Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste ...

Chair of Hydrochemistry and Hydrobiology
Hydrochemistry
Research topics:
• Environmental analysis
• Examination of occurence and
fate as well as risk assessment
of environmentally relevant chemicals
• Biosensors for the determination
of inhibition of nitrification
• Biological in-vitro test systems,
for the determination of hormonal
activity of environmental
samples, i.e. E-SCREENAssay
and YES-Assay
• Quality Assurance in Analytical
Chemistry
We have a nose for it
In the hydrochemistry department the main subjects dealt with are environmental chemistry and, in particular,
environmental analyses.
Some of the research work here deals with the question of the volume of medicines entering domestic wastewater,
how these are degraded in a treatment plant and the influence they have on aquatic communities. We are especially
interested in the volume of such chemicals retained in treatment plants, either by degradation processes
in the various purification stages or by enrichment in the sewage sludge. As a consequence, we also investigate
water bodies, above all with the question of whether and to what extent chemicals in the water are ingested by
aquatic organisms (e.g. fish), are enriched within their bodies, or degraded or altered by their metabolism. A
whole series of trace analysis methods are available for these investigations; these methods were, in part, specially
developed in the hydrochemistry department. We are also engaged in the monitoring of treatment plants
with regard to substances in the water that can interfere with components of the biological purification stages.
A specially developed bio-sensor test system can be implemented for this purpose; it is suitable for recognition
of nitrification-inhibiting compounds. Moreover, we also deal with external quality assurance in water chemistry
laboratories and competence assessments. In the fields of drinking water, wastewater and groundwater analysis,
this involves proficiency tests for laboratories, which are in part obligatory for state recognition of the laboratories.
In addition, further water chemistry problems in the fields mentioned are investigated.
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