Tuesday, October 23, 2007 : 10:35 a.m.

Xenobiotics in Urban Ground Water Systems

Mario Schirmer, Kristin Schirmer, Gerhard Strauch and Frido Reinstorf, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research

Abstract With regard to water use and water protection, urban areas are a focus of increasing conflict. More than 90% of the population increase in developing countries occurs in cities. Half of the world’s population and about 80% of Europeans live in cities. As a direct and/or indirect consequence of human activity, urban water systems are frequently polluted with organic contaminants such as xenobiotics. A xenobiotic (Greek, xenos “foreign”; bios “life”) is a compound that is foreign to a living organism. Xenobiotics related to human behaviour and activity, such as pharmaceuticals, fragrances and endocrine-active substances are increasingly found in urban ground- and surface water systems. However, the behaviour and the effects of these xenobiotics in the environment have been widely unknown until now. Consequently, an interdisciplinary project on the assessment of risk of urban water pollution, focussing on xenobiotics, has been initiated at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ. The aim of the project is to explore new integrated methodologies for determining the impact of human activities on urban ground- and surface water systems and on processes within the urban watershed. This work includes flux calculations as well as chemical, toxicological and immunological investigations. The ultimate goal is the development of an integrated model which can be used for assessing the risks to humans and ecosystems, and for supporting the development of suitable management strategies.

 

Key words: urban ground water; xenobiotics; contamination; investigation techniques, modelling

Mario Schirmer, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Prof. Dr. Mario Schirmer, hydrogeologist and geophysicist, 1986–1991 studies of Geophysics, Technical University Mining Academy Freiberg; 1991–1993 research associate at the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering, University of Stuttgart; PhD student and postdoc in Hydrogeology 1993–1999 at the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada); 1999-2001 scientist at the UFZ. Since 2002, he is head of the Department of Hydrogeology at the UFZ. He is Prof. for Hydrogeology and Modelling at the Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg since 2004. His expertise is related to geophysics, hydrogeology and computer modelling, including the simulation of contaminant fate and transport.

Kristin Schirmer, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research PD Dr. Kristin Schirmer, cell biologist and environmental toxicologist, 1989-1994 studies of Biology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg and University of Hohenheim; 1994-1999 Ph.D. student and postdoc in Cell Biology and Environmental Toxicology at the Department of Biology (University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada); at the UFZ since 1999; since 2003 head of Department of Cell Toxicology. She is Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo and Lecturer at the ETH in Zurich. She is an expert in the development and use of in vitro cellular models to deduce cellular and sub-cellular impacts by environmental contaminants in vertebrates.

Gerhard Strauch, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Dr. Gerhard Strauch, chemist, studied physical chemistry at Chemical Institute of Technology Merseburg, 1966-1973, received his Ph.D. in 1973. He was research scientist at the Central Institute for Isotope and Radiation Research Leipzig, 1973-1991, while engaged in theoretical and experimental studies of stable isotopes in natural systems. Dr. Strauch is senior scientist in the Department Hydrogeology at the UFZ since 1992, and Co-Editor of the journal "Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies". He is an expert in the application of stable isotopes in hydrogeology and geochemistry.

Frido Reinstorf, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Dr. rer. nat. Frido Reinstorf, hydrologist and hydrogeologist, 1984-1989 studies of Hydrology, Dresden University of Technology; 1989-1992 Scientific Assistant, Institute for Hydrology and Meteorology, Dresden University of Technology; 1992-1994 studies of Environmental Sciences (degree “Euro-Engineer”); 1992-1997 Scientific Assistant, Institute for Hydrology and Meteorology, PhD student; 1997-2002 Postdoc and Assistant Professor in Irrigation/Drainage and Hydrogeology, Dresden University of Technology; since 2002 Scientist at the UFZ. In addition he is Adjunct Professor at the Dresden University of Technology for Irrigation/Drainage. His expertise is related to surface and subsurface hydrology, hydrogeology, contaminant transport and water resources management with special skills in numerical modelling.


6th International Conference on Pharmaceuticals and Enocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Water