News - Sediment Ecotoxicology
15. May 2020
TKTD-modelling for dummies
A milestone has been reached by processing one of the TKTD models for the use of practitioners without modelling experience. With the GUTs model, the mortality can be predicted for a given concentration curve of a chemical.
Read more14. May 2020
Invertebrate and microbial communities in contaminated river sediments
The river sediments of Ardières and Tillet are both polluted with complex substance mixtures. The effect of the contamination with PCB on the oligochaete communities was clearly visible. The effect of the contamination on microbial communities was harder to assess because microbes are influenced by a multitude of environmental factors.
Read more11. May 2020
Assessment of sediment quality in artificial canals in Valais
Ecotoxicological bioassays and the assessment of invertebrate benthic communities complement physico-chemical analyses when assessing sediment quality. The sediment quality in three artificial channels in the Valais was severely affected.
Read more08. May 2020
Fungicidal azoles cause concern
In Switzerland, these substances are detected in most samples from water, sediment, soil and organisms. However, a lack of toxicity data for many azoles makes it difficult to assess the risk they pose.
Read more17. March 2020
COVID-19 Information
Due to the current situation regarding the coronavirus / COVID-19, all Ecotox Centre offices and labs are closed starting 17 March 2020. Employees work from home and can be contacted via e-mail.
Read more22. November 2019
"Ecotoxicology will continue to gain in importance" - in conversation with Inge Werner
The longtime former head of the Ecotox Centre, Inge Werner, handed over management to Benoit Ferrari on 1 September. Here she reflects on the past and future of practical ecotoxicology in Switzerland.
Read more21. November 2019
Ecotoxicological effects of pesticides in stream sediments
Pesticides in sediments cause adverse effects on benthic organisms. This was shown by a monitoring study conducted by the Ecotox Centre and Eawag on five streams in agricultural areas. Crustaceans were particularly affected. Concentrations of several insecticides, including chlorpyrifos and the pyrethroid cypermethrin, exceeded effect thresholds, indicating impaired sediment quality.
Read more19. November 2019
Video tutorial on the L-YES
A video tutorial shows the preparation and execution of the yeast estrogen screen with lyticase for the detection of estrogenic substances.
Read more04. November 2019
How do plant production products affect Swiss fish?
Pesticides detected in Swiss streams pose a risk to the fish living there. Harmful effects on the fish, particularly through sublethal and indirect effects, are possible in the measured concentrations.
Read more17. September 2019
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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