Posts

Review of the effects of organic pesticides on enchytraeids (Oligochaeta) in agroecosystems – laboratory and higher-tier tests

Enchytraeids (Oligochaeta, Annelida) are regularly found in agroecosystems of the temperate regions of the world. Although less known than their larger relatives, the earthworms, these saprophagous organisms play similar roles in agricultural soils influencing soil structure and organic matter dynamics and having a central place in soil food webs. Due to difficulties in distinguishing the […]

Read more →

New publication: Survival, reproduction, growth, and parasite resistance of aquatic organisms exposed to wastewater treated by advanced treatment processes

Advanced wastewater treatment processes are known to be an effective tool for reducing micropollutant discharge into the aquatic environment. Nevertheless, some processes such as ozonation result in stable transformation products with often unknown toxicity. In the present study, effluents from different steps of advanced treatment were compared for their aquatic toxicity. Lumbriculus variegatus, Daphnia magna […]

Read more →
Efficacy of advanced wastewater treatment

New publication: Integrated evaluation concept to assess the efficacy of advanced wastewater treatment processes

In cooperation with several partners, a multidisciplinary concept was developed for assessing the efficacy of advanced wastewater treatment methods for removal of micropollutants. This concept integrates (1) chemical parameters (the removal of selected indicator substances and the formation of transformation products), (2) ecotoxicological parameters (the assessment of ecotoxicity using in vitro tests), and (3) microbiological […]

Read more →
Characterization, communication and minimization of risks originating from emerging contaminants and pathogens in the water cycle (TransRisk)L. Schlüter-Vorberg

Characterization, communication and minimization of risks originating from emerging contaminants and pathogens in the water cycle (TransRisk)

The presence of emerging contaminants and pathogens in the water cycle may pose a risk to humans and the environment. It is known that municipal wastewater treatment plants currently cannot remove all pathogens and anthropogenic micropollutants such as drug residues, cosmetics, or additives of food and industrial products from the wastewater. Advanced treatment methods such […]

Read more →

Novel processing routes for effective sewage sludge management (ROUTES)

The ROUTES project aimed to evaluate new routes of sewage sludge treatment and management matching the needs of different wastewater origins and different digested sludge utilisations. Elimination of micropollutants was targeted for agricultural sludge application, and minimising the production volume for other sludge disposal routes. Research of ECT in sludge-soil interactions focussed on three aspects: […]

Read more →

Development of an integrated land management for sustainable water and material usage in North-Eastern Germany (ELaN)

Treated wastewater is commonly disposed of in Germany by discharge into surface waters. Within the project ELaN, alternative approaches were investigated for dealing with treated wastewater. Main focus was placed on re-use to recycle valuable nutrients and to help prevent falling water levels in Northeast Germany. In part F (‘Ecotoxicology’) of the project, ECT investigated […]

Read more →