Soil Fauna and Ecotoxicology
Research Unit

The Soil Fauna and Ecotoxicology Research Unit (SoFaR) does basic, applied and contract research on soil fauna ecology, ecophysiology and ecotoxicology. The applications of the research and advisory areas comprises: multiple stresses on soil ecosystems, e.g. interactions between xenobiotics and climatic stress, organic farming, ecological risk assessment of polluted sites, waste disposal, and toxicity of pesticides.

SoFaR is involved in several national and international research projects and members of the staff have contributed to advisory tasks for both national and international bodies such as the Danish EPA, EU, ISO and UN-ECE.

Beside the participation in environmental research programmes the SoFaR unit as well as the whole department acts as a consultancy for the Danish EPA and elaborate statements and reviews as well as applied research for this governmental body. The unit has developed the Danish ecotoxicological soil quality criteria used for environmental risk assessment or screening of e.g. contaminated sites. Currently this involves field and laboratory studies of organic anthropogenic compounds in sludge and state-of-the-art reports on antibiotics and detergents.

Biomarkers, ecophysiology and mathematical modelling are research tools used in the ecological and ecotoxicological research. Multispecies mesocosms are used as research and testing tools by projects on pesticides, organic contaminants in sludge and nutrient dynamics in organic farming.

Paul Henning Krogh, phone: +45 8920 1588.