, there are still many unknowns related to the principal drivers of river plastic transport. Floating aquatic vegetation, such as water hyacinths, have been found to aggregate and carry large amounts of plastic debris in tropical river systems. Monitoring the entrapmen...

For decades, we have known that chemicals affect human and wildlife behavior. Moreover, due to recent technological and computational advances, scientists are now increasingly aware that a wide variety of contaminants and other environmental stressors adversely affect organismal behavior and subsequent ecological outcomes in terrestrial and aquatic...

Ecosystems are usually populated by many species. Each of these species carries the potential to show a different sensitivity towards all of the numerous chemical compounds that can be present in their environment. Since experimentally testing all possible species-chemical combinations is impossible, the ecological risk assessment of chemicals larg...

Current chemical risk assessment approaches rely on a standard suite of test species to assess toxicity to environmental species. Assessment factors are used to extrapolate from single species to communities and ecosystem effects. This approach is pragmatic, but lacks resolution in biological and environmental parameters. Novel modelling approaches...

Water hyacinth stands are known to affect both nutrient concentrations in the water and carbon exchange with the atmosphere. However, both enhanced and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been reported in relation to water hyacinth presence. This controversy may be explained by variation in plant density and rooting. High growth rates indic...