News - Risk Assessment
23. November 2017, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
How long to collect water samples?
If the measured concentration of a substance in surface waters exceeds its quality criterion, the water quality is assessed as poor. But over which time period should the water sample be collected and the concentration be averaged?
Read more21. November 2017, Topic: Sediment Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Progress in the assessment of sediment quality
Together with eight cantons, the Ecotox Centre has conducted extensive field testing to investigate the comparability of different methods for sampling and sample preparation of sediments.
Read more31. October 2017, Topic: Sediment Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
A focus on communities in freshwater sediments
In April 2017, the first French-Swiss conference on communities in freshwater sediments was held in Villié-Morgon (F). A new publication summarizes the findings from the workshop.
Read more01. June 2017, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Ecosystem stress caused by micropollutants
Micropollutants enter rivers and streams in effluents discharged from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). As well as having adverse impacts on individual species, these substances appear to alter aquatic ecosystem functions, such as litter decomposition.
Read more30. May 2017, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Ecotoxicological risks in small streams are high
A comprehensive monitoring study in small Swiss streams shows that these are often heavily contaminated with plant protection products. The ecotoxicological risk due to the pollutant mixtures was high at four of the five examined sites and the water quality therefore considered to be bad. Due to the long-term exposure, there were no time for recovery for the water organisms.
Read more30. May 2017, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Sediment Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Priorisation of pollutants for sediment monitoring in Switzerland
The Ecotox Centre has prioritised organic pollutants for sediment monitoring. The resulting list provides a basis for the sediment module of the Modular Stepwise Procedure.
Read more23. May 2017, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Aquatic fungi - a neglected class
Aquatic fungi degrade organic material and thereby play a key role in the food web of freshwater ecosystems. However, the organisms are not considered in the risk assessment of fungicides. This should change, the ecotoxic center feels.
Read more18. May 2017, Topic: Sediment Ecotoxicology , Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Soil Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Visitors at the Ecotox Centre
In the last months, we have been able to welcome two visitors to the Ecotox Centre in Lausanne: Dr. Leire Méndez-Fernández of the University of the Basque Country in Spain and Stéphane Pesce of the National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (irstea) in France.
Read more04. April 2017, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Persistently high pesticide levels found in small streams
Small watercourses are contaminated with large numbers of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. A new study shows that the legal requirements specified for water quality are not met in any of the five Swiss streams investigated. Indeed, thresholds for acute toxicity to aquatic organisms were also exceeded.
Read more20. March 2017, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Soil Ecotoxicology , Sediment Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Info sheet on the evaluation of glyphosate
A new info sheet provides information on the (eco)toxicological evaluation of glyphosate and explains how the differences in the evaluation by various organisations come about.
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