Programme ADEME Bioindicateur Phase 2

The BIOindicateurs program was initiated following a call for projects by ADEME in 2004.
The general purpose of this program is to provide private sectors and public actors new risk monitoring, characterisation and evaluation tools based on the biological properties of soil.

ADEME, whose missions include, among others, the prevention of soil pollution, the management of contaminated sites and soils and the evaluation of environmental impacts of atmospheric fallout and the biological management of waste, wished to promote the development of bioindicators intended for:

the monitoring of soil quality ¹ which requires bioindicators that are easy to measure, inexpensive and reproducible.
Currently, the implementation of soil quality monitoring networks ^{2, 3} at the European level (such as RMQSMonitoring Network
of Soil Quality
(click for more info - in french only) in France) essentially relies on the measurement of physical and chemical properties of soils but there are plans, in the medium and long term, to integrate biological properties when measurement methods are available and validated.
Soil quality monitoring networks rely, among others, on the establishment of sites defined as “soft”, distributed across a territory within a specific grid, on which simple measurements are repeated in accordance with a determined schedule (for example, every 10 years).

the extensive characterisation of the biological state of soils for which more complex techniques could be implemented. Such characterisation will aim, among other goals, at evaluating the environmental impacts associated with human activities and with different soil management practices.
The bioindicators should enable us to understand, comprehend and anticipate changes in the ecosystem. In particular, they should be able to highlight the effects of the presence of pollutants (trace elements and/or organic pollutants) regardless of origin (industrial, agricultural, atmospheric fallout), of the physical and/or chemical transformation of soils (ex: compaction, modifications due to cultivation techniques, soil acidification induced by atmospheric fallout, management of exogenous organic matter).
Obviously, some of said bioindicators should not be used routinely: they will then be destined to experimental sites, observatories of environmental research or harder monitoring sites ⁴.

the detailed risk evaluation of ecosystems on polluted sites for which a more comprehensive methodology is necessary, for instance, in order to link the observed effects to exposure levels.
Milestones such as the definition of “target-pollutant” couples and exposure parameters are yet to be detailed since standard chemical testing procedures (total content of pollutants) are not sufficient to comprehend the behaviour of pollutants and their combined effects on terrestrial organisms.

It is therefore necessary to develop accumulation and effects bioindicators capable of accounting for the interactions of pollutants with their surroundings, their bioavailability and their transfers in trophic chains. The results achieved by some indicators could be used in transfer models (ex: biogeochemical models, bioaccumulation models).
Furthermore, some bioindicators could, in the long run, complement the tools necessary for the inclusion of natural resources and habitats preservation in the national contaminated sites management policy ⁵.

The program was split into two stages: an initial development phase followed by validation of the indicators.

The first stage started in 2004 and ended in 2008. Its specific goal was to evaluate a range of existing bioindicators and to enable the emergence of new bioindicators. Therefore, this initial phase gathered 37 teams, involved in 19 projects (6 projects selected following the call for projects in 2004, 5 theses co-financed by ADEME and 8 projects subsequently attached ⁶). More than 80 biological indicators have been evaluated (from cells to populations), on plants, animals and microorganisms.

The second-stage goal (2009-2012) was to test a range of bioindicators considered the most relevant and the most operational (following the first phase) on a specific number of workshop sites, selected in accordance with topics covered by ADEME (ex: waste disposal, contaminated sites, atmospheric fallout, organic matter management, diffuse pollution of soils induced by agricultural practice).
See the detailed goals of this 2^nde phase.

As regards contaminated sites and soils, parameters defining soil quality should, among other requirements, be put in relation to the current and/or future use of soil.
²

Morvan, X., Saby, N.P.A., Arrouays, D., Le Bas, C., Jones, R.J.A., Verheijen, F.G.A., Bellamy, P.H., Stephens, M., Kibblewhite M.G. (2008) Soil monitoring in Europe: a review of existing systems and requirements for harmonisation. Science of the Total Environment 391, 1-12.
³

Kibblewhite, M.G., Jones, R.J.A., Baritz, R., Huber, S., Arrouays, D., Micheli, E., Stephens, M. (2008) ENVASSO final report part 1: scientific and technical activities. ENVASSO project (contract 022713) coordinated by Cranfield university, UK for scientific support to policy, European Commission 6thFramework Research Programme.
⁴

In comparison with “soft” sites, as defined in point 1.
⁵

The French contaminated sites management policy relies on use-specific risk management principles. New tools developed by the Meeddat [the French Ministry of ecology, energy, sustainable development and land-use planning], the Interpretation of the State of Habitats [the "Interprétation de l’Etat des Milieux" or IEM in French] and the Management Plan ["Plan de Gestion" in French], makes it possible to examine the compatibility of the state of habitats with known practices on the basis of the quantitative evaluation of sanitary risks. The evaluation of risks for ecosystems is not taken into consideration at this stage of the analysis of habitats since natural resource and habitat preservation is the subject of specific regulations (ex: The Habitats Directive, ZNIEFF, ZICO, SDAGE).
⁶

In the aftermath of the call for projects launched by ADEME, several research contracts have been selected through other calls for projects by the MEEDDAT (ex: APR PNETOX), the INRA (ex: APR ECOGER), the ANR INSU-ECODYN or related to GIS Sol programs (ex: RMQS) in which ADEME participates.

Privacy Policy | Credits | Contact

© ECOBIO - OSUR - iD 2014 Updated on February 17 2020