GBIF Information System Soil Zoology. Coordination of national and international assessment for the organism groups Lumbricidae and Enchytraeidae (Edaphobase II)

In this joint research project, ECT is responsible for the improvement of existing and the development of new methodological standards regarding collection, storage and usage of data in the German central data base on soil biology, Edaphobase. Besides taxonomy and biogeography the functional role of soil organisms (e.g. via gathering traits of at least the […]

Transformation of veterinary pharmaceuticals and biocides in liquid manure

Veterinary medicinal products administered to animals are excreted with urine and faeces. For animals housed in stables, the resulting manure is collected and stored before being spread onto agricultural land. Disinfection products used to sanitize stables are also transferred into the manure. Therefore, the spreading of manure is an important pathway of introducing veterinary medicines, […]

Comparison of the environmental properties of parasiticides and harmonisation of the basis for environmental assessment at the EU level

Avermectin and milbemycin parasiticides have a high toxicity to non-target organisms, are often persistent and may have a potential to bioaccumulate. The present project contributes to filling gaps in the database for a complete environmental risk assessment of these parasiticides. In addition, risk management strategies for parasiticides used in pasture animals were discussed. For ivermectin […]

Necessity of testing biocidal products and their eluates within the authorisation process aiming at an adequate environmental evaluation of mixtures

In the authorisation process of biocidal products, the joint effects of the product components (active substances and relevant additives) shall be taken into account in the environmental risk assessment according to the relevant regulatory guidance. The concept of concentration addition (CA) is the proposed default model for this assessment. Open questions in this context are […]

Joint effects of pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals from wastewater treatment plant effluents – evaluating concepts for a risk assessment using experimental scenarios

The aim of this project is to develop and evaluate concepts for a risk assessment of wastewater effluents taking into account the joint effects of chemicals, which are not completely eliminated in the wastewater treatment process. The focus is on pharmaceutical residues and industrial chemicals, particularly those that are frequently detected in effluents. The predictability […]

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 […]

Comparison of the dung and soil fauna on ivermectin-treated and untreated meadows as an example of the effects of a veterinary drug

The application of veterinary medical products to livestock can affect soil organisms in manure-amended fields and, especially, organisms colonising the dung of treated animals, thereby potentially delaying the degradation of dung on pastures. For this reason, the authorisation process for veterinary medical products in the European Union includes a requirement for higher-tier tests when adverse effects on dung organisms are observed in lower tier toxicity tests. An international research project was performed…

Validation of a sediment toxicity test with the endobenthic aquatic oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus by an international ring test

The aim of the project was the validation of a sediment toxicity test with the benthic oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus by an international ring test. The test method was developed taking into account existing methods. A test protocol was prepared and used to run the test. A total of 14 institutions (governmental agencies, universities, contract laboratories […]