micropollutant

Viele Gewässer enthalten umweltbelastende Stoffe, zu denen auch Arzneimittel und deren Abbauprodukte gehören. Auch im Grundwasser und somit im Rohwasser für unser Trinkwasser werden Rückstände von Arzneimitteln gemessen.
Diese sogenannten Spurenstoffe können sich bereits in sehr niedrigen Konzentrationen nachteilig auf die Lebenswelt im Wasser und die menschliche Gesundheit auswirken.

In 2016, the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) launched a stakeholder dialogue to develop the federal government’s Trace Substance Strategy. The goal was to reduce the input of micropollutants into water bodies. In order to consolidate the findings and the measures initiated, the German Centre for Micropollutants was founded at the German Environment Agency in 2021.

The “Committee for the Identification of Relevant Micropollutants” is made up of up to 15 experts from authorities, industry, academia, environmental and water associations. The committee meets at regular intervals to conclusively evaluate micropollutants for their environmental relevance to water bodies on the basis of proposals from the German Centre for Micropollutants (SZB).

Residues of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, biocides and other chemicals can have effects on the environment and human health even in low concentrations. These micropollutants are increasingly being detected in our water bodies, not least thanks to better analytical methods. Recommendations for reducing the input into water bodies are listed.

On this page, you will find an overview of reference values for assessing the human toxicological and ecotoxicological risk of micropollutants in water bodies. Threshold or guideline values can be used as a reference value. Reference values for surface water, drinking water and groundwater are presented.

A stakeholder dialogue on voluntary and manufacturer-responsible measures for mitigating micropollutants in water bodies is currently underway at the German Centre for Micropollutants as part of a research project.

Which micropollutants are an environmental risk for water bodies and should therefore be scrutinised more closely? This is evaluated by the Committee for the identification of relevant micropollutants made up of experts from authorities, industry, academia, environmental and water associations. This page lists the micropollutants that have been evaluated as relevant.

The industrial chemical 1H-benzotriazole is a relevant micropollutant. This means that, even in low concentrations, the substance has adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems and drinking water quality. That is why a round table was launched at the end of 2020 in order to develop mitigation measures.