Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Chemicals, Health, Water

Risk assessment of munition compounds in the German North and Baltic Sea (CONMAR-Impact)

Contribution to the CONMAR Project (CONcepts for conventional MArine munition Remediation in the German North and Baltic Sea)

The German Environment Agency has conducted tests to determine the ecotoxicity of TNT and its metabolites 2-ADNT and 4-ADNT, as well as other munition compounds (1,3-DNB and 2,6-DNT) by using two marine diatom species (Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Skeletonema marinoi) in accordance with DIN EN ISO 10253 (2016) and derived effect concentrations on this basis.Environmental quality standards (EQS),...read more

Climate | Energy, Economy | Consumption, Transport, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

The extension of the EU ETS 1 to maritime transport: market and policy mix analysis

An analysis of the new sector in the EU ETS 1

The aim of this report is to analyse the (economic) impacts of the extension of the EU ETS 1 to maritime transport on the sector and the interlinkages with other policies considering the overall climate impacts. The report contains a market analysis for maritime transport services, which was carried out for maritime and inland shipping. The report also analyses the qualitative effects and interact...read more

Chemicals, Soil | Land, Water

Groundwater discharges of biocides from façades in urban regions

GRUBURG

Biocides, commonly used in building materials, are released through precipitation and can contaminate the groundwater. The study evaluates the transport of biocides through urban pathways — vegetated soils, permeable pavements, and infiltration systems — and gives recommendations for refining the European Emission Scenario Documents (ESD).The aim is to enhance groundwater protection in urban areas...read more

Climate | Energy

The relevance of autochthonous vs. allochthonous carbon in Blue Carbon ecosystems for climate change mitigation

As part of the research project FKZ 3722 42 510 0 ‘Climate protection measures in coastal regions and waters’

Blue Carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows, play a vital role in climate mitigation by storing atmospheric CO₂ in their soils.This paper highlights the critical need to distinguish between autochthonous (locally fixed) and allochthonous (externally sourced) carbon to ensure accurate carbon accounting. It states, that the inclusion of allochthonous carbon may over...read more

Climate | Energy

Potential of blue carbon for global climate mitigation - Factsheet

As part of the research project FKZ 3722 42 510 0 ‘Climate protection measures in coastal regions and waters’

Coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrass meadows and tidal marshes, function as natural carbon sinks, thereby playing a vital role in the global carbon cycle. These Blue Carbon ecosystems have been found to be effective carbon storage mechanisms, whilst also providing a habitat for biodiversity and enhancing coastal resilience.This factsheet provides a comprehensive overview of the releva...read more

Chemicals

The impact of information gaps in the supply chain on environmental exposure - case study of a PBT substance

The ⁠REACH⁠ Regulation (EC 1907/2006) ensures chemical safety by requiring rigorous risk assessments before market entry. Safety data sheets (SDS) are vital for communicating safe usage guidelines, yet deficiencies are common, with up to 52% of SDSs found to be inadequate. This project aimed to identify gaps in SDS data by surveying actors across the supply chain with a specific focu...read more

Chemicals, Soil | Land

Designing a strategy based on toxicity evaluation to improve pesticide risk assessment for terrestrial amphibians (TerAmphiTox)

The UBA aims to contribute to the development of an EU guidance document on risk assessment for amphibians. As part of the project, data on the toxicity of various pesticides to amphibians were systematically researched, processed, and supplemented with its own experiments to establish a scientific basis for risk assessment. The impact of direct exposure through overspraying of amphibians and indi...read more

Chemicals

Take EU biocides legislation to the next level

Recommendations for streamlining environmental risk assessments and for reducing environmental impacts

There is already more than a decade of experiences with environmental risk assessment under the Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 (BPR). This paper compiles recommendations to improve BPR to ensure that it reaches its goals.Experiences have shown that the processes for environmental risk assessments need to be simplified to allow for faster decisions. Also, despite first BPR environmen...read more