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[ES] El mundo de hoy debe enfrentarse serios daños en los ecosistemas y en la salud humana debido a la contaminación. Esta investigación se centra en un grupo de sustancias llamadas microcontaminantes. La importancia de estos compuestos es que a pesar de estar en baja concentración, pueden causar problemas significativos en el medio ambiente debido a sus propiedades físicas y químicas. Para eliminarlos de las aguas residuales, las Estaciones de Depuración de Aguas (EDARs) utilizan una técnica llamada carbón activado granular. Para conocer mejor el comportamiento y la presencia de estos compuestos, se han analizado muestras de carbón activado granular a través de GC / MS de tres WWTP diferentes: Mannheim, Emmingen Liptingen y Eriskirch. Además, se han caracterizado los principales compuestos y se ha establecido una comparación entre ellos considerando diferentes parámetros como el factor de bioconcentración y la mutagenicidad. Se ha encontrado que el carbono tiene concentraciones altas de microcontaminantes, especialmente TCPP, OTNE, HHCB Lactone 1 y MTBT, y parece degradarlos a otras formas con el tiempo. Este proyecto abre la posibilidad de utilizar carbón activado granular no solo como filtro, sino también como un método para degradar algunos de los microcontaminantes considerados peligrosos o no fácilmente biodegradables en algunos de sus productos de degradación menos peligrosos., [EN] Today 's world must face serious damages to ecosystems and human health due to pollution. This research focuses on a group of substances called micropollutants. The importance of these compounds is that despite of being in low concentration, they can cause significant problems in the environment because its physical and chemical properties. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) use a technique called granular activated carbon in order to remove them. To know more about the behaviour and presence of these compounds, we have analysed samples of granular activated carbon via GC/MS from three different WWTPs: Mannheim, Emmingen Liptingen and Eriskirch. Furthermore, we have characterized the main compounds and have established a comparison between them considering different parameters such as bioconcentration factor and mutagenicity. We have found that the carbon has high concentrations of micropollutants, especially TCPP, OTNE, HHCB Lactone 1 and MTBT, and it appears to degrade them to other forms over time. This project opens the possibility of utilizing granular activated carbon not only as a filter, but as a method to degrade some of the micropollutants considered as dangerous or not easily biodegradable in some less dangerous degradation products.

[ES] El mundo de hoy debe enfrentarse serios daños en los ecosistemas y en la salud humana debido a la contaminación. Esta investigación se centra en un grupo de sustancias llamadas microcontaminantes. La importancia de estos compuestos es que a pesar de estar en baja concentración, pueden causar problemas significativos en el medio ambiente debido a sus propiedades físicas y químicas. Para eliminarlos de las aguas residuales, las Estaciones de Depuración de Aguas (EDARs) utilizan una técnica llamada carbón activado granular. Para conocer mejor el comportamiento y la presencia de estos compuestos, se han analizado muestras de carbón activado granular a través de GC / MS de tres WWTP diferentes: Mannheim, Emmingen Liptingen y Eriskirch. Además, se han caracterizado los principales compuestos y se ha establecido una comparación entre ellos considerando diferentes parámetros como el factor de bioconcentración y la mutagenicidad. Se ha encontrado que el carbono tiene concentraciones altas de microcontaminantes, especialmente TCPP, OTNE, HHCB Lactone 1 y MTBT, y parece degradarlos a otras formas con el tiempo. Este proyecto abre la posibilidad de utilizar carbón activado granular no solo como filtro, sino también como un método para degradar algunos de los microcontaminantes considerados peligrosos o no fácilmente biodegradables en algunos de sus productos de degradación menos peligrosos., [EN] Today 's world must face serious damages to ecosystems and human health due to pollution. This research focuses on a group of substances called micropollutants. The importance of these compounds is that despite of being in low concentration, they can cause significant problems in the environment because its physical and chemical properties. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) use a technique called granular activated carbon in order to remove them. To know more about the behaviour and presence of these compounds, we have analysed samples of granular activated carbon via GC/MS from three different WWTPs: Mannheim, Emmingen Liptingen and Eriskirch. Furthermore, we have characterized the main compounds and have established a comparison between them considering different parameters such as bioconcentration factor and mutagenicity. We have found that the carbon has high concentrations of micropollutants, especially TCPP, OTNE, HHCB Lactone 1 and MTBT, and it appears to degrade them to other forms over time. This project opens the possibility of utilizing granular activated carbon not only as a filter, but as a method to degrade some of the micropollutants considered as dangerous or not easily biodegradable in some less dangerous degradation products.

[ES] El mundo de hoy debe enfrentarse serios daños en los ecosistemas y en la salud humana debido a la contaminación. Esta investigación se centra en un grupo de sustancias llamadas microcontaminantes. La importancia de estos compuestos es que a pesar de estar en baja concentración, pueden causar problemas significativos en el medio ambiente debido a sus propiedades físicas y químicas. Para eliminarlos de las aguas residuales, las Estaciones de Depuración de Aguas (EDARs) utilizan una técnica llamada carbón activado granular. Para conocer mejor el comportamiento y la presencia de estos compuestos, se han analizado muestras de carbón activado granular a través de GC / MS de tres WWTP diferentes: Mannheim, Emmingen Liptingen y Eriskirch. Además, se han caracterizado los principales compuestos y se ha establecido una comparación entre ellos considerando diferentes parámetros como el factor de bioconcentración y la mutagenicidad. Se ha encontrado que el carbono tiene concentraciones altas de microcontaminantes, especialmente TCPP, OTNE, HHCB Lactone 1 y MTBT, y parece degradarlos a otras formas con el tiempo. Este proyecto abre la posibilidad de utilizar carbón activado granular no solo como filtro, sino también como un método para degradar algunos de los microcontaminantes considerados peligrosos o no fácilmente biodegradables en algunos de sus productos de degradación menos peligrosos., [EN] Today 's world must face serious damages to ecosystems and human health due to pollution. This research focuses on a group of substances called micropollutants. The importance of these compounds is that despite of being in low concentration, they can cause significant problems in the environment because its physical and chemical properties. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) use a technique called granular activated carbon in order to remove them. To know more about the behaviour and presence of these compounds, we have analysed samples of granular activated carbon via GC/MS from three different WWTPs: Mannheim, Emmingen Liptingen and Eriskirch. Furthermore, we have characterized the main compounds and have established a comparison between them considering different parameters such as bioconcentration factor and mutagenicity. We have found that the carbon has high concentrations of micropollutants, especially TCPP, OTNE, HHCB Lactone 1 and MTBT, and it appears to degrade them to other forms over time. This project opens the possibility of utilizing granular activated carbon not only as a filter, but as a method to degrade some of the micropollutants considered as dangerous or not easily biodegradable in some less dangerous degradation products.

[ES] El mundo de hoy debe enfrentarse serios daños en los ecosistemas y en la salud humana debido a la contaminación. Esta investigación se centra en un grupo de sustancias llamadas microcontaminantes. La importancia de estos compuestos es que a pesar de estar en baja concentración, pueden causar problemas significativos en el medio ambiente debido a sus propiedades físicas y químicas. Para eliminarlos de las aguas residuales, las Estaciones de Depuración de Aguas (EDARs) utilizan una técnica llamada carbón activado granular. Para conocer mejor el comportamiento y la presencia de estos compuestos, se han analizado muestras de carbón activado granular a través de GC / MS de tres WWTP diferentes: Mannheim, Emmingen Liptingen y Eriskirch. Además, se han caracterizado los principales compuestos y se ha establecido una comparación entre ellos considerando diferentes parámetros como el factor de bioconcentración y la mutagenicidad. Se ha encontrado que el carbono tiene concentraciones altas de microcontaminantes, especialmente TCPP, OTNE, HHCB Lactone 1 y MTBT, y parece degradarlos a otras formas con el tiempo. Este proyecto abre la posibilidad de utilizar carbón activado granular no solo como filtro, sino también como un método para degradar algunos de los microcontaminantes considerados peligrosos o no fácilmente biodegradables en algunos de sus productos de degradación menos peligrosos., [EN] Today 's world must face serious damages to ecosystems and human health due to pollution. This research focuses on a group of substances called micropollutants. The importance of these compounds is that despite of being in low concentration, they can cause significant problems in the environment because its physical and chemical properties. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) use a technique called granular activated carbon in order to remove them. To know more about the behaviour and presence of these compounds, we have analysed samples of granular activated carbon via GC/MS from three different WWTPs: Mannheim, Emmingen Liptingen and Eriskirch. Furthermore, we have characterized the main compounds and have established a comparison between them considering different parameters such as bioconcentration factor and mutagenicity. We have found that the carbon has high concentrations of micropollutants, especially TCPP, OTNE, HHCB Lactone 1 and MTBT, and it appears to degrade them to other forms over time. This project opens the possibility of utilizing granular activated carbon not only as a filter, but as a method to degrade some of the micropollutants considered as dangerous or not easily biodegradable in some less dangerous degradation products.

Many studies about endocrine pollution in the aquatic environment reveal changes in the reproduction system of biota. We analysed endocrine activities in two rivers in Southern Germany using three approaches: (1) chemical analyses, (2) in vitro bioassays, and (3) in vivo investigations in fish and snails. Chemical analyses were based on gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. For in vitro analyses of endocrine potentials in water, sediment, and waste water samples, we used the E-screen assay (human breast cancer cells MCF-7) and reporter gene assays (human cell line HeLa-9903 and MDA-kb2). In addition, we performed reproduction tests with the freshwater mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum to analyse water and sediment samples. We exposed juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta f. fario) to water downstream of a wastewater outfall (Schussen River) or to water from a reference site (Argen River) to investigate the vitellogenin production. Furthermore, two feral fish species, chub (Leuciscus cephalus) and spirlin (Alburnoides bipunctatus), were caught in both rivers to determine their gonadal maturity and the gonadosomatic index. Chemical analyses provided only little information about endocrine active substances, whereas the in vitro assays revealed endocrine potentials in most of the samples. In addition to endocrine potentials, we also observed toxic potentials (E-screen/reproduction test) in waste water samples, which could interfere with and camouflage endocrine effects. The results of our in vivo tests were mostly in line with the results of the in vitro assays and revealed a consistent reproduction-disrupting (reproduction tests) and an occasional endocrine action (vitellogenin levels) in both investigated rivers, with more pronounced effects for the Schussen river (e.g. a lower gonadosomatic index). We were able to show that biological in vitro assays for endocrine potentials in natural stream water reasonably reflect reproduction and endocrine disruption o

The project focuses on the efficiency of combined technologies to reduce the release of micropollutants and bacteria into surface waters via sewage treatment plants of different size and via stormwater overflow basins of different types. As a model river in a highly populated catchment area, the river Schussen and, as a control, the river Argen, two tributaries of Lake Constance, Southern Germany, are under investigation in this project. The efficiency of the different cleaning technologies is monitored by a wide range of exposure and effect analyses including chemical and microbiological techniques as well as effect studies ranging from molecules to communities.