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Effects of ground-level ozone on vegetation modified by nitrogen and components of climate change: a literature study

Tropospheric ozone is an air pollutant that causes risks to human health and vegetation. This literature study summarises results of experiments, in which the effects of ozone on plants has been investigated in combination with factors of climate change, enhanced concentration of carbon dioxide in the air as well as nitrogen deposition. The results are needed for a sound risk assessment for plants under current and future environmental conditions. Such model-based risk assessments are the scientific basis for deriving and settling of measures for emission reduction of ozone precursors. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 29/2021.

Handbook Communication Strategies for Sharpening Environmental Awareness in the Handling of Pharmaceutical Drugs

In Germany, as in almost all industrial countries, active pharmaceutical substances can now be found in virtually all water bodies and occasionally also in drinking water. Even though the concentrations in question tend to be very low, there are initial signs of their  impact on aquatic life. There is no evidence as yet of any acute consequences for human health. It is, however, impossible to rule out long-term consequences from these minimal concentrations or unexpected effects from the interaction between various active ingredients (cocktail effect). At special risk here are sensitive segments of the population such as  children and the chronically ill. There is thus a need for action on precautionary grounds. Veröffentlicht in Leitfäden und Handbücher.

Development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance in the environment under environmentally relevant concentrations of antibiotics and its risk assessment

This report addresses the role of antibiotic residues for the development or dissemination of antibiotic resistance in the environment. It summarizes data on fate and occurrence of antibiotics in the environment and gives an overview of the existing information on effects at realistic concentrations. At present, there is too limited information to judge whether antibiotic residues in the environment can exert effects on resistance. However, such effects cannot be ruled out, when additional data on minimum inhibitory and minimum selective concentrations are taken into account. A test system for regulatory purposes is described and the results of an international expert meeting are summarized. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 01/2017.

Trends in characteristics of 24-h urine samples and their relevance for human biomonitoring studies – 20 years of experience in the German Environmental Specimen Bank

Lermen, Dominik; Bartel-Steinbach, Martina; Gwinner, Frederik; Conrad, André; Weber, Till; von Briesen, Hagen; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health (2019), online 26. April 2019 To document trends in human exposure to environmental pollutants, the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) has been routinely collecting and archiving 24-h urine samples from young adults at four sampling sites in Germany on an annual basis. For the purpose of normalizing measured analyte concentrations, urinary creatinine (UC), specific gravity (SG), conductivity (CON), and total urine volume (UV tot ) of 24-h urine samples have also been recorded. These parameters are however susceptible to variation over time, as well as within/among participants and normalization against them can thus affect the interpretation of data regarding exposure to environmental pollutants. To evaluate the influence of normalization against these parameters, we first sought to determine variations of these parameters with regard to differences between sexes and trends over time. We analysed data from 8619 urine samples collected from 1997 to 2016. We observed an inverse relation between UVtot and UC, SG, and CON. We also found differences between sexes for UC, SG and CON, but not UVtot. UC, SG, and CON showed significant decreasing trends over time in both sexes. In contrast, a significant increase of over 30% in UV tot , independent of participant age and BMI, was revealed. This increase in UVtot and the concomitant sample dilution is likely to have an impact on measured analyte concentrations in 24-h urine samples. Hence, normalization of urinary concentrations is warranted when interpreting time trends of human exposure. Next, urinary calcium (Ca 2+ ) concentrations of ESB participants were used to demonstrate the effects of normalization against each of the four urine parameters. From 1997 to 2016, measured Ca 2+ concentrations showed a statistically significant but scientifically implausible decrease. Normalization of Ca 2+ concentrations against UVtot (by calculating the total daily excretion), UC, or CON, but not SG, eliminated this decrease. Consistent with previous work, Ca 2+ concentrations in urine and total daily Ca 2+ excretion were higher for males than females. Normalization against UC, SG, or CON, however, attenuated this difference. Thus, to avoid misinterpretation in trend analysis and sex-specific excretion in 24-h urine samples, the calculation of the total daily excretion is recommended. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.04.009

Evaluation of the risk for soil organisms under real conditions

In assessing the effects of plant protection products (PPP) on organisms in soil it is crucial to predict accurately the environmental concentration (PECsoil) which organisms are exposed to. The PECsoil is depending on the spatial and temporal distribution of the PPP, arising from characteristics of the chemical (e.g. Kow, water solubility, degradability) and from soil parameters (e.g. pH value, TOC, texture). The potential effects of PPP on soil organisms depend -besides the concentration of the chemical in the soil matrix- on the spatial and temporal distribution of the animals, i.e., their exposure as well as their specific sensitivity to the chemical. A new approach for deriving environmental concentrations in soil is currently under discussion, taking the preferred soil depth of the organisms into account. We conducted two different outdoor studies in Terrestrial Model Ecosystems (TMEs) to monitor (1) the movement of pesticides in soil over time and (2) the exposure and effects on soil organisms during the same time. Additionally, an indoor TME study was conducted to measure the fate of the radiolabelled pesticides and the formation of non-extractable resi-dues in soil. In study [1] (outdoor) and [2] (indoor) Lindane (log Kow > 3) and Imidacloprid (log Kow < 1) were applied, two pesticides with different physico-chemical properties. In study [3] (outdoor), we investigated the effects of Carbendazim, a pesticide which is known as to be toxic for earthworms at certain concentrations. The effect analysis was conducted by means of different multivariate and univariate statistical methods. The synergistic conclusions based on the project results are proposed as recommendations for risk assessment concerning exposure and risk of soil organisms exposed to PPP under realistic conditions. Quelle: Forschungsbericht

Literature research for the review of ecotoxicological critical limits for heavy metals as a basis for the calculation of critical loads in the Geneva Air Convention

Schwermetalle, auch wenn sie natürliche Bestandteile unserer Umwelt sind, sind ab bestimm ten Konzentrationen schädlich für Organismen. Organismen haben sich in ihrer Habitatwahl an das natürliche Vorkommen und die dortige Bioverfügbarkeit unter den gegebenen Umständen (pH, org-Gehalt, ...) angepasst. Durch menschliche Aktivitäten werden Schwermetalle verstärkt über die Atmosphäre in Umlauf gebracht und über Deposition in Habitaten wie Oberboden angereichert. Überschreiten die verfügbaren Konzentrationen nun bestimmte Schwellenwerte, so können schädliche Wirkungen für Mensch und Umwelt nicht mehr ausgeschlossen werden. Aus diesem Grund ist die Freisetzung von Schwermetallen in die Umwelt rechtlich geregelt. Zur Festlegung ungefährlicher Schwermetalldepositionen werden ökologische Schwellenwerte, sogenannte "Critical Loads" für Schwermetalle berechnet. Dabei handelt es sich um Konzentrationen in Umweltmatrizes, die nicht überschritten werden sollten um schädliche Effekte zu vermeiden. "Critical Loads" basieren auf "Critical Limits". Im Rahmen dieses Projektes sollen basierend auf einer weltweiten Literaturrecherche alle Studien seit einschließlich 2005, die sich mit chronischen Wirkungen erhöhter Schwermetallkonzentrationen auf terrestrische Lebewesen und Ökosystemfunktionen befassen, identifiziert und gelistet werden um aktuelle Werte zu finden, die für die "Critical Limits"-Berechnung genutzt werden können. Es ist nicht das Ziel dieses Projektes die relevanten Daten zu diskutieren oder auszuwerten. Eine Literaturdatenbank mit allen Referenzen und ein Excel-Dokument mit allen notwendigen Daten zur Berechnung von "Critical Limits" wurde an das Deutsche Umweltbundesamt übergeben. Zusätzlich wurde dieser zusammenfassende Bericht erstellt. Der Bericht listet die relevanten Referenzen mit Effektkonzentrationen, Endpunkten (z.B. Reproduktion), Organismengruppe und Art, sowie Bodenparameter in Tabellen und gibt eine kurze Zusammenfassung, aufgeteilt nach allen Schwermetallen, die in der Recherche gefunden wurden. Quelle: Forschungsbericht

Entwicklung eines ökotoxikologischen Bewertungsansatzes für Böden auf Basis der bioverfügbaren Fraktion von Schadstoffen unter Berücksichtigung der unterschiedlichen Filter- und Puffereigenschaften von Böden

Das Vorhaben hatte das Ziel, ausgehend von den Ergebnissen einer Literaturrecherche primär am Beispiel von Arsen ein Konzept zur Ableitung von vorsorgeorientierten Bodenwerten speziell für den Pfad Boden â€Ì Bodenorganismen auf der Grundlage der bioverfügbaren Anteile von (Halb-)Metallen zu erarbeiten. Zur praktischen Umsetzung wurden ökotoxikologische standardisierte Tests mit acht Bodenorganismen-Arten in sechs unterschiedlichen, bodenkundlich umfassend charakterisierten Feldböden durchgeführt, wobei die jeweilige Metallkonzentration mittels sechs Extraktionsverfahren unterschiedlicher Stärke bestimmt wurde. Für jeden Tests wurden die entsprechenden Effektkonzentrationen (EC10- bzw. EC50-Werte) berechnet. Die Stärke der verschiedenen Extraktionsverfahren nahm für As bei allen Böden in der Reihenfolge Königswasser > HNO3 > DTPA > Ca(NO3)2 >= CaCl2 > NH4NO3 ab. Anschließend wurden die Ergebnisse der in den verschiedenen Böden durchgeführten ökotoxikologischen Tests mit den jeweiligen chemischen Rückstandsdaten zusammengeführt, um diejenige Extraktionsmethode zu identifizieren, die die Bioverfügbarkeit am besten widerspiegelt. Zwei Ansätze zur Ableitung von Bodenwerten wurden identifiziert: entweder auf der Basis der geeignetsten Extraktionsmethodik oder auf der Basis des Gesamtgehalts mit anschließender Normalisierung anhand der jeweiligen Bodeneigenschaften, wobei sich letztere als besser geeignet erwies. Im Einklang mit der Struktur der Bundes-Bodenschutz- und Altlastenverordnung werden folgende vorsorgeorientierte Bodenwerte für die drei Bodenarthauptgruppen vorgeschlagen: Sand = 10 mg/kg; Lehm/Schluff = 30 mg/kg; Ton = 40 mg/kg. Sowohl in Hinsicht auf die in Deutschland vorkommenden Hintergrundgehalte von Arsen als auch im Vergleich mit den Bodenwerten anderer Staaten sind diese Werte als plausibel anzusehen. Analog zum Vorgehen bei Arsen wurden zwei Tests (Arthrobactertest, Regenwurm-Fluchttests) mit Nickel und Kupfer durchgeführt und die Ergebnisse zur Ableitung (zusammen mit vorhandenen Daten) vorsorgeorientierter Bodenwerte genutzt. Quelle: Forschungsbericht

Der Einfluss von NOx-Emissionen des Flugzeugs auf die Atmosphaere bei Flughoehen von 8-15 km (AERONOX)

Das Projekt "Der Einfluss von NOx-Emissionen des Flugzeugs auf die Atmosphaere bei Flughoehen von 8-15 km (AERONOX)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre Oberpfaffenhofen durchgeführt. The AERONOX project investigated the emissions of nitrogen (NOx) from aircraft engines and global air traffic at cruising altitudes, the resultant increase in Nox concentrations, and the effects on the composition of the atmosphere, in particular with respect to ozone formation in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The project was structured into three subprojects: Engine exhaust emissions, physics and chemistry in the aircraft wake, and global atmospheric model simulations. A complementary program of work by aviation experts has provided detailed information on air traffic data which was combined with data on aircraft performance and emissions to produce a global emissions inventory. The work resulted in improved predictive equations to determine Nox emission measurements on two engines in cruise conditions. This information was combined with a traffic database to provide a new global Nox emissions inventory. It was found that only minor chemical changes occur during the vortex regime of the emission plume; however this result does not exclude the possibility of further changes in the dispersion phase. A variety of global models was set up to investigate the changes in NOx concentrations and photochemistry. Although aviation contributes only a small proportion (about 3 per cent) of the total global NOx from the anthropogenic sorces, the models show that aviation contributes a large fraction to the concentrations of NOx in the upper troposphere, in particular north of 30 N.

Sub project: Site survey data evaluation IODP Proposal 633

Das Projekt "Sub project: Site survey data evaluation IODP Proposal 633" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel (GEOMAR) durchgeführt. IODP drilling proposal (Costa Rica Mud Mounds) aims to enhance the general understanding of complex forearc dewatering processes of the erosive subduction system off Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Scientific evaluation recently resulted in a high ranking of the drilling proposal. Major sites of dewatering planned for drilling are mounds, related to mud diapirism/volcanism and precipitation of authigenic carbonates, and large-scale slides related to the subduction of seamounts. New pre-site survey seismic data was collected during a cruise of R/V Marcus Langseth in 2008 at the proposed sites of Mound Culebra and Mounds 11&12. These new data - together with the reprocessed pre-existing geophysical data - were submitted to the IODP safety panel for a final decision and scheduling of the R/V Joides Resolution leg. The new data are of exceptionally high quality and allow a detailed analysis of the processes that control fluid migration in the Costa Rican margin. Therefore we propose to (1) investigate the role of the acoustic basement for the fluid ascent, (2) understand the effect of mud volcanism on the gas hydrate system and the interactions between gas hydrate formation and dissociation with the fluid ascent from the deep sources, and (3) to invert the seismic data for gas and gas hydrate concentrations. The extension of the project will provide a wealth of geological information and further promote the drilling proposal.

Intelligent Assessment of Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (iPiE)

Das Projekt "Intelligent Assessment of Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (iPiE)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Bayer Pharma AG durchgeführt. Minute amounts of the active ingredients in medicines get into the environment in a variety of ways. However, we still know little about what happens to medicines after release into the environment and what effect they have on wildlife. Although measures are in place to limit the environmental impact of new medicines, more research is needed in this important area. The iPiE projects goal is to develop a framework that will provide methodologies to prioritise new and existing medicinal compounds for a comprehensive environmental risk assessment. As such it will support and inform regulatory activities designed to assess and reduce the environmental impact of medicines. The active ingredients in medicines (known as the active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API) can be released into the environment in a variety of ways. The most common route is via the sewage system, when patients excrete them. APIs can also escape into the environment when people dispose of medicines incorrectly, and during the manufacturing process. APIs are, by definition, biologically active, and although their concentration in the environment is generally extremely low, there are concerns about the effect of these chemicals on wildlife and ecosystems in general. Since 2006, new medicines have had to undergo an environmental risk assessment before they are approved for use. However, current testing strategies need to be optimised to accurately predict harmful impacts on wildlife. Furthermore, there are over 3 000 APIs that were already in use before the new rules came into force, and just a small number of these have been subjected to environmental impact testing. As testing all of these will be a mammoth task, guidance is needed to help identify which of these legacy APIs are most likely to pose a risk to the environment and so should be prioritised for testing. (abridged text)

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