Das Projekt "Ecotoxicological Assessment of Organic and Inorganic UV Filter Substances with special Emphasis on Mixtures" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Frankfurt am Main, Institut für Ökologie, Evolution und Diversität, Abteilung Aquatische Ökotoxikologie durchgeführt. The occurrence and potential effects of UV filters in the environment have attracted public attention and concern in the last few years. Despite their broad application spectrum and little is known about their fate, environmental concentrations and impact on aquatic biota. A number of studies have show the direct entry into aquatic ecosystems from the skin of bathing people or indirectly via sewage treatment plants with daily use of various personal care products. The presence of UV filters in sediments, however, has found little attention and the existing studies are limited to a few UV filters. From an ecotoxicological point of view, UV filter substances are among the insufficiently characterised substances. For this reason, sediments from various lakes and rivers were analysed by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry for the seven most frequently used UV filters. Three UV filters exhibited an ubiquitous distribution and were found in every sediment sample: butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane, octyl-methoxycinnamate and octocrylene. These UV filters are subjected to an extensive ecotoxicological characterisation. The testing programme comprise the bacterial contact test with Arthrobacter globiformis, a sediment contact test with Danio rerio, sediment toxicity tests with the aquatic oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus, the freshwater mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum, and a full life cycle test with the non-biting midge Chironomus riparius.