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Interview with Anja Coors in the current iPiE Newsletter

ECT is involved in the project ‘Intelligence-led assessment of pharmaceuticals in the environment’ (iPiE).  This project contributes to developing frameworks for intelligence-based environmental testing of pharmaceuticals and for prioritising legacy pharmaceuticals for targeted environmental risk assessment and environmental (bio-) monitoring. The current project newsletter (Newsletter No 6) features an interview with Anja Coors, who leads […]

New publication: A new ecotoxicological test method for genetically modified plants and other stressors in soil with the black fungus gnat Bradysia impatiens

Few suitable and standardised test methods are currently available to test the effects of genetically modified plants (GMP) on non-target organisms. To fill this gap and improve ecotoxicological testing for GMP, we developed a new soil ecotoxicological test method using sciarid larvae as test organisms. Bradysia impatiens was identified as a candidate species. A functional […]

Evaluation of biodiversity via DNA-extraction from soil and organism samples taken at permanent soil monitoring sites (MetaSOL)

Germany lacks a nationwide and standardised survey of soil organisms, although a comprehensive infrastructure for such a survey is available with approx. 800 permanent soil monitoring sites (Bodendauer­beobachtungsflächen, BDF). Not all federal states conduct their own soil biology surveys on their permanent soil monitoring sites. The most important reason for this is probably the time-consuming […]

New publication: Toward sustainable environmental quality: priority research questions for Europe

The United Nations’ sustainable development goals have been established to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Delivery of the sustainable development goals requires a healthy and productive environment. An understanding of the impacts of chemicals on environmental health is essential for sustainable environmental quality. However, current research on and regulation of […]

New publication on potential synergistic interaction between fungicides in toxicity tests with Raphidocelis subcapitata

Products used for plant protection or as biocides often contain more than one active substance together with numerous formulation additives. The environmental risk assessment for such commercial mixtures applies as default the concept of concentration addition. There is remaining regulatory concern, however, that underestimation of risks can occur if components in the mixture interact synergistically, […]

New publication: Prospective environmental risk assessment of mixtures in wastewater treatment plant effluents

The aquatic environment is continually exposed to a complex mixture of chemicals, with effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as one key source. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether environmental risk assessments addressing individual substances are sufficiently protective for such mixtures. Based on a literature review of chemicals reported to occur […]

ECT at First International Earthworm Congress

The ‘1st International Earthworm Congress’ (IEC 1) takes place in Shanghai (China) from 24 to 29 June 2018. Jörg Römbke is member of the scientific committee of this conference. In addition, ECT contributes with the following two presentations: […]

ECT at the SETAC Europe 28th Annual Meeting

Meet ECT at the SETAC Europe 28th Annual Meeting (‘Responsible and innovative research for environmental quality’) that takes places in Rome, Italy, from May 13th to 17th, 2018. It addition to several platform and poster presentations (see below), ECT is presenting its work and activities at its own booth.