News
09. July 2020, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Soil Ecotoxicology , Sediment Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Info sheet on PFAS in the environment
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are very stable and accumulate worldwide in the environment and in organisms. A new info sheet gives information on their occurrence, their toxicity and the regulatory context.
Read more18. May 2020, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Soil Ecotoxicology , Sediment Ecotoxicology
Ecotoxicity of tire wear particles
Every year, several thousand tonnes of tire wear particles, consisting of a complex mixture of rubber particles and road material, are released into the environment and are contaminated with numerous pollutants. In a new project, the Ecotox Centre is working to improve our understanding of the bioavailability and toxicity of tire wear particles.
Read more18. May 2020, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology
Detection of pollutants in food packaging
Food packaging contains complex mixtures of chemicals. A new method can sensitively measure their toxicity and help to find out which substances are responsible for the toxicity.
Read more15. May 2020, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Soil Ecotoxicology , Sediment Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
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, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Sediment Ecotoxicology
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 more14. May 2020, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology
Guest form Japan
Dr. Kazushi Noro from the Research Institute of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries in Osaka, Japan, spent five weeks at the Ecotox centre in February and March 2020.
Read more11. May 2020, Topic: Sediment Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment , Aquatic Ecotoxicology
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, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Sediment Ecotoxicology , Soil Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
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 more23. April 2020, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
Effect-based limits come into force - milestone for a long-term project
With the amendment to the Water Protection Ordinance of 1 April 2020, an important goal was achieved: For 19 pesticides and three pharmaceuticals, the quality criteria developed by the Ecotox Centre now apply as limit values for surface waters.
Read more17. March 2020, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology , Soil Ecotoxicology , Sediment Ecotoxicology , Risk Assessment
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.
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