Archive News

February 25, 2014It has long been known that, in the form of free ions, silver particles can be highly toxic to aquatic organisms. Yet to this day, there is a lack of detailed knowledge about the doses required to trigger a response and how the organisms deal with this kind of stress.

January 8, 2014Natural wetlands are well-known for their large share in global methane emissions via biological processes but until now it has not been investigated if wetlands could also be important emitters of trace elements.

September 11, 2013The 6.5 million inhabitants of Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, are facing a growing threat: as more and more water is pumped from a deep – previously uncontaminated – aquifer, arsenic‑laden water from shallow sediments is advancing towards the city’s wells..

September 3, 2013Dübendorf/Leipzig. Researchers at Eawag, the Swiss aquatic research institute and colleagues from Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), have discovered a protein which transports chemicals out of the embryo of the zebrafish and in this way protects the embryo against toxic substances.

August 22, 2013Arsenic-laden groundwater used for cooking and drinking could pose a risk to the health of almost 20 million people across China.

May 16, 2013Neonicotinoid insecticides have adverse effects not only on bees but also on freshwater invertebrates.

April 18, 2013Nanosilver in wastewater can cause severe environmental damage if it occurs as a metal. A study conducted within the scope of the National Research Programme "Opportunities and Risks of Nanomaterials" (NRP 64) now shows that nanosilver is quickly transformed into less problematic substances on its way to the wastewater treatment plant..

November 28, 2012The Sun determines the course of the planets. But the planets may also exert an influence on the Sun. Their configurations appear to be responsible for long-term cycles of increased solar activity.

October 12, 2012On 2nd October 2012 the foundation stone was laid in the Neugut water treatment plant for the first ozonation facility in Switzerland.