Research Activities

The SPRINT-project aims to develop a Global Health Risk Assessment Toolbox to assess impacts of Plant Protection Products (PPPs) on environment and human health and to propose several transition pathways. The SPRINT project will make an internationally valid contribution to assess integrated risks and impacts of pesticides on environment and human health, both at regional and European level. SPRINT will inform and accelerate the adoption of innovative transition pathways towards more sustainable plant protection in the context of a global health approach.

Schematic picture of SPRINT's workpackage structure

Hereon is partner in the project and conducts sampling and chemical analysis with focus on atmospheric transport of plant protection products (PPPs) to off-target areas as a contribution to WP2. PPP concentrations are analysed in the particulate and gaseous phase of the air. The results will contribute to transport modelling and human and environmental risk assessment conducted in WP3 of the project.

https://sprint-h2020.eu/

Innovative Training Network GMOS-TRAIN

Schematic picture by Johannes Bieser/Hereon

GMOS-TRAIN is a European training network, which includes fifteen doctoral candidates from ten institutions, that aims to improve our understanding of the global mercury cycle and to support the implementation of the Minamata Convention. In the course of the “Innovative Training Network” (ITN), fifteen ESRs (early stage researchers) at ten institutions will be trained in the fields of atmospheric and oceanic mercury analytics and modelling. Two of them will work at Hereon. In addition, six further network doctoral candidates will at times be guests at Hereon. Some aspects of GMOS-TRAIN include developing new measurement technologies, determining reaction rates, and modelling global transport and accumulation along the food chain.

Innovative Training Network GMOS-TRAIN project

ERA-PLANET will strengthen the European Research Area in the domain of Earth Observation in coherence with the European participation within the Group on Global Earth Observation (GEO 2015-2025 Work Plan). ERA-PLANET will reinforce the interface with user communities, whose needs the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) intends to address. It will provide more accurate, comprehensive and authoritative information to policy and decision-makers in critical areas of societal benefit.

ERA-PLANET is organized along four Strands related to (1) Smart Cities and Resilient Societies; (2) Resource Efficiency and Environmental Management (3) Global Change and Environmental Treaties; (4) Polar Areas and Natural Resources. ERA-PLANET project

iGOSP is a Strand 3 proposal and the contribution of Hereon's-IfK is to integrate in-situ observations, remote sensing and modelling for research, information services and development of management options for coastal oceans in a regional and global context. Hereon leads the work package entitled “Fostering integration of in-situ measurements and satellite data” and contributes to the work package on “From atmospheric modelling to services and tools”.

iGOSP is funded in the frame of the Horizon 2020 ERANET ERA-PLANET (The European network for observing our changing planet). Recently, within the past years in the framework of GEO - Task HE-02 “Tracking Pollutants” - global observation systems for mercury and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were developed to support the achievement of the goals of GEOSS and other on-going international Programs (i.e., UNEP Mercury Fate and Transport Program) and Conventions (i.e., Minamata, Stockholm Convention). IGOSP overlays the above initiatives and aims to bring together and strengthen the European, national and regional R&I programmes in the domain of persistent pollutants. iGOSP project

iCUPE targets to provide novel insights and observational data on global grand challenges with a polar focus. The work is motivated by the fact that the role of polar regions will increase in terms of megatrends such as globalization, new transport routes, demography and use of natural resources consequent effects of regional and transported pollutant concentrations. Hereon’s-IfK key contribution is to the work package entitled “In-situ component for organic contaminants, mercury and other heavy metals”. iCUPE is funded in the frame of the Horizon 2020 ERANET ERA-PLANET (The European network for observing our changing planet).

By combining integrated in-situ and satellite EO with a modelling platform with a polar perspective, iCUPE will (1) synthesize data from comprehensive long-term measurements, intensive campaigns and satellites, collected during the project or provided by on-going international initiatives; 2) relate the observed parameters to impacts, and 3) deliver novel data products, metrics and indicators to the stakeholders concerning the environmental status, availability and extraction of natural resources in the polar areas. iCUPE project

The e-shape project EuroGEOSS Showcases – Applications Powered by Europe will implement a coordinated and comprehensive Earth Observation (EO) data exploitation initiative through collaboration amongst the European GEO Members and Participating Organizations in order to accelerate the users’ uptake of open EO data and information for the benefit of Europe.
The Hereon contribution will aim at an improved integration and fostering of satellite products interoperability with innovative multi-scale observing platforms for delivering Earth Observation services according to user’s requirements.


The main Hereon objectives are: (1) the evaluation of the spatial and temporal variability of trace gas measurements recorded during long-distance flights (i.e. CARIBIC), and (2) the comparison of the range and variability of atmospheric chemical key parameters measured by aircrafts and satellites to assess their compliance for different regions of the world (e.g. continental vs. oceanic etc.). e-shape project (on Hereon website)

It has been widely recognized that global climate change is leading to substantial changes in Arctic ecosystems. Sea ice is often quoted as a key indicator of these changes. Continuing losses of multi-year sea ice (MYI) across the Arctic are causing first-year sea ice (FYI) to dominate the Arctic ice pack. Seasonal freezing and thawing of FYI affect the biogeochemical cycling and the behavior of environmental organic contaminants, especially the ‘legacy’ persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and ‘chemicals of emerging concern’ (CECs).

The aim of the work in the EISPAC Changing Arctic Ocean project is to improve our understanding of the dynamics of the CECs in response to the evolution of the Arctic sea ice under a warming climate, such as (1) per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), (2) organophosphate-based flame-retardants (oPFRs), (3) plasticizers, (4) current-use pesticides (CUPs), (5) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), (6) ‘new’ unintentionally generated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), and (7) pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs).

Due to the serious health and environmental concerns caused by these series of chemicals, we in EISPAC place our emphasis on their behaviors in FYI within this work. An array of experiments will be conducted at the Roland von Glasow Air-Sea-Ice Chamber (RvG ASIC) facility of the University of East Anglia, UK. These experiments address the ocean-ice-atmosphere interactions and focus on simulated growth and melting scenarios of FYI with respect to CECs.

We describe a novel and reproducible experimental design on the sea-ice chamber. Results in this work can be used for the experimental guidance of how to make the chamber method efficient and versatile. This study helps to refine the role of cryospheric compartments in global biogeochemical cycling of ‘legacy’ and ‘emerging’ organic pollutants. EISPAC project

Picture selection ship expeditions (Photos by Hereon/Christian Schmid; AWI Bremerhaven)

In recent years, various coastal megacities have developed at the interface between river basins with increasingly industrialised hinterlands and the Chinese coastal seas. Cities as well as river inputs exert a major influence on the environmental conditions of the bordering coastal waters. This application – the standalone component of a twin project (Megacity’s fingerprint in Chinese southern marginal seas: Investigation of pollutant fingerprints and dispersal), which deals with the specific signatures of pollutant pathways in coastal seas in China and Germany – was designed to study the sources, turnover, natural decay and distribution of pollutants on the East-Chinese Shelf.

The main scientific aim of this study is to characterise chemical and biogeochemical changes in the Gulf of Bohai/Northern Yellow Sea (including the Yangtze and numerous small rivers), which are due to the rapid development of the region. Another important aspect in this context is a comparison to the historic and current developments in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. In addition, at the end of the project phase, various validated analytical methods will be available which will facilitate monitoring activities that follow the future developments of the pollutant situation in the focus region and/or appraising the success of upcoming reduction measures.

sunset at Ny-Ålesund (figure courtesy of Holger Deckelmann, AWI)

The ePOP-Arctic project is focused on studies of atmospheric transport and long-term trends of emerging persistent organic pollutants such as polyfluorinated organic compounds (PFCs) and halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) in the Arctic. These emerging organic substances will be analysed in air and snow samples collected at the AWIPEV Base, the French - German Arctic Research Base at Ny-Ålesund / Spitsbergen (AWIPEV: Polar Institute Paul Emile Victor (IPEV) and Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)) in order to evaluate air-snow exchange processes and seasonal trends of ePOPs fluxes in the Arctic. AWIPEV

Mercury in the atmosphere, trend and sources observations at Mace Head, Ireland

Despite efforts by governments and international agencies as well as the private sector to reduce mercury release into the environment, current environmental levels are often still of concern. In order to lead relevant policy action and implement regulation as those in light of the Minamata convention, an extensive and detailed analysis of temporal trends and descriptions concerning mercury sources is needed.

Using the relationship between mercury and other chemical atmospheric trace species, and meteorological data, we perform weighted factorization regression analysis. Analysis is based on positive rotable factorization of non-singular matrix to solver probabilistic mass function, reconstructing atmospheric mercury and apportion its sources, natural and anthropogenic.

Cooperation with Yantai

Production and usage of some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs, PFCs) have been restricted based on national and international regulations. As a consequence, production shifted toward non-regulated PFASs as well as toward increasing production taking place in Asia. The rapid economic development particularly in China has led to increasing demand, production and usage of fluorinated chemicals. The current status of PFASs in the Chinese environment is largely unknown. This project is focused on the investigation of transport mechanisms of PFASs from large Chinese rivers into the Bohai Sea. In cooperation with the Yantai Institute for Coastal Zone Research environmental samples from Chinese coastal areas this area will be are compared with samples from the German Bight to point out local differences in production and usage of PFASs.

In addition to target analysis, new analytical approaches are applied to address the unknown pool of PFASs. They include the total oxidizable precursor assay to estimate the amount of unknown PFAS precursors in a sample as well as suspect screening strategies to identify novel PFASs of relevance.

sampling of sediments

Organophosphorus esters (OPEs) are used as plastic additives, especially as flame retardants and plasticizers. They have been applied in a variety of polymer-based industrial and consumer products for the last decades. As OPEs are not chemically bound to the material they can easily migrate to the environment via diffusion and leaching processes. Due to the fact that OPEs are used as substitutes for polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) being restricted since the early 2000s, an increase in production of OPEs has been observed. As a result, OPEs have been frequently detected in the marine environment even in remote areas such as the Arctic and Antarctic.
Our study focuses on the occurrence and fate of OPEs in surface water, sediment and the atmosphere regarding to persistence and potential of long-range-transport.

North Sea expedition Environmental Chemistry Department (Photo: Hereon/Christian Schmid)

UV-Stabilizers and UV-Filters are used in plastic products of any kind. They protect the polymer structure from degradation and therefore make long lifetimes of plastic products possible. In addition, UV absorbers (UV filters) are widely used in cosmetic products especially as sun blockers in sunscreens to protect human skin from damage caused by UV radiation.
These compounds can enter the aquatic environment by different pathways e.g. directly via outdoor activities or indirectly via wastewater treatment plants. Up to date little is known about their environmental impacts.
It is the aim of this project to identify and to quantify antioxidants and UV absorbers in marine sediments, to locate possible sources and to describe their distribution pathways.

Blankaale (figure courtesy of Marko Freese, Thünen Institut)

Since the beginning of the 1980s the stocks of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) have declined in most European countries. Chemical pollution has been suggested as one of the crucial factors for the decline of this endangered fish species. As the eel is a long-lived lipid-rich marine fish, spending a considerable part of its life cycle in continental waters, it is prone to the accumulation of lipophilic organic contaminants, e.g. polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs), which have been used as flame retardants in many products, including electronics, building materials, furnishing, motor vehicles, airplanes, plastics, and textiles, for many years. Most of them are banned now but alternate brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are still in use.
This project, which is in cooperation with Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Fisheries Ecology, Hamburg, will give a comprehensive overview of the BFR contamination in eels from German rivers. Comparison with other persistent organic compounds in eels from different European countries as well as comparison of eels from highly contaminated rivers with eels from rural locations is the aim of the project.

Nordforsk Network for Fluorinated Compounds (Nordfluor)

PFOS - model (figure courtesy of Eldbjørg S. Heimstad, NILU

Polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have been used since the 1950s in industrial applications and consumer products, including protective coatings (for paper, carpets, textiles and leathers), lubricants, paints, cosmetics, surfactants and fire-fighting foams.
Research on polyfluorinated compounds is particularly important in Nordic countries, which act as a bridge between industrialized areas and pristine (e.g. Arctic) environments that need to be protected. It is imperative that we better understand the fate and exposure (wildlife and human) of polyfluorinated compounds as well as their breakdown products. Research should be undertaken on legacy (those already phased out), existing and replacement substances. Nordfluor

drilled ice core of Mt. Ortler (figure courtesy of Jacopo Gabrieli, progetto Ortles)

The investigation of emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in snow and in dated ice cores from pristine high mountain regions of the Alps is the aim of IPAS. Ice cores are excellent archives for chemical pollutants as they can reflect past emissions, atmospheric concentrations and subsequent deposition. They show evidence for atmospheric formation and long-range-transport of POPs. Analyses are focused on polyfluorinated compounds (PFC), but also include polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
The project is in cooperation with the Laboratory of Glaciology and Geophysical Environment (LGGE, Grenoble, France), the Institute for the Study of the Dynamics of Environmental Processes (Venice, Italy), the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Venice (Venice, Italy) and the Byrd Polar Research Center of the The Ohio State University (Columbus, USA). Ortler project

CARIBIC GMOS flight tracks

The overall goal of GMOS is to develop a coordinated global observation system for mercury able to provide temporal and spatial distributions of mercury concentrations in ambient air and precipitation over land and over surface waters at different altitudes and latitudes around the world. The CARIBIC project (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrumented Container) with measurements onboard a Lufthansa Airbus 340-600 is an integral part of GMOS.