Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Climate | Energy, Waste | Resources

Biogenic and fossil carbon in sewage sludge and digester gas determined by isotope investigation

The aim of the study was to conduct an initial analytical survey of a small number of samples analyze the proportion of fossil carbon in sewage sludge and digester gas and to correlate it with other data collected in a sewage treatment plant.A conservative but representative standard value of 80% biogenic carbon could be derived for sewage treatment plants if they receive less than half of the loa...read more

Economy | Consumption, Waste | Resources

Pilot screening of the environmental hazard potentials of mine sites

OekoRess III

100 large mining sites for copper, iron ore and bauxite worldwide were examined for their environmental hazard potentials. An assessment method developed in the preceding projects OekoRess I and II was applied. The 100 environmental hazard profiles are presented in the form of an interactive map. The report describes the research process, summarises and discusses the research results, draws conclu...read more

Climate | Energy, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Land use as a sector for market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement

The land-use sector plays a critical role for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. This report discusses key environmental integrity challenges for using carbon market mechanisms to implement mitigation activities in the land-use sector. The report evaluates how existing carbon market mechanisms address these challenges in practice and to what extent these approaches can mitigate environmen...read more

Chemicals, Water

Food web on ice - Investigation of the bioaccumulation of chemicals in an exemplary food chain

Final report

Trophic magnification factors (TMFs) have been derived in a variety of different aquatic eco-systems worldwide to investigate accumulation patterns of environmentally relevant chemicals. Not only is the TMF interesting for chemicals’ risk assessment related questions, but also for monitoring aspects under the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). This study is the first TMF study con-ducted in...read more

Luft

CCE Status Report 2022

Coordination Centre for Effects (CCE)

This report describes activities by the Coordination Centre for Effects (CCE) since the CCE was transferred from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) to the German Environment Agency (UBA) in 2018. The CCE is the programme centre for the International Cooperative Programme on Modelling and Mapping (ICP M&M) under the Working Group on Effects of the Convention of Long-range Tra...read more

Chemikalien

Development of a bioaccumulation test using Hyalella azteca

A test concept for bioconcentration tests with the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca (HYBIT) was recently described. It was shown that the Hyalella bioconcentration factors (BCFs) derived for compounds with different hydrophobic characteristics (log Kow 2.4 – 7.8) show a strong correlation to those from fish tests. This project was carried out to elucidate the suitability of the HYBIT test for t...read more

Chemikalien

Are substances more persistent than test systems lead to believe? Non-extractable residues: experimental examination of suitable extraction methods in view of a long-term risk for the environment

In transformation tests with organic substances in soil non-extractable residues (NER) are formed which remain there as residues. Some can be released again into the environment in the long-term and should be considered in the persistent assessment. Besides substances properties and soil characteristics the proportion of NER strongly depends on the extraction procedure. Within the European authori...read more

Climate | Energy

Role of soils in climate change mitigation

Soils play a central role in climate mitigation. They are both as a carbon sink and a source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). This report outlines the mitigation potential for GHG emissions of climate friendly soil management options at global, EU and German level. It also discusses different types of climate-friendly soil management measures and key considerations for their implementation.read more