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Quantifying the economic impact: a methodological approach to estimate soil pollution costs in Luxembourg

  • 0Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management +

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October 31, 2025

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October 31, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Soil pollution significantly impacts ecosystem services and incurs substantial economic costs. This study introduces a new methodology to estimate these costs, revealing an annual financial burden of 85-149 million euros in Luxembourg.

Area Of Science

  • Environmental Science
  • Environmental Economics
  • Soil Science

Background

  • Soil provides essential ecosystem services vital for human civilization and economic activities.
  • Soil pollution, a form of degradation, disrupts these services, leading to significant but unquantified economic costs.
  • Existing methodologies for cost estimation are often impractical due to knowledge gaps in soil property-ecosystem service-economic value relationships.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To develop and apply a novel staged methodology for estimating the economic costs of soil pollution.
  • To quantify the annual economic impact of soil pollution at a national level.
  • To provide a replicable framework for assessing soil pollution costs in other countries.

Main Methods

  • A staged methodology was developed based on identifying and valuing all cost types induced by soil pollution.
  • Real field data were collected and analyzed.
  • Findings were extrapolated to the national level for Luxembourg.

Main Results

  • The annual cost of soil pollution in Luxembourg is estimated to range from 85 to 149 million euros.
  • The methodology provides a practical approach to valuing the economic impact of polluted sites.
  • The study highlights the need for improved land management and mitigation strategies.

Conclusions

  • The developed methodology offers a viable approach to estimating the economic costs of soil pollution.
  • The findings underscore the significant economic burden of soil pollution, necessitating policy interventions.
  • The study serves as a foundation for future research and national-level assessments of soil pollution impacts.

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