Posts

ECT participates in an international ring test on organic matter decomposition in soil

Organic matter decomposition is a key soil microbiological function. Intact organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling indicate that a soil is healthy. In view of these facts, a laboratory-based method has been developed to quantitatively evaluate this process. The ability of soil micro-organisms to decompose filter paper (lignin cellulosic material) as a standard organic material […]

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, […]

Lumbriculus test recommended by EFSA

The newly proposed EFSA guidance document on risk assessment for plant protection products for aquatic organisms1 recommends the Lumbriculus test (instead of the Chironomus test) specifically for pesticides with fungicidal activity. ECT coordinated the validation ring test for the Lumbriculus OECD test guideline […]

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 […]

Evaluation of a biotest battery for the ecotoxicological characterisation of waste: ring test with 60 laboratories from 15 countries

The ecotoxicological characterization of waste is part of its assessment as hazardous or non-hazardous according to the European List of Wastes (LoW, 2000/532/EC) and its more recent amendments (Directive 2008/98/EG and Regulation 2017/997). For this assessment, 15 hazard properties are evaluated. So far, there is no harmonised guidance for evaluation of the hazard property ‘ecotoxic’ […]

Organisation and performance of an international ringtest for the validation of the enchytraeid reproduction test

An enchytraeid reproduction test ring test was performed in line with OECD requirements. Twenty-nine institutions (mainly universities and contract research laboratories) from 15 countries from Europe and North America participated in this ring test. The co-ordinating laboratory centrally distributed the test chemicals, guidance papers and test organisms to all participants. In addition, several training courses […]