Current Projects
NatuReP
2024-2027, Funding: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)
Project ID: 38446/01
Project partners: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ; PD Dr. Katrin Wendt-Potthoff); Universität Bayreuth (Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch)
Because of the increasing deposition of microparticles in the environment, the sensibility for risk of particles in air, water and soil considerably increased within the last two decades, both, in society and science. It is out of question, that microparticel can harm living organisms via various modes of action. This environmental risk has to be assessed with adequate methods.
The ecotoxicological effect and exposure assessment of particulate contaminants hold considerably more factors of uncertainty than for soluble chemicals, which complicates a reliable risk assessment. The underlying effect mechanisms are often not known or risk assessors are faced with a combination of chemical, physical or indirect effects (e.g. food dilution, binding of nutrients), which are often difficult to discern. As, in their natural environment, organism are exposed to organic and mineral microparticles, that are similar to anthropogenic particulate contaminants regarding their physico-chemical properties and ecotoxicological behavior, it is important to discern more general particle effects from contaminant-specific effects. By increasing the knowledge on effects and effect-relevant properties of natural particles one one hand, and the use of application-specific, taylored naturla reference particles in ecotoxicological tests on the other hand, it will be easier to identify specific effects of particulate contaminants. Another challenge is to study the mobility of particulate contaminants in various environmental matrices, which is essential for exposure estimations for aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
In NatuReP, natural microparticles that mimic the morphological and physical properties of selected particulate contaminants will be investigated regarding their ecotoxicological behavior in various environmental matrices (water, sediment, soil) and evaluated regarding their suitability as reference particles for the ecotoxicological assessment of particulate contaminants. For that (1) up-to-date analytical methods for characterizing of microparticles, (2) a broad battery of ecotoxicological test systems, and (3) appropriate statistical methods for correlating particle properties and effects will be applied.
PestiRedSoil (Reducing pesticides with new methods)
Project of the Ecotox Center in Switzerland (Dr. Mathieu Renaud)
The PestiRed project aims to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides in agriculture through preventative measures. The investigated measures include mixed crops, the use of varieties that are less susceptible to disease, mechanical weed control, push-pull techniques and the use of new precision technologies. The measures will each be tested on a trial area where the use of plant protection products is only permitted as a last resort and compared with a second trial area that is cultivated conventionally. The project will also investigate how this changed regime affects important soil organisms and soil functions. These support soil fertility.
To this end, several ecological and ecotoxicological bioindicators representing various soil organisms and functions will be tested. The aim is to record the effect of the measures on soil fertility. The bioindicators used are also suitable for monitoring the effect of pesticide residues as part of the pesticide action plan and can thus be validated. The investigations are being carried out as part of a dissertation by Gilda Dell'Ambrogio, who has moved from the Ecotox Centre to Agroscope for this purpose.
Ecossa investigates. in a sub-contrac, the toxicity of these soils on nematodes(ISO 10872; nematode communities of selected fields).
BluEs
Blue Estuaries; Developing estuaries as habitable sustainable ecosystem despite climate change and stress
2020-2023, Funding: BMBF
BluEs aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of major stressors and critical biological processes shaping estuaries in the Baltic and North Sea with regard to their potential responses to climate change and other human activities such as chemical and nutrient pollution, or sediment disturbance.
Ecossa is associated as an external contract lab to analyze nematode communities in sediment samples of the rivers Elbe and Odra.