News - Risk Assessment

17. September 2019

Ecotox Centre at EPFL anniversary

Ecotox Centre at EPFL anniversary

At the Ecotox Centre's stand visitors learned how springtails and other creepy crawlies measure environmental pollutants.

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30. August 2019

Benoît Ferrari takes over as interim director of the Ecotox Centre

Benoît Ferrari takes over as interim director of the Ecotox Centre

On 1 September 2019, Benoît Ferrari will take over as interim director of the Ecotox Centre. Benoît Ferrari is an expert on the ecotoxicity of sediments and has been group leader for sediment and soil ecotoxicology at the Ecotox Centre in Lausanne since 2013. The current director, Inge Werner, will remain with the Ecotox Centre on a part-time basis until 2021.

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30. August 2019

How toxic are cigarette butts?

How toxic are cigarette butts?

At least one in three cigarettes worldwide is discarded onto the ground after smoking – a new info sheet informs about their ingredients, environmental behaviour and toxicity.

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10. May 2019

Do EQS protect against the spread of antibiotic resistance?

Do EQS protect against the spread of antibiotic resistance?

The environmental pollution with antibiotics can lead to more resistance against these substances. However, the generation of antibiotic resistance is not taken into account when deriving environmental quality criteria (EQS). For eight substances, the Ecotox Centre has investigated whether the available EQS also protect against the development of antibiotic resistance in surface waters.

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25. April 2019

Two new faces at the Ecotox Centre

Two new faces at the Ecotox Centre

We welcome our new colleagues Anne-Sophie Voisin and Alexandra Kroll!

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02. April 2019

High risks due to pesticide mixtures

High risks due to pesticide mixtures

The use of organic pesticides leads to high ecotoxicological risks for plants, invertebrates and vertebrates - this has been confirmed by a comprehensive study in five creeks. The results from biotests and bioindicators confirm the results from chemical analysis.

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15. January 2019

Info sheet on mercury

Info sheet on mercury

Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that naturally occurs in the environment, but also is released by humans. A new info sheet provides information on the presence of mercury, its toxicity and the legal situation.

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26. October 2018

Environmental monitoring with bioassays

Environmental monitoring with bioassays

Bioassays as methods for the assessment of water and sediment quality are gaining more and more acceptance. In June 2018, more than 90 experts from public authorities, the private sector and science accepted the invitation of the Ecotox Centre to a two-day symposium on this topic.

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25. October 2018

10 years committed to ecotoxicology

10 years committed to ecotoxicology

The Ecotox Centre has helped to establish ecotoxicological methods to assess environmental quality in Switzerland. The Centre was also involved in the extension of wastewater treatment plants to remove micropollutants and the introduction of effect-based threshold values for pollutants in surface waters.

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24. October 2018

10 Years Ecotox Centre

10 Years Ecotox Centre

Yesterday, the Ecotox Centre Eawag-EPFL celebrated its tenth anniversary in the City Hall of Berne. Around 80 guests from politics, administration, science, and practice toasted the successful establishment of the Centre and the milestones achieved over the past 10 years.

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