The final report describes the execution and outcomes of a series of three thematic conferences which aimed to pave the way for an international exchange on challenges of advanced materials for chemical safety and sustainability. These conferences discussed the heterogeneity of the field, possibilities to cluster the world of advanced materials but also proposals to identify those advanced materials for which a closer look is needed based on concerns regarding safety, insufficient regulation or impacts for sustainability. At the conferences, different examples of advanced materials were presented which were already identified to pose challenges to current risk assessment tools, chemical regulations or might hamper circular economy of products. In the final conferences, considerations and options for actions on advanced materials were discussed from different stakeholder perspectives. This report is closely connected to UBA TEXTE 132/2020 which provided the discussion input on approaches to describe, cluster and prioritise advanced materials to the conferences. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 09/2022.
Das Projekt "Windturbine fuer die Produktion von Elektrizitaet (MON 30)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm durchgeführt. Objective: MBB will construct and demonstrate one bladed 30 m diameter, 200 kW wind turbine MON 30 which will be an enlarged version of the FLAIR -8. Innovations consist of the flexible design, hubless single blade rotor, mechanical function of control and safety devices. The wind generator will produce electrical energy at the wind power plant at Wilhelmshaven. The estimated annual yield is 300 MWh. General Information: An enlarged version of FLAIR-8 but with many innovations was constructed and installed by MBB at Wilhelmshaven in FRG. The new MON 30 is a flexible design of a single bladed wind turbine with a diameter of 30 m and nominal power 200 KW. Hubless design with speed and power regulation as well as mechanical safety devices. The components of the wind turbines don t have to take up the full strain resulting from the turbulent wind but it will be compensated by the system flexibility. Even the tower is flexible being separated into a rigid and an inclined part with the turbine at the top and the counterweight at the bottom. The blade has freedom to move in flap and lead-lag direction and controls its pitch angle passively. The electrical energy production, was backed-up into the grid. The cost per KWh is estimated at 0. 21 DM while the conventional cost is 0. 28 DM. The demonstration phase will last one year and results are expected with special interest as it is a totally new design based on the soft theory design concept. It is a cooperative project of MBB and RIVA CALZONI.Objective: To install an aircraft-derivative gas turbine of 35 MW in the contractor's power plant with the necessary alterations and to operate the system continuously and at full load under industrial conditions. General Information: The energy requirement of the chemical industry is changing towards more electricity and less steam, a balance which for conventional power plants is difficult to achieve in an energy-efficient manner. This project will demonstrate that the use of aircraft-derivative gas turbines in a conventional power plant can improve the electricity output by 30 per cent while reducing the steam production. The system comprises first a gas generator which consists of 2 compressors of increasing power built in-line, a combustor and 2 turbines of decreasing power equally built in-line. This is linked to a 3-stage power turbine which drives the electricity generator. The exhaust gases of the power turbine are ducted into a heat recovery boiler for steam production. The gas generator is the critical part as the turbine. In contrast to industrial turbines, aircraft turbines are normally not used in continuous operation and at full-load during aircraft take-off. This new aircraft-derivative gas turbine will be installed in place of an existing industrial gas turbine in the power station of Dow Chemical GmbH in Stade. The financial EEC participation of 2,330,000.-DM is limited to the innovative part of the project i.e. the construction of the...
Das Projekt "46th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology, Dresden, 13.09. - 16.09.2009" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale), Institut für Umwelttoxikologie durchgeführt. It is our great pleasure to invite you to our Scientific Workshop on Safety Assessment and Regulation of Nanomaterials to be held at the International Conference Centre Dresden, Germany. Nanotechnology is a powerful tool to optimize technical processes or to generate new materials with exciting functionalities. High expectations are connected to products of nanotechnology with regard to energy efficiency, new materials, electronics, solutions to decrease energy needs for information technologies or data storage. Following introduction of nanomaterials in new technologies, regulators, developers and the producers are confronted with a growing list of questions addressing the safety of nanomaterials for consumers and environment. The participants are invited to give their input into the discussion on the long term safe use of nanoproducts with regard to work place, human health and environment. The complexity of the ongoing risk discussion is a challenge to demonstrate the ability of toxicological work in academia, industry and regulation. It is also a big chance to bring our expertise into society on our common way to find the right balance between chances of new technologies and level of acceptance of remaining risks. The scientific program will be a variety of opportunities to share knowledge lecture sessions and a poster session. Perspective of Regulation and Ethical demands, Products of Nanotechnology in use and under development, Exposure and uptake, Possible health hazards, New Functionalities of nanomaterials, Information Requirements for Safety Assessment of Nanomaterials, Nanomaterials in the Environment, Wrapping up Plenum or Working group.
Das Projekt "Modellrechnung zur Untersuchung der Auswirkung der neuen LAWA-Regelung auf die Bewertung der Umweltverträglichkeit von Beton - F 909" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von RWTH Aachen University, Institut für Bauforschung, Lehrstuhl für Baustoffkunde durchgeführt. Im Rahmen dieses Forschungsprojekts sollte das in /1/ beschriebene Konzept zur Bewertung der Umweltverträglichkeit von Festbeton den aktuellen Änderungen in den gesetzlichen Vorgaben angepasst werden. Diese Änderungen betreffen einerseits die Geringfügigkeitsschwellen als Bewertungsgrundlage und andererseits die Randbedingungen bei der Modellierung der zu bewertenden Grundwasserkonzentration. Der eigentlichen Modellierung wurde eine Literaturrecherche vorangestellt, um die vorhandenen Daten anhand des zu entwickelnden Bewertungskonzepts einstufen zu können. Es wurden nur anorganische Stoffe betrachtet. Bei der Überarbeitung der Randbedingungen der Modellierung blieb das ursprüngliche Modellgebiet nach /1/ bestehen. Es wird die Konzentration im Fließschatten eines Gebäudes mit der Grundfläche 40.20 m berechnet. Die Durchlässigkeit des Untergrundes und die Fließgeschwindigkeit des Grundwassers wurden In /1, 2/ möglichst ungünstig gewählt. Die Berechnungen in diesem Projekt wurden mit einem neuen Transportprogramm (FEFLOW) durchgeführt, das in der Eingabe wesentlich komfortabler ist und mehr Anwendungsmöglichkeiten aufweist. Die Modellierung wurde anhand des Parameters Chrom durchgeführt und auf die anderen umweltrelevanten Stoffe übertragen. Es wurden insgesamt 17 Betone, Mörtel und Zementsteine im Rahmen der Modellierung untersucht, um anhand der Ergebnisse einen funktionalen Zusammenhang zwischen der Kontaktgrundwasserkonzentration und der Freisetzung im Versuch ableiten zu können. Die ermittelten Kontaktwasserkonzentrationen an der Oberfläche des Baukörpers dürfen über einen festzulegenden Zeitraum und eine Kontaktwasserschichtdicke gemittelt werden /1, 2/. Als Bewertungszeitraum wurden wie in 1116 Monate angesetzt, die Kontaktgrundwasserschichtstärke wurde variiert. Ziel war es, eine unter Beachtung der Anforderung kleinräumiger Dimensionen sinnvolle Kontaktgrundwasserschichtdicke festzulegen. Dabei war zu überprüfen, ob bei Verwendung von Normzementen und Flugaschen aus reiner Kohleverbrennung Überschreitungen der GFS auftreten. Deutlich erhöhte Austräge, die z.B. durch regional erhöhte Schwermetallgehalte in den Ausgangsstoffen oder durch Mitverbrennung von Abfallstoffen entstehen können, müssen bei der Bewertung zu einem Ausschluss führen. Anhand der vorhandenen Daten wurde eine Mittelung der Kontaktgrundwasserkonzentration über 2 m vorgeschlagen. Dieser Vorschlag wurde bereits mit den zuständigen Behörden diskutiert und ist von den Umweltbehörden akzeptiert worden. Nach der Festlegung dieser Randbedingungen kann die zulässige Freisetzung im Standtest für alle umweltrelevanten Stoffe nach folgender Gleichung (4) berechnet werden: zuIE56 = GFS geteilt 0,97, zuIE56: zulässige Freisetzung in 56 Tagen in mg/m2, GFS: Geringfügigkeitsschwelle in myg/l. Es ist zu beachten, dass das Bewertungskonzept auf dem Diffusionsansatz beruht. Für viele Stoffe ist dieser Ansatz nicht korrekt, weil anfangs ein deutlicher wash-off-Effekt auftritt /3, 4, 5/. Usw.
Das Projekt "Estimation of willingness-to-pay to reduce risks of exposure to heavy metals and cost-benefit analysis for reducing heavy metals occurence in Europe (ESPREME)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Stuttgart, Institut für Energiewirtschaft und Rationelle Energieanwendung durchgeführt. Heavy metals from different sources accumulate in the environment. From a policy point of view, it has been difficult to tackle the environmental problems due to heavy metals partly because the problem has been viewed from different policy domains (air, water, soils etc.). Thus, it is not guaranteed that the policy mix applied under environmental regulation is optimal. A systems analysis would be required to define the sources of heavy metals, how they are dispersed in the environment and which adverse effects they might cause on human and ecosystems health. From a policy point of view, it is also important to identify what kinds of policy responses would be most cost-effective to reduce the impacts of heavy metals. Such information is required for carrying out cost-benefit analyses of reducing the occurrence of heavy metals in our society. Identifying the benefits would include a monetary valuation of the impacts with contingent valuation (CV) approaches (e.g. assessing the willingness-to-pay, WTP). The focus of the work described will be on priority metals, which are mercury, cadmium, chrome, nickel, arsenic and lead. Core aim of the research is to carry out cost effectiveness (CEA) and cost-benefit analyses (CBA) for reducing the heavy metals occurrence, in the EU Member States and candidate countries, including damage assessment to the environment and human health in the long term following the impact pathway analysis which assesses the impacts and damages of pollutants from their emissions over their dispersion to exposure and impacts. Finally, a feasibility study will be conducted to identify the potentials, strengths and weaknesses and uncertainties of currently available macro-economic models to identify further research needs in this field.
Das Projekt "Development of a modelling system for prediction and regulation of livestock waste pollution in the humid tropics" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Tropische Agrarwissenschaften (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institut), Fachgebiet Pflanzenbau in den Tropen und Subtropen (490e) durchgeführt. Introduction: In Malaysia, excessive nutrients from livestock waste management systems are currently released to the environment. Particularly, large amounts of manure from intensive pig production areas are being excreted daily and are not being fully utilised. Alternatively, the excess manure can be applied as an organic fertiliser source in neighbouring cropping systems on the small landholdings of the pig farms to improve soil fertility so that its nutrients will be available for crop uptake instead of being discharged into water streams. Thus, there is a need for better tools to analyse the present situation, to evaluate and monitor alternative livestock production systems and manure management scenarios, and to support farmers in the proper management of manure and fertiliser application. Such tools are essential to quantify, and assess nutrient fluxes, manure quality and content, manure storage and application rate to the land as well as its environmental effects. Several computer models of animal waste management systems to assist producers and authorities are now available. However, it is felt that more development is needed to adopt such models to the humid tropics and conditions of Malaysia and other developing countries in the region. Objectives: The aim is to develop a novel model to evaluate nutrient emission scenarios and the impact of livestock waste at the landscape or regional level in humid tropics. The study will link and improve existing models to evaluate emission of N to the atmosphere, and leaching of nutrients to groundwater and surface water. The simulation outputs of the models will be integrated with a GIS spatial analysis to model the distribution of nutrient emission, leaching and appropriate manure application on neighbouring crop lands and as an information and decision support tool for the relevant users.
Das Projekt "Lärmbelastung an Arbeitsplätzen auf Baustellen (IV + V)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von HVBG, Berufsgenossenschaftliches Institut für Arbeitsschutz (BGIA) durchgeführt. Zielsetzung: Die Beurteilung der Gehörgefährdung an Baustellenarbeitsplätzen nach der Berufsgenossenschaftlichen Vorschrift BGV B 3 'Lärm' (früher Unfallverhütungsvorschrift 'Lärm') ist in vielen Bereichen aufgrund der schwankenden Exposition schwierig. Ziel dieser Untersuchung ist die statistisch gesicherte Angabe von Mittelwert und Standardabweichung der Lärmbelastung für die Berufsgruppen Bauwerker, Estrichleger, Klempner (Flaschner, Spangler, Spengler) und Kranführer. Aktivitäten/Methoden: Das Berufsgenossenschaftliche Institut für Arbeitssicherheit - BIA hatte Anfang der Achtzigerjahre die für dieses Projekt notwendige Dosimetermesstechnik entwickelt. Im Rahmen der vorangegangenen BIA-Projekte wurde diese Messtechnik eingesetzt für die Ermittlung der entsprechenden Lärmbelastungswerte für Maurer, Einschaler, Eisenflechter, Betonierer, Zimmerleute, Heizungs- und Sanitärinstallateure, Maschinenputzer, Trockenbauer, Kanalbauer, Dachdecker, Gerüstbauer, Fassadenbauer, Gleisbauer, Bauschlosser, Straßenbauer (Vorbereitungsarbeiten für den Straßendeckenbau, Schwarzdeckenbauer, Betondeckenbauer, Straßenmarkierer, Leitplankenbauer), Spezialtiefbauer und Korrosionsschützer. Wie bei diesen vorangegangenen Projekten sollen die beiden Messgrößen LAeq (A-bewerteter äquivalenter Dauerschallpegel) und LAIeq ( A-bewerteter äquivalenter Dauerschallpegel in der Zeitbewertung 'Impuls') jeweils parallel dosimetrisch erfasst werden, um die Beurteilung der Lärmbelastung nach der BGV B 3 'Lärm' und der DIN 45 645 'Ermittlung von Beurteilungspegeln aus Messungen - Teil 2: Geräuschimmission am Arbeitsplatz' vornehmen zu können.
Das Projekt "FuncTional tOOls for Pesticide RIsk assessmeNt and managemenT (FOOTPRINT)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institut für Landschaftsökologie und Ressourcenmanagement durchgeführt. FOOTPRINT aims at developing a suite of three pesticide risk prediction and management tools, for use by three different end-user communities: farmers and extension advisors at the farm scale, water managers at the catchment scale and policy makers/registration authorities at the national/EU scale. The tools will be based on state-of-the-art knowledge of processes, factors and landscape attributes influencing pesticide fate in the environment and will integrate innovative components which will allow users to: i) identify the dominant contamination pathways and sources of pesticide contamination in the landscape; ii) estimate pesticide concentrations in local groundwater resources and surface water abstraction sources; iii) make scientifically-based assessments of how the implementation of mitigation strategies will reduce pesticide contamination of adjacent water resources. The three tools will share the same overall philosophy and underlying science and will therefore provide a coherent and integrated solution to pesticide risk assessment and risk reduction from the scale of the farm to the EU scale. The predictive reliability and usability of the tools will be assessed through a substantial programme of piloting and evaluation tests at the field, farm, catchment and national scales. The tools developed within FOOTPRINT will allow stakeholders to make consistent and robust assessments of the risk of contamination to water bodies at a range of scales relevant to management, mitigation and regulation (farm, catchment and national/EU). They will in particular i) allow pesticide users to assess whether their pesticide practices ensure the protection of local water bodies and, ii) provide site-specific mitigation recommendations. The FOOTPRINT tools are expected to make a direct contribution to the revision of the Directive 91/414/EC, the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the future Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides. Prime Contractor: Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières; Paris; France.
Das Projekt "Science for the Protection of Indonesian Coastal Environment (SPICE)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Stiftung Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung e.V. in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft (AWI) durchgeführt. The Indonesian Archipelago harbours the most diverse marine habitat on earth, but also the presently most endangered. Overfishing, deleterious fishing practices and land-based sources of pollution result in a dramatic decline of the reef-based ecosystems. Coral reefs thrive in clear oligotrophic water. Deteriorating water quality due to increased terrigenous inputs of sediments, nutrients and pollutants are believed to be among the major causes of the demise of Indonesian coral reefs over the last decades. The pelagic cycling of material, production and development of larvae in shallow coastal waters as well as the exports of material to the benthos and adjacent deep water ecosystem are yet poorly understood. In this program 12 Indonesian and 14 German universities and institutions are involved. From the German side it is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT) is responsible for the overall coordination. The main goal of the project is to strengthen the scientific basis for the protection of coral reefs in Southeast Sulawesi, harbouring some of the richest but also most endangered coral reefs in the world. In the Spermonde Archipelago off Makassar coral reef losses amounted to 20 Prozent over the last 12 years, eroding the income base for many thousands of families. Regulations related to the marine environment and its valuable resources have not been effectively implemented, and public awareness among the growing local population is still very limited. The aim of the AWI plankton group is to assess the significance of suspended matter for the reef organisms and to demonstrate that environmental changes are an important factor for phyto- and zooplankton communities and hence, for their consumers. To achieve this goal, quantitative studies of plankton occurrence and distribution are essential on various spatial and temporal scales. Further topics are the duration of the pelagic phase of economically important benthic organisms and the life cycles of dominant zooplankton species.
Das Projekt "Computer-Assisted Evaluation of industrial chemical Substances According to Regulations (CAESAR)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung GmbH - UFZ, Department Ökologische Chemie durchgeführt. The general aim of CAESAR is to produce (Q)SAR models for the prediction of the toxicity of chemical substances. These models will be designed to be used for regulatory purposes, more specifically to assist the implementation of the proposed REACH system. The project will develop predictive in silico models for chemical toxicity. These modelling approaches will reduce the dependence on the use of animals as well as the costs associated with toxicity tests, and will have wide-ranging applications. The work will involve a robust and detailed characterisation of the most relevant endpoints as defined in EC documents relating to the requirements for REACH. Utmost attention will be paid to obtain a solid experimental basis by the use of toxicity data that have been checked for quality at all stages. At least 5 clearly defined data sets along with suitable statistical techniques will be exploited to form powerful, innovative and thoroughly validated (Q)SAR models. Models developed by each partner will be checked by at least one other partner. Each model will be characterised by its statistical uncertainty. The presence of false negative predictions will also be evaluated to reduce the risk of predicting potentially harmful compounds to be non-toxic. The applicability domain of each (Q)SAR will be described, both in terms of its boundaries and density in chemical and biological space. For each (Q)SAR, a detailed protocol will be prepared, describing the standardised models and the quality procedure adopted. The (Q)SAR models developed in this project, and their protocols, will be placed on the project's internet site to allow the widest possible free access. Further dissemination of the models will be through an international workshop at the end of the project. Exploitation will be achieved through the involvement of users and regulatory bodies. An external review committee will be formed to monitor the project progress and provide advice. Prime Contractor: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri'; Milano; 'Italy.