Ecological risk assessment at contaminated sites

The orientation towards ecological aspects is a legal goal of the remediation of contaminated sites in Austria. This report gives an overview of ecological principles and their significance for a functioning environment. It describes internationally applied risk assessment concepts and makes proposals for the implementation of ecological risk assessments for contaminated sites. In addition to basic ecological processes, the services provided by ecosystems are also provided to humans - because these too can be affected or damaged by pollutants. In addition to chemical analyses and ecotoxicity tests, particular attention is paid to the use of bioassays (biological tests with selected organisms on site samples) to measure the interference effects at contaminated sites. Their use is recommended as part of a graduated approach to environmental risk assessment in Austria.