News - Risk Assessment

20. March 2017

Info sheet on the evaluation of glyphosate

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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22. November 2016

Neonicotinoids - harmful to soil organisms?

Neonicotinoids - harmful to soil organisms?

The neonicotinoids imidacloprid and clothianidin were detected in soil of sugar beet, wheat and corn fields as well as in soil of ecological compensation areas. The toxicity of the substances to the beneficial springtail was determined. It was shown that the measured concentrations represent a potential risk for springtail health.

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22. November 2016

Risk assessment of transformation products of pharmaceuticals

Risk assessment of transformation products of pharmaceuticals

Not only pharmaceuticals but also their transformation products may pollute our surface waters. However, the assessment of their ecotoxicological risk is difficult because data on their ecotoxicity are often missing. In a case study, the Ecotox Centre compares the existing assessment methods.

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20. November 2016

Legally binding effect-based quality criteria for Switzerland

Legally binding effect-based quality criteria for Switzerland

The Ecotox Centre is currently adapting numerous proposals for quality criteria before they become legally binding in 2018.

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21. July 2016

Metals in Swiss sediments

Metals in Swiss sediments

A new report summarizes the available data on metals in Swiss sediments and enables a prioritization of these important contaminants.

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27. May 2016

Successful evaluation of the Ecotox Centre

Successful evaluation of the Ecotox Centre

In 2015, the Ecotox Centre was evaluated by external experts. The evaluation report has now been published: Overall, the development of the Ecotox Centre and its services and impacts were rated very positively.

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18. May 2016

Ecotoxicity of corrosion inhibitors

Ecotoxicity of corrosion inhibitors

Corrosion inhibitors protect steel structures from oxidative degradation but ingredients may be washed out that are harmful to water organisms. Two of the four corrosion inhibitors investigated by the Ecotox Centre released ecotoxic and estrogenic compounds.

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17. May 2016

Progress in the sediment module for the Modular Stepwise Procedure

Progress in the sediment module for the Modular Stepwise Procedure

Together with Eawag and the Federal Office for the Environment, the Ecotox Centre has been working on a sediment module for the assessment of streams since January 2015.

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12. November 2015

Progress in the evaluation of ecotoxicological data

Progress in the evaluation of ecotoxicological data

During the authorization procedure of chemicals or for the determination of environmental quality criteria ecotoxicological data need to be evaluated regarding their reliability and relevance. Das Oekotoxzentrum hat ein neues Bewertungssystem mitentwickelt. The Ecotox Centre has developed a new system that that is supposed to make this data review more secure and reproducible and less subjective.

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15. September 2015

SETAC-GLB’s exciting 20th annual conference

SETAC-GLB’s exciting 20th annual conference

Organised by the Ecotox Centre under the direction of Inge Werner, the 20th annual conference of the German-language branch of the “Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry” (SETAC GLB) took place from 7th to 10th September 2015 at ETH Zurich.

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