Eawag Media Releases de Tue, 10 Jun 2003 04:00:00 GMT Tue, 10 Jun 2003 09:41:01 GMT http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/index_EN Hands 1.0 webmaster@eawag.ch (Eawag Webmaster) webmaster@eawag.ch (Eawag Webmaster) http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120425/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120425/index_EN Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:55:22 +0100 The Federal Council today opened the consultation process concerning an amendment to the Swiss Water Protection Act. The proposed amendment provides for a Switzerland-wide polluter pays' solution to finance the development of selected waste water treatment plants to combat rising levels of micro pollutants. Eawag has played a significant role in the development and evaluation of the concept as well in the drafting of measures designed to reduce the trace substances that come from medicines and chemicals. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120326/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120326/index_EN Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:36:20 +0100 In a study published this week in the scientific Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), researchers from EPFL, Eawag and University of Princeton show that the specific river-like network structures of habitats create unique biodiversity patterns. The study is the first to experimentally link river-like network structure with characteristic distributions of species observed in real rivers. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120322a/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120322a/index_EN Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:37:12 +0100 The United Nations Water for Life Award goes this year to the Fundación SODIS in Bolivia. The non-profit organisation, founded in 2001 by staff from Eawag and DEZA, disseminates simple and appropriate solutions with regard to water and waste water in Latin America. Over the past 11 years, Fundación SODIS has educated more than 1.2 million people in the method of solar water disinfection (SODIS), and has meantime expanded its work to other topics such as hygiene and sanitation solutions. The prize will be awarded today, 22 March, on the World Water Day, at a ceremony at the FAO in Rome. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120322/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120322/index_EN Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:38:35 +0100 Large quantities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter the environment via municipal - and especially hospital - wastewater streams. Although wastewater treatment plants reduce the total number of bacteria, the most hazardous - multiresistant - strains appear to withstand or even to be promoted by treatment processes. This was demonstrated by Eawag researchers in a study carried out in Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120216/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120216/index_EN Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:23:51 +0100 Within a relatively short period, eutrophication has led to a reduction of almost 40% in the number of endemic whitefish species in Swiss lakes. Only in deep perialpine lakes least exposed to high nutrient inputs - such as Lakes Thun, Brienz and Lucerne - has the original diversity of endemic species been able to survive. But even these species have become less genetically distinctive. These findings are reported in a study by Eawag and Bern University researchers, published in Nature today. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120118/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20120118/index_EN Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:15:21 +0100 Working together with the Kloten/Opfikon water treatment plant, Eawag researchers have de-veloped a means of producing fertilizer from wastewater, and thereby saving energy and raw materials. As one of three projects nominated for the Swiss Environmental Prize, this innovative project was honoured at the awards ceremony on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 with a special recognition award. The Environmental Prize went to Neurobat AG for its work in developing an intelligent HVAC controller. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20111216/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20111216/index_EN Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:08:24 +0100 71000 Kilometer umfasst das Schweizer Strassennetz. Jetzt steht die Zeit bevor, wo die Salzfahrzeuge des Strassenunterhalts wieder ausrücken. Bis zu 350000 Tonnen Streusalz werden jeden Winter in der Schweiz ausgebracht. Ist das problematisch für die Gewässer? Ein neues Faktenblatt der Eawag gibt Antworten auf häufig gestellte Fragen zur Strassensalzung. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20111201/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20111201/index_EN Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:44:05 +0100 While elsewhere species extinction is proceeding at an ever-increasing rate, plankton biodiversity in Lake Zurich is apparently benefiting from rising temperatures and the successful measures against over-fertilization. Begun in the 1970s, this course of action may have a long-term positive effect on fish diversity, although it is too soon to tell. The new species are being watched closely by the water supply company, for some of them can produce harmful substances http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20111124/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20111124/index_EN Thu, 24 Nov 2011 07:59:14 +0100 At the 2nd IWA Development Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 21st November the inaugural IWA Development Solutions Award was given to the department Sandec of Eawag. The IWA Development Solutions Award is given to organisations in recognition of outstanding innovation or contribution to science and practice which has led to demonstrable uptake, impact or influence at national, regional or international levels in low and middle income countries. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110901/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110901/index_EN Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:40:49 +0100 An international research team under the leadership of Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, and the Natural History Museum in Bern is quite literally getting to the bottom of the lakes in and around the Alps. The fish population is being documented scientifically in Projet Lac more systematically than ever before. Early investigations in the Murtensee have brought to light results that could not be ascertained from the fishery statistics in use up to now. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110719/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110719/index_EN Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:15:16 +0100 Reinventing the toilet - this is the ambitious goal being pursued by an interdisciplinary team led by Eawag. The end product of the project is to be a toilet which collects source separated urine and faeces for further treatment, while recycling used water on site. This project is now to receive around USD 400,000 in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110621/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110621/index_EN Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:51:55 +0100 What does society want to do or what must it do to ensure clean water and maintain sound bodies of water? Aquatic research at Eawag in the fields of drinking water, wastewater and water ecology have been providing an important contribution for 75 years in order to find answers to these questions, backed up by scientific evidence - both in the water-rich Switzerland and globally. On Wednesday, 22 June 2011 Eawag will celebrate its 75th anniversary with an information day under the motto "Healthy water resources - balancing the needs of humans and the environment". http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110531/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110531/index_EN Tue, 31 May 2011 13:39:25 +0100 Two Russian MIR submarines arrived in Le Bouveret on Lake Geneva today. An international team of scientists headed by ETH Lausanne will use these to get to the bottom of "Lac Léman" in the coming months in the truest sense of the word. Four of the projects are being directed by Eawag. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110408/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110408/index_EN Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:18:06 +0100 In six chapters, the brochure "The highlights of Eawag" provides an insight into water research in the past, the present and the future. Because it was always one of Eawag's strengths to learn from the past, be active in the present and plan for the future, as Directress Janet Hering writes in the editorial. You can scroll through the brochure (Flash version) in German, French or English or download it as a pdf file (6.5MB). Printed copies are also available free of charge at info@eawag.ch. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110331/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110331/index_EN Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:26:08 +0100 Zurich Insurance Companyhas awarded a special prize to the Eawag project "Nitrogen recycling with air stripping at the sewage treatment plant Kloten/Opfikon". The project, realised by the ARA Kloten/Opfikon and the team around Marc Böhler, financed by the "Amt für Abfall, Wasser, Energie und Luft (AWEL) " of the canton Zurich), received a special prize within the scope of the Zurich Climate Award ceremony. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110225/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110225/index_EN Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:14:46 +0100 Whether an individual parasitoid wasp reproduces sexually or asexually is determined by a single gene. This new finding, reported by an Evolutionary Ecology research group from Eawag, the ETH and Zurich University, could help to answer a central question of evolutionary biology - and could also be of interest for biological pest control. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110215/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110215/index_EN Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:53:52 +0100 Together with the University of Applied Sciences in Bern and other universities and Non-Profit-Organisations Eawag offers a new CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) about Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). It is concerned with the process of promoting the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital eco-systems. Participants will be trained to consider water-­related problems from an integrated and global point of view, derive and discuss possible solutions and propose potential activities in a local context. They will improve their management and monitoring skills with regard to water projects in Developing and Transition Countries. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110117/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110117/index_EN Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:01:32 +0100 Health-threatening levels of arsenic and other toxic elements may contaminate drinking water used by seven million inhabitants of Vietnam's Red River delta, according to a study. Researchers have known for more than a decade that groundwater in parts of Southeast Asia contains naturally occurring arsenic, at levels which exceed the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety standards. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110104/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20110104/index_EN Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:00:51 +0100 Examination of deep sea corals reveals that there have been drastic changes to oceanic currents in the western North Atlantic since the 1970s. The influence of the cold water Labrador Current, which is in periodic interchange with the warm Gulf Stream, has been decreasing continually since the 1970s. Occurring at the same time as Global Warming this phenomenon is unique in the past 2000 years. These results are reported by researchers from the University of Basel and Eawag in the current edition of the scientific journal «PNAS». http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20101122/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20101122/index_EN Sun, 21 Nov 2010 09:02:57 +0100 Prizes for work by up-and-coming researchers have been awarded to not one but two young Eawag scientists. Last weekend Linda Roberts received the Otto Jaag Water Protection Prize for her dissertation on arsenic levels found in Bangladeshi paddy fields and Natacha Pasche was presented with the 2010 Hydrobiology-Limnology Award for her dissertation on nutrient cycling and methane production in Lake Kivu in Africa. The Otto Jaag Water Protection Prize, which comes with a cheque for 1,000 francs, is awarded for outstanding dissertations and master's theses written at ETH Zurich and addressing the theme of hydrology and water protection. The prize was awarded on ETH Day of Saturday, 20 Nov 2010. The 2010 Hydrobiology-Limnology Award, sponsored by the Hydrobiology-Limnology Foundation for Water Research, this year recognises outstanding doctoral works and was presented at the University of Freiburg at the General Meeting of the Swiss Society for Hydrology and Limnology during the 8th Swiss Geoscience Meeting on 20 Nov 2010. The award includes a cheque for 5,000 francs. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20101014/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20101014/index_EN Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:56:38 +0100 The separate collection of urine provides innovative opportunities for the improvement of sanitation and the recycling of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Urine separation is an excellent sanitation solution, particularly in places where classic sewer-based sanitation is not sustainable. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is providing a grant of 3.0 million US dollars to support a joint project by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and the eThekwini Water and Sanitation utility (EWS) in South Africa to continue developing practical, community-scale nutrient recovery systems. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20101011/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20101011/index_EN Sun, 10 Oct 2010 14:41:24 +0100 Substantial amounts of the greenhouse gas methane are released not only from large tropical reservoirs but also from run-of-the-river reservoirs in Switzerland, especially in the summer, when water temperatures are higher. This was demonstrated by Eawag scientists at Lake Wohlen, near Bern - a finding which slightly tarnishes the reputation of hydropower as a climate-neutral way of generating electricity. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100901/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100901/index_EN Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:27:56 +0100 On 1 September Dr. Inge Werner took up her new position as Head of the Ecotox Centre at Eawag and EPFL. Inge Werner joins the Centre from the University of California in Davis, USA, where she spent the last 5 years heading the Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory (ATL) and teaching in her capacity as Adjunct Professor. The ATL is a government-certified laboratory studying water quality and the health of aquatic ecosystems across California. The zoologist collaborated with local and state authorities on many applied projects in the field of aquatic ecotoxicology. Previous to this she was engaged for many years in ecotoxicology research at the University of California; here, too, her predilection for field work, practical applications and interdisciplinarity were apparent to all. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100826/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100826/index_EN Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:51:25 +0100 An interdisciplinary team consisting of members of Eawag and «Wasserversorgung Zürich» (Zurich Water Company) won the Muelheim Water Award. The jury selected the Swiss project among 23 international applications because it presented a new, practical method for the evaluation of drinking water. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100728/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100728/index_EN Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:09:38 +0100 While Switzerland's wastewater treatment plants are of a high technical standard, the elimination of nutrients remains costly and energy-intensive. Eawag has now further developed a biological process which simplifies the removal of nitrogen from sludge digester liquid, reducing costs by 50% for this treatment step. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100622/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100622/index_EN Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:43:29 +0100 The decline of biodiversity represents a loss of natural capital for future generations. Freshwater ecosystems are particularly affected, as they harbour disproportionately high levels of biodiversity. But knowledge of the development and decline of diversity in freshwaters remains patchy. So far, measures to protect genetic diversity in rivers and lakes have failed to halt the downward trend. What is widely underestimated, according to Eawag scientists, is the extent to which reduced habitat diversity also prevents species formation, thus accelerating the spiral of decline. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100615/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100615/index_EN Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:56:09 +0100 The Eawag researcher Martine Maan received the Dutch Zoology Prize of the Royal Dutch Zoological Society (KNDV) last week. The prize has been awarded to Dr. Martine Maan "in acknowledgement of her high-quality research on speciation and sexual selection in Dendrobatidae and cichlids". The title of her scientific publication is "On the selective forces that drive the origin, maintenance and evolutionary consequences of animal color diversity". Martine Maan is a post doc at Eawag since 2008. She works in the research laboratory in Kastanienbaum/Canton Lucerne in the group Biodiversity Dynamics of Prof. Ole Seehausen, who was awarded with the same prize in 1998. The prize sum is 2000 Euro. Last Friday, 11 June 2010, a symposium for presenting the 2010 Dutch Zoology Prize with the topic "Speciation" was organized in Leiden/Netherlands. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100607/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100607/index_EN Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:45:40 +0100 In May 2010, seven PhD students, who have carried out most of their doctoral work at Eawag, received their PhD degree on the graduation party at the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH). The scientific education of the students is based on the close collaboration of Eawag and ETH Zurich in research and education. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100525/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100525/index_EN Tue, 25 May 2010 18:54:51 +0100 The latest Eawag Annual Report, combining scientific and financial information, provides an up-to-date review of the wide range of activities initiated or completed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology in 2009. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100520/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100520/index_EN Thu, 20 May 2010 10:41:40 +0100 At its meeting on 19 March 2010 the ETH Borad appointed two scientists from Eawag as full professor resp. as adjunct professor at EPF Lausanne. Dr. Janet Hering, Director of Eawag and a full professor at ETH Zurich, was appointed as full professor of environmental chemistry at the school of architecture, civil and environmental engineering at EPF Lausanne. And Dr. Kristin Schirmer, Head of the Department of Environmental Toxicology at Eawag, will be adjunct professor at EPFL. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100517/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100517/index_EN Mon, 17 May 2010 10:58:41 +0100 Eawag researcher Eberhard Morgenroth, the appointed successor to Willi Gujer for the ETH chair of Urban Water Management, has given his inaugural lecture at ETH Zurich. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100403/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100403/index_EN Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:02:57 +0100 Shortly after 2.15 pm on Good Friday, 2nd April, the Self container for autonomous living and working burned to the ground. The self-contained unit, which is completely independent of mains water and energy services, is a joint project of Empa, Eawag, the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and the University of Applied Sciences of Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100126/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100126/index_EN Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:19:37 +0100 As rain interferes with radio signals, Eawag researchers have been able to measure rainfall using data supplied by the mobile telecommunications company Orange. The new method offers greater spatial resolution than traditional point measurements provided by rain gauges. In the future, this could be combined with intelligent control systems for sewer networks so as to reduce water pollution in urban areas. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100111/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100111/index_EN Sun, 10 Jan 2010 08:19:57 +0100 "self" is an energy and water independent cell for living and working. The joint project of Empa, Eawag and the Zurich University of Arts will be presented to the public for the first time at the Swissbau in Basel from January 12 to 16, 2010. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100107/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20100107/index_EN Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:41:12 +0100 Energy savings can be achieved through sustainable management of water supplies: this has been demonstrated by the commune of Gordola in Canton Ticino, the winner of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy's prestigious Watt d'Or award in the Society category for 2010. Among those who contributed to this success is Eawag, which was involved in a number of research and consulting projects supporting the commune's efforts to implement a modern, sustainable water supply system. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091222/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091222/index_EN Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:10:58 +0100 As a result of irrigation with arsenic-rich groundwater, this toxic substance can accumulate in paddy soils and - at high concentrations - may ultimately find its way into rice plants. In a study published in Nature Geoscience, researchers from Eawag and the ETH Zurich collaborating with scientists from Bangladesh have shown that a certain amount of arsenic is released from soils into floodwaters during the monsoon season. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091211/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091211/index_EN Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:35:29 +0100 At the request of Prof. Dr. Janet Hering, the Director of the Water Research Institute Eawag and Member of the ETH Board, the ETH Board has appointed Prof. Dr. Jukka Jokela as a Member of the Board as of January 1, 2010. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091117/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091117/index_EN Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:18:32 +0100 Membrane technology is playing an increasingly important role in drinking water treatment. The latest developments in this area were discussed by experts from Switzerland and abroad at a conference held on 16 November 2009 in Dübendorf, jointly organized by the Swiss Gas and Water Industry Association (SVGW) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091005/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091005/index_EN Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:17:50 +0100 Topographical surveys of Swiss lake floors have never been performed in such detail before. With the aid of a sophisticated sonar system, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Eawag can produce three-dimensional images which show channels and other structures at the bottom of Lake Maggiore with centimetre-scale accuracy. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091001/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20091001/index_EN Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:13:37 +0100 Last Thursday, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) presented its synthesis report on the MicroPoll project, in which Eawag played a major role, to the media. The conclusion drawn by the chief Swiss environmental authority in the report is that retrofitting 100 wastewater treatment plants is the most effective way of preventing contamination from micropollutants in urban drainage systems. Complementary to this, measures are also needed to reduce contamination at the source. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090929/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090929/index_EN Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:25:42 +0100 Science Watch generates "star maps" of a different kind. The science monitoring agency of Thomson-Reuters detects networking patterns by analysing publications and the frequency of their citation. This analysis shows the trend-setting articles in the respective field of research and their interconnection. In April 2009, Science Watch concentrated on the issue "Arsenic Water Pollution". Among the 24 "core papers" (of the period 2003-2008), five were written at Eawag or with the participation of Eawag researchers. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090925/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090925/index_EN Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:47:51 +0100 Researchers' nights traditionally take place all over Europe on the fourth Friday of September. On September 25th 2009, the downtown area around «Bürkliplatz» will become an exciting science market (5 pm - midnight). Eawag and the Ecotox Centre will have 5 presentations. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090819/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090819/index_EN Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:48:11 +0100 A recent study of Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) has attracted substantial media attention for its negative findings on the SODIS process, in which water is disinfected by placing it in PET bottles and exposing it to sunlight. The investigators reported that the incidence of diarrheal diseases was not significantly decreased in an intervention group as compared with a control group. The authors of the study suggest to "hold off" on new promotion campaigns for the method. This would be wrong. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090806/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090806/index_EN Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:42:37 +0100 In the cross-cutting project Wave21, Eawag carried out research on future methods of drinking water treatment with a variety of private-sector and water utility partners. The Final Report - Wave21: Drinking Water for the 21st Century - has now been published. The integrated project focused on supplies sourced from surface waters, and in particular on the relationship between raw water parameters and individual treatment steps. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090731/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090731/index_EN Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:56:16 +0100 One of the most fascinating questions in biology is why large parts of the animal and plant kingdom go to the trouble of reproducing sexually. A study led by Eawag has now shown that, in the long run, sexual reproduction offers advantages in protecting populations against parasites. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090623/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090623/index_EN Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:24:58 +0100 Sooner or later, chemicals - and increasingly also nanoparticles - from textiles, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or construction materials inevitably end up in natural waters. Here, they may pose risks for animals and plants, or even for drinking water safety and human health. Eawag has shown that precautionary measures should involve more than general water quality standards, as the effects of contaminants need to be assessed in a highly specific way. Particular emphasis is to be placed on preventing inputs to receiving waters: in many places, for example, pollution is decreased by the expansion of stormwater retention facilities, and - thanks to cooperation between researchers and industry - changes in the production and use of bitumen sheets mean that the leaching of biocides can be dramatically reduced. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090519/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090519/index_EN Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:24:55 +0100 The latest Eawag Annual Report, combining scientific and financial/operational information, provides an up-to-date review of the wide range of activities initiated or completed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology in 2008. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090310a/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090310a/index_EN Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:10:29 +0100 Four Eawag scientists today received official medals from the Vietnamese government for their achievements in the areas of drinking water quality and sanitation. The medals were awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to education and training in Vietnam. With financial support from the Swiss government, the scientists succeeded in strengthening capacity at two research centres in Northern Vietnam and improving the quality of local water supplies and wastewater management. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090310/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090310/index_EN Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:56:12 +0100 Ecological changes caused by humans affect natural biodiversity. For example, the eutrophication of Greifensee and Lake Constance in the 1970s and 1980s led to genetic changes in a species of water flea which was ultimately displaced. Despite the fact that water quality has since been significantly improved, this species has not been re-established. This was demonstrated by researchers from Eawag and from two German universities (Frankfurt and Konstanz), who analysed genetic material from Daphnia eggs up to 100 years old. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090123a/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090123a/index_EN Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:55:18 +0100 A five-storey office and research building for 220 people that requires scarcely more energy from external sources for heating and cooling than one or two single-family houses? Eawag's Forum Chriesbach fits this description. At a meeting held today, two years after the building was opened, the architects, planners and clients concluded that the results, in terms of energy use and costs, have been positive. The internationally renowned Forum Chriesbach is already regarded as a model for a new generation of buildings, even though there is still room for optimization. http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090108/index_EN http://www.eawag.ch/medien/bulletin/20090108/index_EN Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:54:02 +0100 A 139m long ice core drilled in the Siberian Altai has now provided new findings in climate research. Oxygen isotopes in the ice were used to reconstruct the temperatures in the Altai over the past 750 years. The scientists discovered a strong link between regional temperatures and the solar activity in the period 1250-1850, concluding that the sun was an important driver of preindustrial temperature changes in the Altai.