Ecotechnology and Emission Control: Alternative or Mutually Promoting Strategies in Water Resources Management?

Beyond the traditional paradigm of reducing the loading of water-bodies by pollutants, during the last four decades the new paradigm of ecotechnology developed in water pollution control. Ecotechnology focuses on minimising the consequences of pollution by intentionally manipulating ecosystem-internal structures and processes. To promote the new paradigm a new "ecotechnological immission concept" is proposed. The key idea of this new concept states that for non-toxic, bioconvertible and non bioaccumulating pollutants higher emissions may be granted, if the physical, chemical, and biological structure of the ecosystem has been optimised by ecotechnology to achieve the natural degradation or immobilisation of these substances. All types of pollutants, however, must not exceed ecotechnologically critical limits. Thus, the new "ecotechnological immission concept" integrates emission control and ecotechnology as mutually promoting strategies.