Dr. Frank Menger
Dr. Frank Menger
Organic Environmental Chemistry
ScientistPhone: +49 (0) 4152 87-2211
Fax: +49 (0) 4152 87-2332
My research focuses on the identification of unknown organic pollutants in the aquatic environment using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Previously, I have developed screening approaches for pesticide transformation products, halogenated pollutants, bioaccumulating chemicals and persistent and mobile organic chemicals. In my current PostDoc position, I became part of the P-LEACH project investigating plastic-leaching chemicals and their effects under real-life conditions. My role is the characterization of the water phase, which includes target analysis as well as the identification of unknown chemicals like UV-degradation products.
My expertise covers the following areas:
- Trace analysis of organic pollutants in the aquatic environment
- High-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-(IM-)QTof, LC-Orbitrap)
- Development of suspect and non-target screening workflows
‘The Unknown’… I keep wondering, what It is… I know, however, that I find It fascinating (and sometimes scary).
Think chemicals, for example - according to the most recent estimates, there are >350,000(!) of them on the global market. Do we know, how many of these thousands and thousands of human-made chemicals end up in the environment? We do not…
That’s where my curiosity kicks in. I want to change that, and I want us to better understand the world of chemicals; where do they come from, what are their effects, should we be concerned and, starting at the beginning, what do they look like?
It is a thrilling feeling to discover new chemicals!
2022
- conference poster: Odense (DNK)The complex PFAS world - Recent discoveries and novel HRMS-based screening toolsMenger, F., Joerss, H. (2022)
In: NTS workshop on analytical techniques and implementation, Odense (DNK),
2021
- conference lecture: VirtualSuspect screening of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in German and Chinese river water affected by point sourcesJoerss, H., Menger, F., Tang, J., Ebinghaus, R., Ahrens, L. (2021)
In: SETAC Europe 31st Annual Meeting, Virtual, 
journal articleWhat's in the water? – Target and suspect screening of contaminants of emerging concern in raw water and drinking water from Europe and AsiaTröger, R., Ren, H., Yin, D., Postigo, C., Nguyen, P., Baduel, C., Golovko, O., Been, F., Joerss, H., Boleda, M., Polesello, S., Roncoroni, M., Taniyasu, S., Menger, F., Ahrens, L., Lai, F., Wiberg, K. (2021)
In: Water Research, Vol. 198, 117099.
Link to publisher Publications of previous work
- Menger, F.; Celma, A.; Schymanski, E. L.; Lai, F. Y.; Bijlsma, L.; Wiberg, K.; Hernández, F.; Sancho, J. V.; Ahrens, L. Enhancing Spectral Quality in Complex Environmental Matrices: Supporting Suspect and Non-Target Screening in Zebra Mussels with Ion Mobility. Environment International 2022, 170, 107585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107585.
- Joerss, H.; Menger, F.; Tang, J.; Ebinghaus, R.; Ahrens, L. Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg: Suspect Screening Reveals Point Source-Specific Patterns of Emerging and Novel Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in German and Chinese Rivers. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56 (9), 5456–5465. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c07987.
- Dürig, W.; Alygizakis, N. A.; Menger, F.; Golovko, O.; Wiberg, K.; Ahrens, L. Novel Prioritisation Strategies for Evaluation of Temporal Trends in Archived White-Tailed Sea Eagle Muscle Tissue in Non-Target Screening. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2022, 424, 127331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127331.
- Celma, A.; Gago-Ferrero, P.; Golovko, O.; Hernández, F.; Lai, F. Y.; Lundqvist, J.; Menger, F.; Sancho, J. V.; Wiberg, K.; Ahrens, L.; Bijlsma, L. Are Preserved Coastal Water Bodies in Spanish Mediterranean Basin Impacted by Human Activity? Water Quality Evaluation Using Chemical and Biological Analyses. Environment International 2022, 165, 107326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107326.
- Mohammed Taha, H.; Aalizadeh, R.; Alygizakis, N.; Antignac, J.-P.; Arp, H. P. H.; Bade, R.; Baker, N.; Belova, L.; Bijlsma, L.; Bolton, E. E.; Brack, W.; Celma, A.; Chen, W.-L.; Cheng, T.; Chirsir, P.; Čirka, Ľ.; D’Agostino, L. A.; Djoumbou Feunang, Y.; Dulio, V.; Fischer, S.; Gago-Ferrero, P.; Galani, A.; Geueke, B.; Głowacka, N.; Glüge, J.; Groh, K.; Grosse, S.; Haglund, P.; Hakkinen, P. J.; Hale, S. E.; Hernandez, F.; Janssen, E. M.-L.; Jonkers, T.; Kiefer, K.; Kirchner, M.; Koschorreck, J.; Krauss, M.; Krier, J.; Lamoree, M. H.; Letzel, M.; Letzel, T.; Li, Q.; Little, J.; Liu, Y.; Lunderberg, D. M.; Martin, J. W.; McEachran, A. D.; McLean, J. A.; Meier, C.; Meijer, J.; Menger, F.; Merino, C.; Muncke, J.; Muschket, M.; Neumann, M.; Neveu, V.; Ng, K.; Oberacher, H.; O’Brien, J.; Oswald, P.; Oswaldova, M.; Picache, J. A.; Postigo, C.; Ramirez, N.; Reemtsma, T.; Renaud, J.; Rostkowski, P.; Rüdel, H.; Salek, R. M.; Samanipour, S.; Scheringer, M.; Schliebner, I.; Schulz, W.; Schulze, T.; Sengl, M.; Shoemaker, B. A.; Sims, K.; Singer, H.; Singh, R. R.; Sumarah, M.; Thiessen, P. A.; Thomas, K. V.; Torres, S.; Trier, X.; van Wezel, A. P.; Vermeulen, R. C. H.; Vlaanderen, J. J.; von der Ohe, P. C.; Wang, Z.; Williams, A. J.; Willighagen, E. L.; Wishart, D. S.; Zhang, J.; Thomaidis, N. S.; Hollender, J.; Slobodnik, J.; Schymanski, E. L. The NORMAN Suspect List Exchange (NORMAN-SLE): Facilitating European and Worldwide Collaboration on Suspect Screening in High Resolution Mass Spectrometry. Environ Sci Eur 2022, 34 (1), 104. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-022-00680-6.
- Menger, F.; Boström, G.; Jonsson, O.; Ahrens, L.; Wiberg, K.; Kreuger, J.; Gago-Ferrero, P. Identification of Pesticide Transformation Products in Surface Water Using Suspect Screening Combined with National Monitoring Data. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2021, 55 (15), 10343–10353. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c00466.
- Menger, F.; Ahrens, L.; Wiberg, K.; Gago-Ferrero, P. Suspect Screening Based on Market Data of Polar Halogenated Micropollutants in River Water Affected by Wastewater. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2021, 401, 123377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123377.
- Tröger, R.; Ren, H.; Yin, D.; Postigo, C.; Nguyen, P. D.; Baduel, C.; Golovko, O.; Been, F.; Joerss, H.; Boleda, M. R.; Polesello, S.; Roncoroni, M.; Taniyasu, S.; Menger, F.; Ahrens, L.; Yin Lai, F.; Wiberg, K. What’s in the Water? – Target and Suspect Screening of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Raw Water and Drinking Water from Europe and Asia. Water Research 2021, 198, 117099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117099.
- Schulze, B.; van Herwerden, D.; Allan, I.; Bijlsma, L.; Etxebarria, N.; Hansen, M.; Merel, S.; Vrana, B.; Aalizadeh, R.; Bajema, B.; Dubocq, F.; Coppola, G.; Fildier, A.; Fialová, P.; Frøkjær, E.; Grabic, R.; Gago-Ferrero, P.; Gravert, T.; Hollender, J.; Huynh, N.; Jacobs, G.; Jonkers, T.; Kaserzon, S.; Lamoree, M.; Le Roux, J.; Mairinger, T.; Margoum, C.; Mascolo, G.; Mebold, E.; Menger, F.; Miège, C.; Meijer, J.; Moilleron, R.; Murgolo, S.; Peruzzo, M.; Pijnappels, M.; Reid, M.; Roscioli, C.; Soulier, C.; Valsecchi, S.; Thomaidis, N.; Vulliet, E.; Young, R.; Samanipour, S. Inter-Laboratory Mass Spectrometry Dataset Based on Passive Sampling of Drinking Water for Non-Target Analysis. Sci Data 2021, 8 (1), 223. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-01002-w.
- Menger, F.; Gago-Ferrero, P.; Wiberg, K.; Ahrens, L. Wide-Scope Screening of Polar Contaminants of Concern in Water: A Critical Review of Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry-Based Strategies. Trends in Environmental Analytical Chemistry 2020, 28, e00102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teac.2020.e00102.
- Menger, F.; Pohl, J.; Ahrens, L.; Carlsson, G.; Örn, S. Behavioural Effects and Bioconcentration of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Embryos. Chemosphere 2020, 245, 125573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125573.