Department Environmental Chemistry
Chlorothalonil puts strain on water supply
February 20, 2020
Degradation products of the fungal agent chlorothalonil are found widely in groundwater on the Swiss Plateau, even in places where it is used as drinking water. Dealing with these substances is becoming a challenge for waterworks. There is a wide range between rash immediate measures and concealing the problem. An Eawag fact sheet serves to contribute to an objective discussion and longer-term strategies. read more
Pesticides Transformation products pollute groundwater
August 15, 2019
Swiss groundwater contains numerous pesticide degradation products. This has been discovered by an extensive screening by Eawag and ETH Zurich. The transformation products (metabolites) originate predominantly from pesticides from agriculture. read more
Getting into murky waters: Blue-green algae produce cocktail of potential toxins
March 26, 2019
Freshwater lakes are teeming with blue-green algae that produce a heady cocktail of substances. Little is known as yet about the health risks associated with these substances, although a review of the literature by Eawag scientist Elisabeth Janssen has now revealed some potentially harmful effects. read more
Surprising discovery of pollutants in gammarids
December 3, 2018
Amphipods in Swiss waters are exposed to insecticides, pharmaceutical residues and other trace substances, and accumulate these in their bodies. However, when water-treatment plants are upgraded, practically no trace substances are found in these organisms according to a new study carried out by Eawag researchers. read more
Eawag water experts contributing to a new online course
02. November 2017
Christian Stamm and Alfred Johny Wüest are lecturing along with other academics and practitioners in a new online course on “Water in Switzerland”, run by the University of Zurich. The course, addressed to the public, examines how this element affects various aspects of life in Switzerland. Read more
26. Oktober 2017
Determining when Anthropocene epoch starts
Humans have so profoundly altered the Earth that, some scientists argue, our current geologic epoch requires a new name: the Anthropocene. But defining the precise start of the era is tricky. Would it begin with the spread of domesticated farm animals or the appearance of radioactive elements from nuclear bomb tests? Scientists report in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology a method to measure levels of human-made contaminants in sediments that could help pinpoint the Anthropocene’s onset. Read more
12. Oktober 2017
Pesticides: long-term persistence in soils
According to a study funded by the Federal Office for the Environment, pesticides or transformation products can persist in soils for a decade or more. In the study, Eawag and Agroscope scientists analysed topsoil samples collected from 14 agricultural sites between 1995 and 2008 as part of the Swiss Soil Monitoring Network programme. Read more
20. August 2017
Degradation of pharmaceuticals through sunlight in the water...
The degradation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in surface waters is accelerated by sunlight. The presence of organic matter affects photochemical degradation significantly. How the various processes are interconnected was presented in our current publication. read more
01. Juni 2017
The scientists investigated water chemistry and biology in reaches upstream and downstream of WWTPs
Micropollutants enter rivers and streams in effluents discharged from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). As well as having adverse impacts on individual species, these substances appear to alter aquatic ecosystem functions, such as litter decomposition. This was shown by a research project launched by Eawag in view of the planned upgrade of selected Swiss WWTPs to reduce micropollutant loads. The effects of the first upgrades are already evident. Read more
01. Februar 2017
Kathrin Fenner appointed as Professor ad personam at University of Zurich
Kathrin Fenner was appointed as extraordinary professor ad personam in the field of environmental chemistry. Kathrin Fenner is group leader in the department of Environmental Chemistry at Eawag. She graduated in Chemistry at the University of Zurich and obtained her PhD at the Department of Chemistry of ETH Zurich.
Additionally, she achieved a postgraduate degree in Industrial Management and Manufacturing and in 2010 she received the venia legendi in Environmental Chemistry at ETH Zurich. The topic of her habilitation thesis was “Exposure assessment for organic contaminants - Improving scope and accuracy”. Kathrin Fenner was visiting researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA, and visiting researcher with an SNF Fellowship for Advanced Researchers at the University of Minnesota, USA.
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Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich
