Micropollutants and Ecosystems

Micropollutants and Ecosystems

The pollution of rivers and lakes with micropollutants is a big environmental problem. The effect of these substances on individual organisms is documented with a lot of data. It is not yet known, however, how these micropollutants affect the structure and functioning of entire aquatic ecosystems. This question is tackled by Eawag in their interdisciplinary research project Ecoimpact. To improve the removal of micropollutants, numerous wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland are to be upgraded with an additional purification step. This makes it possible to compare the impact of micropollutants on aquatic ecosystems before and after the upgrade. The Ecotox Centre examines at several study sites all over Switzerland how these changes affect the water toxicity.

Applied test systems

 

Publications

Stamm, C., Burdon, F., Fischer, S., Kienle, C., Munz, N., Tlili, A., Altermatt, F., Behra, R., Bürgmann, H., Joss, A., Räsänen, K., Eggen, R. Einfluss von Mikroverunreinigungen. Lebensgemeinschaften in Fliessgewässern - Ergebnisse aus dem Projekt EcoImpact. Aqua & Gas 6, 90-95