Environmental technology

Delayed climate impact on groundwater

Deep below the ground is our most important water reserve: groundwater. The underground pool is the largest freshwater reservoir on earth and at the same time a precious source of drinking water. Almost two billion people around the globe draw their drinking water from it. Like the soil and the sea, this ecosystem is threatened by climate change, overexploitation and the growing world population.

Making packaging recyclable

The plastic mountains from old packaging need to be reduced - on this, consumers and companies agree. But in addition to product protection, plastic packaging also offers other advantages such as low weight. That is why most manufacturers do not want to eliminate the use of plastics, but rather to develop a clever packaging design that allows as much recycling as possible.

University of Queensland (2020): Mikroplastics in seafood

The testers' shopping list included squid, oysters, shrimps, crabs and sardines. As the researchers report in the journal "Environmental Science&Technology", they found what they were looking for in each individual sample.

The highest total concentration of plastic with 2.9 mg was found in sardines, the lowest with 0.04 mg in squid. All samples were contaminated, not a single sample was free of plastic. The scientists were able to identify and measure five different types of plastic simultaneously.

Fraunhofer-UMSICHT (2018): Plastics in the environment

The scientists of the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT have determined the emissions for 51 sources of so-called primary microplastics. Body care products such as creams and shower baths only reached 17th place on the negative list with 19 grams per capita and year. Every pedestrian, meanwhile, causes an average of 100 grams of abrasion per year. The soles of shoes are thus in seventh place. At the top of the list of microplastic causes is the abrasion of car tires. According to the study, around one third of microplastic emissions are caused by this.

Green walls for better air

Moss has no roots. Unlike other plants, moss does not need them to absorb nutrients from the soil, as moss feeds from the air. When moss arose 400 million years ago, there was a lot of ash in the air due to numerous volcanic eruptions. Even today, mosses remove fine dust and carbon dioxide from the air to supply themselves with nutrients. Many urban areas therefore form an optimal natural habitat for these evergreen land plants.

More efficient wastewater treatment

When factories and municipalities use water, it is usually polluted. Before it can be returned to the environment, it usually passes through a sewage treatment plant. However, sewage treatment plants represent a considerable cost factor, especially for smaller municipalities. The Ruhrverband is therefore testing a new process from the Netherlands in the Sauerland region that uses smart microbiological cleaning to significantly reduce space requirements, electricity consumption and operating costs.

Understanding and protecting the groundwater ecosystem

We drink from it, water the fields with it, or use it as a coolant or solvent: groundwater. This vast reservoir of water under our feet is essential for human and animal life, but for the majority of the time we take it entirely for granted. For groundwater ecologist Christian Griebler, this invisible water is far more than just a commodity. “The groundwater is so clean only because of the biology that it contains, which ultimately has a purifying function.

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