ARISTO project update

The first newsletter of the ARISTO project is out now. The European Commission funded project aims to revolutionise how the toxicity of pesticides to soil microorganisms is assessed. Nine research fellows are being trained in a multinational and multidisciplinary environment by seven academic and nine industrial partners, of which NCIMB Ltd is one. In this first newsletter, ARISTO project coordinator Prof Dimitrios Karpouzas, explains the importance of improving the assessment of pesticide toxicity in relation to soil microorganisms. Soil microorganisms are the growth engines of the terrestrial ecosystems, and essential …

NCIMB shares ecotox test development experience with next generation of soil ecotoxicologists

Our consultant Microbiologist Dr Carol Devine has been visiting the University of Lyon this week for the second training event of the ARISTO project – the European Industry-Academia network with a focus on assessing the microbial toxicity of pesticides. The network aims to develop tools and methods to enable robust testing of toxicity. In the past, risk assessment for pesticides has focused on aquatic organisms and terrestrial macro-organisms, while assessment of pesticide toxicity in relation to soil microorganisms has lagged behind. Microbial life is crucial for soil health, and the wider ecosystem, …

How best to approach ecotoxicity testing for offshore oil and gas sector decommissioning?

Our Analytical Services Manager Michelle Robertson is looking forward to presenting at the 3rd International Conference on the Decommissioning of Offshore & Subsea Structures on 22 February. She will be talking about NCIMB’s MARA and LumiMARA ecotoxicity tests and their potential for use during the decommissioning process.Environmental impact assessment is an important consideration with respect to decommissioning of offshore production facilities, and a risk-based whole effluent assessment (WEA) approach would be well suited to this purpose, as offshore structures often contain accumulations of historical waste that are a complex mix of …