Biomonitoring and environmental specimen banking

The environmental specimen banking program (ESB) of the Federal Republic of Germany implies a collection of specimens from representative areas of Germany, stored under stable conditions for deferred analysis. It is an important part of the ecological assessment program. The ecological concept is presented as the frame of the entire ESB program. It is based on the selection of representative sampling areas and specimens. Standard operating procedures (SOP’s) for sampling and characterization of specimens, as well as sampling designs specific to the areas, are presented as further important parts of the quality assurance system in relation to the correct sampling of specimens.     

17th ICCE Satellite Event University Education in Environmental Sciences

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Recently, nearly 500 study programmes related to environmental disciplines were detected in Europe (Lammel et al, Environ Sci Pollut Res 21:7211-7218...     

Vorlesungs- und Seminarprojekt ‘Globale Zukunftsfragen’

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Dioxin/POPs legacy of pesticide production in Hamburg: Part 1—securing of the production area

α-Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), β-HCH, and γ-HCH (lindane) were recently included as new persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Stockholm Convention. Therefore, the chemicals need to be globally addressed, including the disposal of historic wastes. At most sites, the approximately 85 % of HCH waste isomers were dumped. At a former lindane factory in Hamburg and some other factories the HCH, waste was recycled producing residues with high polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/PCDF) levels. The soil and ground water under the former pesticide factory was/is highly contaminated with HCH (260 tons), chlorobenzenes (550 tons), and PCDD/PCDF (6 kg toxic equivalents (TEQ)). This contamination did not result from disposal operations but from spillages and leakages during the 30 years of the factory's production history. A containment wall has been constructed around the production area to prevent the dispersal of the pollutants. The ground water is managed by a pump and treat system. Over the last 15 years, approximately 10–30 tons of this pollution reservoir has been pumped and incinerated. For the contaminated production buildings, specific assessment and demolition technologies have been applied. In addition to their HCH waste isomer deposition, former lindane/HCH productions need to be assessed for possible recycling practice of HCH and related PCDD/PCDF contamination of the production area and buildings. Since such recycling activities have taken place at several factories in different countries, the experience of assessment and management of the described production area and contaminated buildings could be valuable. Such assessment could be addressed within the frame of the Stockholm Convention.     

Effects of time-averaging climate parameters on predicted multicompartmental fate of pesticides and POPs

With the aim to investigate the justification of time-averaging of climate parameters in multicompartment modelling the effects of various climate parameters and different modes of entry on the predicted substances' total environmental burdens and the compartmental fractions were studied. A simple, non-steady state zero-dimensional (box) mass-balance model of intercompartmental mass exchange which comprises four compartments was used for this purpose. Each two runs were performed, one temporally unresolved (time-averaged conditions) and a time-resolved (hourly or higher) control run. In many cases significant discrepancies are predicted, depending on the substance and on the parameter. We find discrepancies exceeding 10% relative to the control run and up to an order of magnitude for prediction of the total environmental burden from neglecting seasonalities of the soil and ocean temperatures and the hydroxyl radical concentration in the atmosphere and diurnalities of atmospheric mixing depth and the hydroxyl radical concentration in the atmosphere. Under some conditions it was indicated that substance sensitivity could be explained by the magnitude of the sink terms in the compartment(s) with parameters varying. In general, however, any key for understanding substance sensitivity seems not be linked in an easy manner to the properties of the substance, to the fractions of its burden or to the sink terms in either of the compartments with parameters varying. Averaging of diurnal variability was found to cause errors of total environmental residence time of different sign for different substances. The effects of time-averaging of several parameters are in general not additive but synergistic as well as compensatory effects occur. An implication of these findings is that the ranking of substances according to persistence is sensitive to time resolution on the scale of hours to months. As a conclusion it is recommended to use high temporal resolution in multi-media modelling.     

Nitrated monoaromatic hydrocarbons (nitrophenols,nitrocatechols, nitrosalicylic acids) in ambient air: levels,mass size distributions and inhalation bioaccessibility

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nitrated monoaromatic hydrocarbons (NMAHs) are ubiquitous in the environment and an important part of atmospheric humic-like substances (HULIS) and...