A new review from Romanian researchers has summarised current and emerging methods for cleaning up contaminated land and water. It highlights the need for more consistent testing, reporting and evaluation of different remediation techniques.

A new study suggests shale gas extraction leads to methane contamination of underground water sources and calls for thorough surveys of methane levels at extraction sites. The study presents a timely insight into a relatively under-researched area of science that will help support decisions on the future of shale gas exploration.

New research reveals how scientists can monitor water quality in European lakes using sensors mounted on satellites. The technique is a promising and cost-effective new tool to classify and monitor the ecological status of lakes more reliably under the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

New research has examined the impact of Produced Water (PW) discharges from a Norwegian oil field, using mussels to monitor the quality of the environment. The findings indicated the effectiveness of a bio-monitoring approach to study the chemical and biological influences of off-shore exploitation activities.

A new Spanish study has highlighted current developments in the tourism sector that have significant implications for water supply and demand, but are barely addressed in recent land use policies. The findings indicate that any tourist destination that is to follow the ‘quality tourist’ model will have an increased water demand in domestic residential areas, which is one of the biggest threats to sustainable water management.

A better understanding of existing nitrate monitoring systems in European waters could greatly improve efforts to reduce nitrate pollution, a major cause of poor water quality, according to new research from Portugal.

In recent years, strict legislation was introduced to control the amount of nitrate and phosphate that runs into the sea from European rivers. However, new research reveals that water quality has not improved as much as expected. Policymakers need to take into account a time lag in the system that could be up to 40 years, say the researchers.

A new study has investigated the restoration of a damaged estuary in Spain by comparing the costs of installing sewage systems with the associated benefits for water quality and biodiversity in the area. Long-term benefits, particularly in the inner part of the estuary, increased with investment in sewage treatment schemes.

Individuals’ willingness to pay (WTP) for environmental improvements is influenced by political affiliation. However, the picture is more complex than previous studies suggest according to new research, which concludes that how an environmental programme is delivered, i.e. by private companies or by the government, is more important for right-wing voters than for left-leaning voters.

Farmers have collaborated with scientists in France to evaluate agri-environmental measures that reduce soil erosion and surface water pollution at a catchment level. The exercise helped the farmers understand the benefits of the measures and provides an example of how policymakers could engage with stakeholders under the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

A recent study suggests that blocking ditches originally dug in peatlands to drain water is an effective restoration method, but is influenced by local conditions. Restoration efforts should therefore be monitored over long periods of time at the landscape level to fully evaluate their impacts.

A review of research into surface water runoff from agricultural land has found that less intensive management leads to more predictable runoff generation over the course of a year. The review also identified several gaps in our understanding, which need to be better represented in hydrological models if the environmental impact of runoff is to be reduced.

Soil conditions play a crucial role in determining water runoff and retention in forested sites, according to new research. Soil characteristics, such as compaction, play a greater role than forest type in determining water dynamics.

Scientists have modelled the potential benefits of decentralised flood protection (DFP) in Central Europe and conclude that it could be a significant step towards natural flood management in the EU.

Dishwashing is responsible for over half of tap water used in the kitchen, according to the results of a new study, which also suggest that people who live alone consume double the water per person that those that live in a four or five-person household. Although relatively few households were studied, this research could prove useful in helping develop consumer advice for saving water.

Under water restrictions, farmers will achieve the optimal balance of income and efficient water use if they combine the planting of crops that require little water with the planting of more profitable crops that need more water, according to research.

To identify the best policies to help Mediterranean communities adapt to the effects of climate change on water supply, a team of Spanish researchers have created a methodology that links science outputs to water management policy options.

To restore a river site to good ecological status involves comparing it to similar sites that have been far less affected by human activity. A recent study has established a set of guidelines that define an acceptable level of human pressure that can be used to identify these minimally disturbed sites and ensure consistent ecological assessment among EU Member States.

A recent study has found that satellite images can be used to map phytoplankton blooms to aid assessment of the quality of coastal and sea waters. This method can help EU Member States monitor water under the requirements of the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Improving the efficiency of irrigation can help farmers increase profits, meet regulatory requirements for renewing licences, and demonstrate sustainable use of resources for supermarket grower standards. A recent study has assessed water irrigation efficiency in the UK and suggests that the ‘pathway to efficiency’ approach can help farmers and water regulators manage irrigation and water abstraction.

Whatever form it takes, urban growth leads to reduced groundwater availability, according to a new study. The paper highlights the fact that urbanisation is not always sustainable and recommends that planners consider no-growth scenarios for economic development.

Long-term, low level exposure to arsenic in drinking water may increase a person’s risk of skin cancer, according to a new study conducted in Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. The study suggests that levels of inorganic arsenic previously thought to be harmless may have a carcinogenic effect over a longer period of time.

The global sea level is rising, yet only part of that rise can be attributed to the effects of climate change. New research has calculated that human impacts on terrestrial water storage make up around 42% of total sea level rise, in particular, the extraction of groundwater that eventually makes its way to the ocean.

Together, European policy and research initiatives provide a sound basis for actions to tackle eutrophication in the Mediterranean Sea, a recent analysis concludes. The review brings together scientific understanding from over 50 years of research on eutrophication and a discussion of the policy frameworks currently in place to deal with this issue.

New research in Ireland has evaluated two policies designed to reduce phosphorus runoff from agricultural land into water. Data indicate that policies need to be better tailored to specific times and locations, in order to deal with, for example, the impact of seasonal changes and different soil types on phosphorus runoff.

New research has shown that policy measures in Denmark have successfully reduced total nitrogen loading to 10 estuaries by 39% in recent decades. However, to fully meet the targets of the EU Nitrates Directive and comply with the EU Water Framework Directive in a cost-effective manner, further mitigation measures must be tailored and focused to particular areas.

Valuations of water quality as an ecosystem service often fail to include related services like recreation or human health, and do not consider the effects of water quality changes due to management. Researchers have now developed a template for valuation that considers multiple services and links management actions to changes in water quality and ultimate economic value.

Improving local water quality could mitigate the damaging effects of rising CO2 on marine ecosystems, new research suggests. Scientists in Australia found that nitrogen pollution in seawater, when acting in combination with heightened CO2 concentrations, had a significant effect on the growth of turfing algae, which displace kelp forest ecosystems.

A recent study compared the decentralised treatment of pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater at hospitals with centralised treatment at conventional and upgraded wastewater plants. The results suggest that additional (post) treatments may not always provide significant benefits.

Blue-green algae, or ‘aquatic cyanobacteria’, can produce harmful toxins and present a serious health hazard when they bloom in large numbers. Researchers from Germany have now identified plant species that could be used to sustainably treat water by removing such cyanobacterial toxins.

A recent study has revealed how water use has changed across the world over the last 60 years. Growing populations and economic development, particularly in newly-emerging countries, have increased water demand, but technological developments have led to water efficiencies and savings, which moderate these demands.

Population growth of any country is ultimately dependent on that country’s access to freshwater resources, which also determines its capacity to produce food. A new study shows that population growth is expected to decline in countries with low water resources, as water-rich countries reduce food exports in order to feed their own growing populations.

Researchers have proposed a new framework to assess the potential for redeveloping large contaminated brownfield sites. The framework applies a range of spatial assessment methods to analyse remediation costs, economic value and the sustainability of different land-use types, and to recommend suitably mixed land-use options for redevelopment.

Modern flood risk management is placing more emphasis on improving the resilience of communities prone to flooding. By examining three case studies, a recent investigation has provided insight into how resilience is put into practice, suggesting that clearer identification between the roles of different actors and better communication to the public is needed for successful implementation.

According to a recent study, flood risk management projects should be economically evaluated in terms of their efficiency, i.e. the sum of the costs and benefits of a project over its lifetime. This would capture more fully the value of non-structural measures, such as warning and evacuation systems, that are better in terms of effectiveness related to hydrological protection standards.

Shellfish harvesting areas in the UK are cleaner, thanks to sewerage improvement schemes over the last decade which have lowered average levels of Escherichia coli in oysters, mussels and other commercially-important species and boosted the shellfish industry’s economic value. Addressing the additional pollution risks from agriculture could further reduce contamination and human health risks.

Significant savings on mileage and vehicle costs can be achieved by using computer optimisation to plan waste collection routes, new research suggests. When applied to a case study of cooking oil recycling in Portugal, it was found that the technique could lead to a reduction of 13% in annual distance travelled and a fleet hiring cost reduction of 11%.

The joint threat posed by climate change and invasive alien species can have different effects on endangered native species, new research suggests. This European study predicts that the invasive zebra mussel may benefit from climate change, negatively affecting native mussel populations; but both invasive and native crayfish could suffer declines.

As part of the EU’s Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Waters1, a new study from the Joint Research Centre has mapped the water requirements of livestock across Europe for 2005. The maps and data can help quantify total European water use but also inform sustainable management by making use of ecosystem services (ESSs).

A new tool to increase the efficiency of water supply and distribution networks is presented by a new study. By using a framework which encompasses both water sources and demands, researchers have developed an integrated system that has showed promising results when applied to the complex urban water system of Athens.

Water resource management needs to adapt to changes in climate, water demand and land use. A new tool has been developed by the LIFE+ Water Change Project to assess these ‘global change’ impacts on water resources and inform decisions on optimal adaptation strategies. A recent study has applied the tool to a river basin in Spain.

Improvements to EU water policy have been proposed in a recent study, to help ensure that temporary rivers and streams in the Mediterranean are adequately protected in line with the goals of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The researchers suggest new classifications for river types, and highlight the importance of distinguishing between natural and human-derived causes of intermittent water flow.

The socio-economic costs and benefits of adaptation to river flooding caused by climate change have been assessed in a new study. According to the study, adaptation measures could save €53.1 billion every year in flood-related losses across Europe by 2080.

Moderate levels of nitrogen in streams and rivers can make it difficult to assess the effects of pesticides on aquatic wildlife, because nutrients mask the pesticides’ impacts, according to recent research. This highlights the importance of considering nutrient levels when developing measures to protect aquatic ecosystems.

Factors influencing people’s decisions about how they travel to work are highlighted in a new study on commuting in Europe. Key findings include: cycling rates increase with the length of a city’s bicycle network and public transport use rises with a city’s population and GDP per capita. Based on the findings, the researchers propose policy measures for reducing the number of car journeys.

Investment in cycling initiatives, such as creating new cycle lanes or providing training, can increase the number of people who routinely cycle to work, a new large-scale study in the UK suggests. Town-wide cycling initiatives seemed to be particularly successful when they included workplace measures such as bike lockers, showers and cycle parking.

The number of earthquakes of magnitude 3 or greater in the central and eastern US has increased significantly in recent years, from about 21 a year between 1967 and 2000, to over 300 between 2010 and 2012. Most of this increase seems to be linked to the deep injection of wastewater in underground wells, according to a recent review of seismic activity.

Climate change adaptation measures could improve the security of some groups of society at the expense of others, a new study concludes. Climate change adaptation policies should be based on genuine democracy and investment must be fairly distributed, to ensure that all at-risk groups benefit equally, its authors recommend.

A tool to calculate the risk of food and waterborne diseases under current or future climate change conditions has been presented in a recent study. Free to use, the online tool can help guide climate change adaptation, such as improvements to water management, by estimating the likelihood of contracting four diseases under a range of environmental conditions.

Eight key features for increasing the climate change resilience of water management and spatial planning projects are presented by new Dutch research. These include: focusing on the long term, integrating the projects with other sustainability measures and encouraging stakeholder participation.