Monitoring the effects of chemicals in the human body provides useful data for assessing and managing environmental risks to health, but it also raises ethical questions about how the results of such studies should be reported to participants. New research suggests that changes are needed to the research process to allow study participants to play a greater role in interpreting, disseminating and using the results.

Contrary to some established views, the local animal population is unlikely to be the major source of resistance diversity for Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in humans in Scotland, according to a study. The researchers suggest that a broader approach to fighting antibiotic resistance is needed, which goes beyond focusing solely on curbing the use of antibiotics in domestic animal populations.

The application to crops of struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) recovered from waste water may cause antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) present in this fertiliser to enter the food chain. Chinese researchers who conducted this study on Brassica plants suggest that ARGs in struvite pass from the soil into the roots of the plant, and from the roots to the leaves, via the bacterial community already present. The results of this research highlight the need for struvite production methods and agricultural practices that minimise the risk of antibiotic-resistance transmission from struvite to humans or animals via the environment.

Outside the laboratory, living organisms are never subject to single stressors at set doses. In the real world, they face an intricate array of physical, chemical and biological environmental stressors that vary in space and time. The problem of assessing these complex risks for human health and the environment is a great challenge for scientists and regulators alike. For example, even if Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPCs) for individual contaminants are not exceeded in water, in combination they can still be potentially hazardous to wildlife. This thematic issue reports on scientific research which can help us overcome some of the challenges associated with assessing the combination effects of chemicals.

Policy measures to protect biodiversity must be scientifically sound in order to deal with the complexity of nature and the human pressures on nature. This thematic issue reports on research which can help policy makers understand biodiversity in water and different ways in which human activity can be managed to ensure both wildlife and humans benefit from healthy aquatic and marine ecosystems.

New research in Spain has explored solutions to reducing traffic noise, and suggests that the best option is to combine global measures, such as speed restrictions, and local measures, such as noise screens.

A new study has assessed the annoyance caused by a combination of noises typically found on an industrial site. The results could help improve total noise annoyance prediction models. For example, it was found that ‘broadband’ noises, which consist of a wide range of frequencies, lead to more annoyance if they are combined with a specific additional set of low frequency noises, which can lead to an overall identical noise level.

Exposure to environmental noise levels above recommended levels results in 1169 cases of dementia, 788 strokes and 542 heart attacks every year in the UK alone, new research suggests. Valuing a year of healthy life at £60 000 (€74 002) means that these health impacts together have a ‘cost’ of £1.09 billion (€1.34 billion), the study’s authors conclude.

Wind turbine noise can be detected at low levels, even when it is heard alongside motorway traffic noise, a study finds. It is possible for louder motorways to drown out turbine noise, however. The participants in this listening experiment could easily detect wind turbine noise, but only once they knew it was present in recordings of environmental noise.

Sustainability in the production of goods and services could be encouraged by replacing value-added tax (VAT) with ‘DaVAT,’ a damage and value-added tax, a new study suggests. This tariff is partly based on a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of goods and services and varies from high (products deemed to seriously harm the environment and human health) to low (those with a lesser impact). The researchers propose a novel way to convert VAT into DaVAT and provide a new policy tool, based on LCA, that can be applied by any country wishing to reform its consumption tax system and move towards a more sustainable future.

To support the move towards a circular economy, in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible to minimise waste, there is great potential for the bioeconomy — those parts of the economy linked to the use of renewable biological resources — to adopt innovative business models and practices, says a new study. However, the study found that bioeconomy businesses instead perceive the circular economy in terms of well-established practices, such as recycling.

Biofuels have a role in future energy production. However, the way in which they are produced and managed can determine if they benefit society, the economy and the environment, concludes a recent report on the sustainable production and use of biofuels.

A new study has developed a scoring system that could help authorities approve proposals for onshore wind plants. It considered four aspects of a wind farm: the technical properties, the social impact, the environmental impact and the share of earnings offered as compensation for any negative effects.

Biomass is increasingly used to make biofuels and generate electricity and is seen as a valuable source of renewable energy. A recent study has assessed the key factors relating to the sustainability of bioenergy production and suggests global biomass could potentially meet up to one third of the projected global energy demand in 2050.

New research undertaken in Greece has demonstrated that although 90 per cent of people believe climate change is related to fossil fuel consumption, only half think that biofuels could be an effective solution. The findings have important policy implications for the public acceptance of biofuels.

By 2080, parts of Germany could be susceptible to the spread of malaria for up to six months a year, according to new research. The study mapped areas at risk of an outbreak, considering predicted climate change-driven rise in air temperature and data on the spread of malaria.

New research identifies important influences on the energy and environmental performance of biofuels made from agricultural crops. Type of land use change, type of biofuel crop and the by-products from the conversion process all influence performance.

As wind power becomes more important in the energy mix, so too does the need to manage its variability. A new study has reviewed the options and indicates that, although state-of-the art technologies exist to maximise gains from wind power, they need proper and insightful management.

A recent study has assessed the sustainability of different nuclear cycle scenarios in Europe, and suggests trade-offs are required between reducing the amount of uranium fuel needed, costs and proliferation risks.

A new report on biofuels by the UK’s Nuffield Council on Bioethics has produced a set of five ethical principles to guide the development of biofuels technology and policy. It recommends applying these principles to create comprehensive standards to ensure that biofuels address, rather than exacerbate, global problems.

Extreme events, such as droughts and prolonged dry spells, under climate change could increase the water repellency of soils, according to a recent study. In the long-term, this could reduce the capacity of soils to sequester carbon.

A new study provides an approach for estimating the risk of antibiotic contamination associated with different soils and different antimicrobial products. The researchers estimated and mapped soil contamination risk across Europe and suggest that their methods could be used to inform antibiotic resistance monitoring or policies designed to reduce contamination.

Despite Atlantic cod and haddock extending further into Arctic waters, a new study reveals there is little competition for food between the invaders and native polar cod. However, it is uncertain whether climate change will increase competition between the species as range expansion of the Atlantic species progresses.

Turning brown seaweed into biofuels is one option that has been proposed to help meet the world's growing energy demands from renewable sources. Recent research has overcome a major barrier to converting the majority of sugars in seaweed into bioethanol and other valuable products by using genetically engineered bacteria to break down the seaweed.

Techniques for reducing the noise caused by wind turbines are reviewed in a new study. Noise pollution is one drawback of wind power and restricts where wind farms can be located in relation to people and wildlife. The researchers identify methods that could aid the design of low-noise wind turbines, including modifying the blade’s shape and adding rows of brushes to the edge of the blade.

A free online system for assessing the sustainability of buildings is due to be launched across Europe in July this year. The tool captures scientific complexity whilst being accessible and easy-to-use, its developers say.

Researchers have found that ocean acidification leads to changes in the ways that clownfish normally respond to sound. As many species rely on hearing for orientation, habitat selection, avoiding predators and communication, ocean acidification could compromise auditory behaviour crucial for survival.

Relatively simple, low-cost measures, such as insulating walls and installing solar collectors and efficient heaters for hot water can significantly reduce energy consumption in housing developments, according to a recent study from Portugal. Energy-efficient homes not only benefit the environment, but were found to potentially reduce residents’ energy bills by over half in an apartment block studied by the researchers.

Implementing energy efficiency measures in existing housing stock could save 10% of current heating consumption by 2020 and 20% by 2030, according to a recent study of nine European countries. Planning authorities can play a major role by providing support and unbiased information to all stakeholders involved in the renovations.

Motivating homeowners to carry out energy-efficient refurbishments remains a significant challenge for policymakers. New research from Germany has called for more government incentives and better communication strategies to ensure homeowners are aware of the advantages of making energy saving changes to their homes.

A UK Government scheme, designed to help finance energy efficiency improvements in the home, has been assessed in a recent study. The researchers advise that better information for homeowners is needed to encourage uptake of the ‘Green Deal’ initiative, and point to Germany’s Passivhaus standard as an aspirational model for green retrofitting.

The ecological impacts of micro wind turbines (up to 50 kW) are treated in a diverse way by different local authorities in the UK during the planning approval process, research suggests. The study calls for ecologists, policymakers, planners and industry representatives to improve the integration of ecological information within planning, and for greater guidance for local authorities on the ecological considerations of micro-turbines.

New research on climate-driven reductions in Arctic sea ice has predicted that, by 2040 to 2059, new shipping routes will become passable across the Arctic, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. An increase in traffic has implications for the ecosystems of this fragile area.

Studies on fracking too often focus on its technical aspects, and not the wider environmental, economic and regulatory context needed for political decision-making, according to a review of existing research by a US researcher. The review provides a framework for understanding these complex issues that could benefit the fracking debate and decision-making about fracking more widely.

Simple measures to upgrade buildings by improvements to insulation or heating systems could result in energy savings of up to 85% in Italian homes, according to recent research. Across Europe, such measures could potentially provide energy savings of more than 40% on average, say the researchers.

Long, unbroken periods of drought can be damaging to the mental health of people living in rural areas, new research suggests. An Australian study found that rural inhabitants who had experienced extensive drought periods over a seven-year period, combined with an unbroken spell for the year before they completed the survey had substantially higher distress scores than other participants.

A new study has assessed the vulnerability of 571 European cities to heatwaves, droughts and flooding caused by climate change. The causes of vulnerability differ across Europe and the researchers say the results could be used to design policies to mitigate the impacts.

Since the industrial revolution, the ocean has absorbed increased levels of carbon dioxide, leading to the ocean’s pH becoming more acidic. Effects of these pH changes on marine and estuarine biota is the focus of much research effort worldwide and the authors of this study focus on the larval habitat-choice process of a commercially important tropical marine fish species, Lates calcarifer, barramundi.

Researchers have developed a new tool to evaluate the economic viability of biogas production from agricultural waste, such as manure and straw. It focused on a co-digestion method where farmers treat several types of waste together, including industrial by-products, such as glycerol.

Consumers, manufacturers and government all need to take responsibility for managing the increasing number of waste mobile phones, according to new research. Results indicated that levels of copper, lead, arsenic and mercury released through the disposal of waste phones are potentially toxic to health and the environment.

Biodegradable plastics that break down in the environment can be used instead of traditional plastics to reduce the problem of plastic waste disposal. A new study highlights large differences in the rates of decomposition of these polymers, which can affect decisions on disposal methods.

A new study has investigated the possibility of a regional industrial symbiosis of metal industries across the Sweden-Finland border. The analysis suggests that it is technologically feasible, but that regulatory support may be inefficient, particularly with respect to changing the status of a waste product to a by-product.

Composts containing biodegradable plastics may hinder rather than help plant growth, according to a recent study by university scientists in Poland. These findings have implications for waste management practices within the EU.

Researchers have designed and proposed a new organic waste management plan for Catalonia, Spain, and presented it in a recent study. They say that the plan would reduce a number of environmental impacts that arise from landfilling biodegradable waste, including natural resource depletion, acidification, and eutrophication.

A recent survey of Dutch mobile phone owners has identified why some consumers buy refurbished mobile phones while others buy new ones. Some consumers perceived refurbished phones to be inferior, which was a major barrier to their purchase. The study’s authors make a number of recommendations to increase consumer uptake of refurbished mobile phones, including promoting the financial and environmental benefits and offering warranties.

Around 50% of gold in used mobile phones is not recovered for future use, a new study finds. The researchers suggest that a global circular economy in mobile phones could be created by improving recycling of precious metals in phones in developing countries, as well as increasing the lifespan of phones and improving collection after use. These changes will reduce pressures on non-renewable resources and close ‘metal flow loops’.

Analysis of the operation of a novel, micro-scale anaerobic digester has shown that this technology could provide a useful means of processing food waste in urban areas. The study found that the digester, located in London and fed mainly with local food waste, avoided 3.9 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, while providing biogas for cooking, heat and power. Anaerobic digestion on this scale could play a part in reducing the amount of food waste that goes to landfill1 and contribute to the circular economy.

Scientists have tested the behaviour of biodegradable plastics in managed composting and anaerobic conditions, as well as under simulated environmental conditions, such as in seawater or soil. This study found that blending different types of biodegradable plastics may open up new opportunities in relation to their end-of-life treatment — notably the potential to make one of the world’s best-selling biodegradable plastics, polyactic acid (PLA), home-compostable by blending it with another polymer (polycaprolactone — PCL). However, the researchers were also concerned that most materials tested could still cause plastic pollution as they failed to biodegrade sufficiently — and, in some cases, not at all, in particular, in soil and the marine environment.

The EU-27 have committed to a strategic goal of developing an innovative economy based on biotechnology and renewable resources — a so-called ‘bioeconomy’. To achieve this, however, the EU must successfully mobilise resources such as residual biomass — or waste products from organic matter resources. A new study1 has quantified the potential of key residual biomass streams in the EU-27. The results show that residual biomass has a theoretical energy potential equivalent to the annual energy consumption of Italy and Belgium combined, with straw and forestry residues comprising the two most productive potential sources. The findings also reveal specific opportunities for regions including Paris (France) and Jaen (south-central Spain).

Researchers have devised a blueprint to integrate the efficient use of waste wood throughout a bioeconomy system — part of the economy that uses renewable biological resources from land and sea. This study assessed the environmental sustainability of three scenarios for increasing targeted levels of industrial symbiosis within the wood-based bioeconomy of central Germany, and found that, in most cases, the three alternative future bioeconomy networks outperformed the selected fossil-based reference systems, mitigating environmental impacts by 25 to 130%.