On Tuesday 15 January, the kick-off and knowledge market of the project New and Emerging Substances in Soil and Subsoil, also known as the project New Threats, took place at the head office of Witteveen+Bos in Deventer. The project should result in a systematic approach to managing unexpected or critical situations involving new or emerging substances (which pose health and environmental risks) in the soil system. During the kick-off, the knowledge institutes and universities presented their tools and knowledge in the field of new and emerging substances in the environment in an inspiring way.

Commissioned by the UP (Soil and Subsoil Implementation Programme) Witteveen+Bos, in consortium with Arcadis, Bioclear Earth and TTE Consultants, is taking care of removing uncertainties about newly found substances.

The aim of the project is to arrive at a systematic approach and to control unexpected or critical situations with new or emerging substances in the soil system. So everyone who is confronted with a new substance knows what steps he can take, even if there are no risk data available for this substance. This not only concerns new substances with as yet unknown risks, but also changed insights about substances that have been known for some time (such as lead in the soil or the development of antibiotic resistance). It is then determined how to react and communicate as effectively as possible in the event of a possible problem. The project will lead to practical action frameworks and proposals for an effective knowledge infrastructure.