The occurrence of microplastic (MP) in food products, such as beverages in plastic bottles, is of high public concern. Existing analytical methods focus on the determination of particle numbers, requiring elaborate sampling tools, laboratory infrastructure and generally time-consuming imaging detection methods. A comprehensive routine analysis of MP in food products is still not possible. In the present work, we present the development of a smart filter crucible as sampling and detection tool. After filtration and drying of the filtered-off solids, a direct determination of the MP mass content from the crucible sample can be done by thermal extraction desorption gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (TED-GC/MS). The new filter crucible allows a filtration of MP down to particle sizes of 5 (micro)m. We determined MP contents below 0.01 (micro)g/L up to 2 (micro)g/L, depending on beverages bottle type. This may be directly related to the bottle type, especially the quality of the plastic material of the screw cap. Dependent on the plastic material, particle formation increases due to opening and closing operations during the use phase. However, we have also found that some individual determinations of samples were subjected to high errors due to random events. A conclusive quantitative evaluation of the products is therefore not possible at present. © Taylor&Francis Online
In August 2019, three dogs died after bathing in or drinking from Mandichosee, a mesotrophic reservoir of the River Lech (Germany). The dogs showed symptoms of neurotoxic poisoning and intoxication with cyanotoxins was considered. Surface blooms were not visible at the time of the incidents. Benthic Tychonema sp., a potential anatoxin-a (ATX)-producing cyanobacterium, was detected in mats growing on the banks, as biofilm on macrophytes and later as aggregations floating on the lake surface. The dogsâ€Ì pathological examinations showed lung and liver lesions. ATX and dihydroanatoxin-a (dhATX) were detected by LC-MS/MS in the stomachs of two dogs and reached concentrations of 563 and 1207 Ìg/L, respectively. Anatoxins (sum of ATX and dhATX, ATXs) concentrations in field samples from Mandichosee ranged from 0.1 Ìg/L in the open water to 68,000 Ìg/L in samples containing a large amount of mat material. Other (neuro)toxic substances were not found. A molecular approach was used to detect toxin genes by PCR and to reveal the cyanobacterial community composition by sequencing. Upstream of Mandichosee, random samples were taken from other Lech reservoirs, uncovering Tychonema and ATXs at several sampling sites. Similar recent findings emphasize the importance of focusing on the investigation of benthic toxic cyanobacteria and applying appropriate monitoring strategies in the future. © 2020 by the authors
Mit der Deutschen Umweltstudie zur Gesundheit (GerES) ermittelt das Umweltbundesamt Informationen zu korporalen Schadstoffbelastungen der Bevölkerung in Deutschland und untersucht chemische, biologische und physikalische Belastungen im häuslichen Bereich und in der Wohnumgebung. Die letzte GerES-Datenerhebung bei Erwachsenen fand vor 20 Jahren statt. Es war daher dringend angezeigt erneut Erwachsene zu befragen und zu untersuchen. Das RKI und MRI führten gemeinsam eine Vorstudie für die große bundesweite Gesundheits- und Ernährungsstudie (gern) durch. Diese Studie soll in der Hauptphase mit der Studie des Umweltbundesamts (UBA), GerES VI, verknüpft werden. Bisher wurde GerES immer in Anbindung an die Gesundheitssurveys des Robert-Koch-Institutes (RKI) durchgeführt. Da der nächste Gesundheitssurvey für Erwachsene vom RKI zusammen mit der Ernährungsstudie des Max-Rubner-Institutes (MRI) durchgeführt wird, galt es diese neuen Konstellationen in Pilotstudien zu testen. Es wurde entschieden bei dem Pretest ein Convenience Sample zur Teilnahme einzuladen und eine Fallzahl von 120 Personen anzustreben. Der gern-Pretest fand statt von 03. September bis 17. Dezember und die Pilotstudie zu GerES VI erstreckte sich vom 7. bis zum 27. Januar 2019. Hauptziel dieses Forschungsvorhabens war die Prüfung, ob GerES VI in der neuen Konstellation erfolgreich durchgeführt werden kann. In dem vorliegenden Bericht werden sowohl die Ergebnisse des gern-Pretests als auch der Pilotstudie zu GerES VI vorgestellt. Die gewonnenen Informationen und Erkenntnisse der beiden Vorstudien werden gemeinsam bewertet, und sollen für die Planung der gern- und GerES VI-Hauptstudie und für die Integration von GerES VI in gern genutzt werden. Quelle: Forschungsbericht
Background<BR>At Holi festivals, originally celebrated in India but more recently all over the world, people throw coloured powder (Holi powder, Holi colour, Gulal powder) at each other. Adverse health effects, i.e. skin and ocular irritations as well as respiratory problems may be the consequences. The aim of this study was to uncover some of the underlying mechanisms.<BR>Methods<BR>We analysed four different Holi colours regarding particle size using an Electric field cell counting system. In addition, we incubated native human cells with different Holi colours and determined their potential to induce a pro-inflammatory response by quantifying the resulting cytokine production by means of ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and the resulting leukocyte oxidative burst by flow cytometric analysis. Moreover, we performed the XTT (2,3-Bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide) and Propidium iodide cytotoxicity tests and we measured the endotoxin content of the Holi colour samples by means of the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate test (LAL test).<BR>Results<BR>We show here that all tested Holi colours consist to more than 40 % of particles with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 ìm, so called PM10 particles (PM, particulate matter). Two of the analysed Holi powders contained even more than 75 % of PM10 particles.<BR>Furthermore we demonstrate in cell culture experiments that Holi colours can induce the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-á(Tumor necrosis factor-á), IL-6 (Interleukine-6) and IL-1â(Interleukine-1â). Three out of the four analysed colours induced a significantly higher cytokine response in human PBMCs (Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells) and whole blood than corn starch, which is often used as carrier substance for Holi colours. Moreover we show that corn starch and two Holi colours contain endotoxin and that certain Holi colours display concentration dependent cytotoxic effects in higher concentration. Furthermore we reveal that in principle Holi colours and corn starch are able to generate an oxidative burst in human granulocytes and monocytes. In Holi colour 1 we detected a fungal contamination.<BR>Conclusions<BR>Some of the observed unwanted health effects of Holi colours might be explained by the high content of PM10 particles in conjunction with the possible induction of a pro-inflammatory response and an oxidative leukocyte burst.<BR>Quelle: http://occup-med.biomedcentral.com
The European Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC requires monitoring of organic priority pollutants in so-called whole water samples, i.e. in aqueous non-filtered samples that contain natural colloidal and suspended particulate matter. Colloids and suspended particles in the liquid phase constitute a challenge for sample homogeneity and stability. Within the joint research project ENV08 "Traceable measurements for monitoring critical pollutants under the European Water Framework Directive 2000/60/ECŁ, whole water test materials were developed by spiking defined amounts of aqueous slurries of ultra-finely milled contaminated soil or sediment and aqueous solutions of humic acid into a natural mineral water matrix. This paper presents the results of an European-wide interlaboratory comparison (ILC) using this type of test materials. Target analytes were tributyltin, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the ng/L concentration range. Results of the ILC indicate that the produced materials are sufficiently homogeneous and stable to serve as samples for, e.g. proficiency testing or method validation. To our knowledge, this is the first time that ready-to-use water materials with a defined amount of suspended particulate and colloidal matter have been applied as test samples in an interlaboratory exercise. These samples meet the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive. Previous proficiency testing schemes mainly employed filtered water samples fortified with a spike of the target analyte in a water-miscible organic solvent. <BR>Quelle: www.scopus.com
N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP) are multi-purpose organic solvents in<BR>industry. Both are developmental and teratogenic toxicants in rodents. NMP is classified as a REACh substanceof very high concern. Because of their toxicological profile and their broad application resulting in a possibleexposure of the general population, NMP and NEP were chosen as target substances for the cooperationproject between the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and NuclearSafety (BMUB) and the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) aiming to establish human biomonitoring(HBM) methods for "newŁ substances of interest. NMP and NEP are metabolized to 5-hydroxy-N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidones (5-HNMP, 5-HNEP) and 2-hydroxy-N-alkylsuccinimides (2-HMSI, 2-HESI). We analyzed thesespecific metabolites in 24-hour urine samples from the German Environmental Specimen Bank. For thispurpose, 20 randomly selected samples collected in 1996 and in 2012, respectively, were analyzed by asensitive and specific GC-MS/MS method with isotope dilution quantification. We detected NMP metabolites in100% and NEP metabolites in 95% of all samples. Despite the considerable differences in the elimination halftimesof the alkyl pyrrolidone metabolites, the correlations between the metabolites were rather strong (NMP:r=0.51; NEP: r=0.67). An exposure determined through one metabolite is thus confirmed by the other129metabolite. Median NMP metabolite levels were comparable between 1996 (5-HNMP 50 ìg/L, 2-HMSI 46 ìg/L)and 2012 (5-HNMP 39 ìg/L, 2-HMSI 41 ìg/L). Surprisingly, urinary levels of NEP metabolites were approx. 10times higher in 1996 (5-HNEP 14 ìg/L, 2-HESI 42 ìg/L) as compared to 2012 (5-HNEP ~1 ìg/L, 2-HESI 5ìg/L). We would have expected a reverse trend for NEP since NEP has only recently been introduced into themarket as a substitute for NMP. The sources of past and present exposures to NMP and NEP warrant furtherinvestigations. <BR>Quelle: 24th Annual Meeting ofThe International Society of Exposure Science: Exposure Science Integration to Protect Ecological Systems,Human Well-Being, and Occupational Health; Abstrct Book ISES 2014 / International Society of Exposure Science, Cincinnati: 2014, S. 128
Radioactive waste must be packaged in approved containers for disposal. In addition, the filled containers must be checked and monitored. All production and inspection protocols must be kept. To ensure safety, the loaded containers undergo a variety of examination procedures prior to disposal. Here, a combination of checking the conditioning (packaging suitable for disposal) and spot checks has proven to be effective. This product control includes a check of whether the waste is packaged according to the applicable disposal conditions. Responsibility for the control procedure lies with the Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE). Independent expert bodies then check the containers on the BGE’s behalf. Product control of the waste containers can be carried out in two different ways – either by applying a packaging procedure certified by the BGE or through spot checks of already-packaged waste containers. The principles underlying the conditioning specifications stem directly from the Atomic Energy Act and the Radiation Protection Ordinance. In principle, before applying a procedure for the treatment and packaging of radioactive waste, the applicant must demonstrate that the resulting waste products meet the requirements of the final disposal conditions, which are a key part of a repository’s license. The process itself is accompanied by independent expert bodies. This ensures that the waste is treated and packaged in a manner suitable for final disposal and that everything is documented in accordance with the regulations. The information provided by the waste producer in relation to the radioactive waste is randomly verified by means of independent analyses. This procedure is primarily intended for so-called old waste, whose conditioning was not subject to accompanying checks by independent expert bodies. Non-destructive techniques are used to examine the containers from the outside without damaging them. For example, this can be achieved by means of dose rate measurements at the container surface, computed tomography, or the analysis of gas samples. Other methods result in damage to the container. For example, it is possible to drill into a container in order to obtain a core for further analyses. The expert bodies commissioned within the framework of product control must have the necessary expert knowledge for their task and be independent. Among other things, they check the presented descriptions of waste products and packaging, the conditioning technique, the containers used, and the composition of the waste inside the container. Finally, experts from the BGE check whether the statements from the expert bodies are complete and correct and meet the specifications of the planning approval.
Current research findings on the search for a repository Third representative survey of the Ewident research project News Stand: 2024.10.02 According to a representative survey conducted by the aproxima research institute, the public believes that the safety of the future repository site should have top priority in the search process. The survey also showed that only a minority is willing to accept long delays in the site selection procedure. On the question of final disposal , the majority of the population trusts the work of BASE and other stakeholders . In addition, about two thirds of the population state that public participation in the site selection process is essential for the success of the search. However, a significant proportion of the population still has only a superficial knowledge of the details of the search process. Since 2020, BASE has conducted a representative survey every two years to gather information on the German population's knowledge, attitudes and participation needs regarding the search for a repository . The data for the third wave of the survey, which is currently underway, was collected by aproxima between May and July 2024. This was part of the 'EWident II' research project, which involved a combination of telephone and online surveys. A total of 3,015 individuals aged 14 and above were interviewed in a manner representative of the target population. The preliminary results for the four sections of the survey are currently available to BASE as an advance preview of the research partner's final project report. . Safety in the search process is the top priority for respondents In the section on attitudes, respondents were asked to indicate what they considered to be an acceptable time frame for selecting a repository site. Approximately one-third (34%) of respondents expressed a preference for the site selection process to be completed by 2031, as stipulated by the law. A further 13% of respondents would be satisfied with a conclusion to the search by 2040. In contrast, the acceptance of a search result by 2050 or 2060 is minimal, at 3% and 1% respectively. Forty percent of respondents agreed with the statement, "For me, the only thing that counts is that the best possible safety of the site is guaranteed, regardless of the duration of the site search." Another area of interest was the involvement of actors in the final disposal of high- level radioactive waste . A survey was conducted to gauge the population's trust in 15 different groups of stakeholders . The group of scientists is the most trusted, with 75% of respondents indicating they have confidence in them. This is followed by the BASE (59%), BMUV and BGE (52% each). The least trusted groups are energy companies (27%), trade associations (23%) and politicians (17%). In the section on participation, respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with the statement that the search for a repository site can only succeed if the public is closely involved in the process. In 2024, 65% of respondents agreed with the statement, representing an increase from the 51% in 2020 and 58% in 2022 who indicated that the statement on the relevance of participation was true in their opinion. As part of the knowledge section, the population's understanding of final disposal was also examined in more detail. Some parts of the population displayed significant deficiencies in their knowledge. For instance, a random sample of the population was queried as to whether a repository site for high- level radioactive waste is currently being sought. Just over half (58%) of those surveyed were able to provide the correct answer that a repository site is, in fact, being sought. Conversely, 10% incorrectly stated that a repository site already exists, while 8% erroneously said that no search is currently taking place. Furthermore, 24% of respondents indicated that they were unsure or declined to answer. Nuclear phase-out: BASE survey shows waning consensus In light of the findings from the previous EWident surveys, BASE has already identified the topic of 'building and sharing knowledge' as one of four key focus areas within its participation strategy (May 2024). The current participation concept , dated September 2024, outlines BASE's approach to shaping its legal information and participation mandate in the coming years under the heading 'On the way to the regional conferences'. The results presented offer preliminary insights into the current perceptions of the German population regarding the search for a repository . The findings emerge against the backdrop of a waning consensus among the general public regarding the nuclear phase-out. This decline is also evident in the EWident survey results. While 76% in 2020 and 70% at the outset of 2022 still viewed the nuclear phase-out favourably, in 2024 the figure stands at 49%, just above the proportion who currently consider the nuclear phase-out a wrong decision (45%). The data collected on the questions presented here and all other questions in the four thematic sections will be subjected to in- depth analysis by the research partner of the EWident project, aproxima, over the next few months. The objective is to ascertain how knowledge, attitudes and participation needs have evolved over time since 2020. Another area of focus relates to the similarities and differences in the results between different demographic groups and groups with different fundamental beliefs. The finalised research report on the third wave of the EWident survey is scheduled for release by aproxima in the first quarter of 2025, and will then be published on the BASE website. Further information on the ongoing project and the research reports (in German) from previous survey waves can be found here. Further information on the Ewident research project Research repository site selection: Information and participation for everyone
Das Projekt "Wachstumsforschung in den Subtropen und Tropen" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Freiburg, Institut für Waldwachstum, Abteilung Waldwachstum durchgeführt. Die in den äquatornahen Bereichen der Tropen innerhalb des ganzen Jahres relativ gleichbleibenden Lufttemperaturen veranlassten viele Wissenschaftler dazu, zu glauben, dass die Jahrringforschung in den gesamten Tropen nicht bzw. nur sehr schwer möglich ist. Sie gingen von einem kontinuierlichen Wachstum der Bäume und infolgedessen von einem Nichtvorhandensein von Jahrringen aus. In den letzten Jahren gelang es jedoch verschiedenen Wissenschaftlern die Existenz von Jahrringen und Zuwachszonen anderer Periodizität in tropischen Hölzern nachzuweisen. Somit konnten die bereits zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts erbrachten Ergebnisse früher Pioniere auf dem Gebiet der Jahrringforschung bestätigt werden. Zuwachszonen in tropischen Hölzern entstehen dann, wenn die kambiale Aktivität aufgrund ungünstiger Wuchsbedingungen reduziert wird oder zum erliegen kommt. Als Ursache können hier die Trockenphasen in Gebieten mit Trockenzeiten sowie die submerse Phase in periodisch überschwemmten Gebieten genannt werden. Die Periodizität des Wachstums tropischer Bäume zu erkennen und zu verstehen, ist eine wichtige Voraussetzung für die Beantwortung vieler Fragen zu Zustand und Entwicklung der tropischen Wälder. Nur mit diesem Wissen und durch die Kenntnis der Zusammenhänge zwischen Umwelt und Wachstum können ökologische Fragestellungen angegangen, Fragen bezüglich der nachhaltigen Bewirtschaftung tropischer Waldökosysteme geklärt und auch die gerade in jüngster Zeit an Bedeutung gewinnenden Aspekte der Bedeutung der tropischen Wälder für das globale Klimageschehen ausreichend genau beantwortet werden. Das Institut für Waldwachstum erforscht in Zusammenarbeit mit Partnern an der Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (Brasilien) das Wachstum verschiedener wertvoller heimischer Baumarten aus Rio Grande do Sul (Brasilien). Es werden Ansätze zur nachhaltigen Bewirtschaftung naturnaher Wälder hergeleitet. Das Institut für Waldwachstum hat darüber hinaus das Ziel, für tropische Bäume geeignete Analysemethoden zu schaffen, mit deren Hilfe auch große Stichproben weitestgehend automatisiert analysiert werden können. In diesem Zusammenhang besteht eine enge Kooperation in Forschung und Lehre mit Dr. Martin Worbes, Universität Göttingen.
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