Artificial Stream and Pond System (FSA)

The Artificial Stream and Pond System (FSA) of the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) in Berlin (www.uba.de/fsa) will offer AQUACOSM Transnational Access (TA) for international scientists to participate in two projects in 2019 (see detailed information below). The general experimental designs are already established and external users are invited to contribute with additional parts to the topics described below (Project 1 and Project 2).

Project 1: Suitability and limits of passive samplers for monitoring of contaminant loads in small water bodies (PASTraMi). Project Lead: Stefan Meinecke, May to November 2019.

The overall goal of this project is the investigation of the suitability of passive samplers for monitoring contaminants (PSM, REACH chemicals) in small water bodies. Project 1 will be conducted in the outdoor facility in spring 2019, but the precise start will depend on weather conditions. A total of at least 80 person-days will be available to external users for AQUACOSM Transnational Access provision in 2019.

Experiment: The sampling performance of different types of passive samplers with a simulated pollutant contamination (mainly pesticides and REACH chemicals) will be investigated under nature like conditions in three outdoor stream mesocosms of the artificial streams and ponds facility of the Federal Environment Agency (Germany) during the vegetation period in 2019. Therefore, we will set up a pulse scenario within one stream mesocosm or a mixed scenario of pulse and continuous exposure using two stream mesocosms as alternative options. 

Three stream mesocosms with a flow length of 108 m each (approx. 30 m³ water) are available for the project (Fig. 1). One stream mesocosm (#1) is equipped with sediment and plant and will be used as test system for contaminant exposure. A second mesocosm (equipped comparable to mesocosm #1) is defined as control system (#2). The third mesocosm (#3)  is free of sediment, plants and contaminants,  and can be used for simulation of rectangular pulses by transferring passive samplers from #1 to #3 and/or vice versa. Besides rectangular pulses there is also the possibility to realize other pulse forms by water exchange in the test stream (#1).

Details on substances and experimental setup are still under discussion and any contribution by guest scientists interested to participate via the Aquacosm Transnational Access need to be discussed.

Potential topics which could be investigated by guest scientists during a TA access (but we are also open for other options), are for the introduction of

• further substances (e.g. pharmaceuticals),
• further types of passive sampler,
• investigation of collection rate of metabolites of different passive sampler types,
• comparison of collection rates from biota (e.g. macrophytes) and passive samplers.

Duration of experiment: approximately from May to November 2018

Offered TA person-days: up to 80

For further information please contact Stefan Meinecke (www.aquacosm.eu/partner/umweltbundesamt/ www.uba.de/fsa)

Figure 1: Schematic overview of the planned setup of the PASTraMi project 1 in the outdoor mesocosms of the Artifical Ponds and Streams facility for 2019.

Project 2: Degradation of plastics in the shoreline of fresh water bodies. Project Lead: Stefan Meinecke, May to November 2019.

The degradation of macroplastics under natural conditions is mechanistically only poorly understood, especially because up to now there is no general established method for measuring degradation rates. We have prepared three stream mesocosms with a stony and sandy shoreline and constant wave exposure. The initial aim a three year lasting project is to find adequate methods and parameters to estimate degradation rate of various plastic materials. Beside optical or image-forming methods for the assessment of surface changes (i.e. standard light microscopes, a scattered light sensor and potentially a white light interferometer, which will be available on site), also material testing methods like tensile tests or comparative electron microscopy of surface structure might be promising for tracking plastic degradation. In addition chemical analyses can be considered in order to detect losses of additives or changes in the polymer structure as a proxy of the degradation rate. Currently, the project aims on three different polymers, but further types and hence also corresponding types of analyses are conceivably and will be supported by the host institute.

Duration of experiment: approximately from May to August 2019

Offered TA person-days: up to 60

For further information please contact Stefan Meinecke (aquacosm.eu/partner/umweltbundesamt/)

The Artificial Stream and Pond System (FSA) of the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) in Berlin (www.uba.de/fsa) will offer AQUACOSM Transnational Access (TA) for international scientists to participate in two different independent projects in 2018. The general experimental design is already established in both cases and external users are invited to contribute with additional parts to the respective topic. Since both projects will be conducted in the outdoor facility the precise start in spring 2018 will depend on weather conditions. A total of at least 200 person-days for 4-8 persons will be allocated to external users for AQUACOSM Transnational Access provision in 2018.

Project 1: Degradation of plastics at the freshwater shoreline – Development of detection methods, Project Lead: Stefan Meinecke, May to November 2018,

Offered TA person-days: up to 100

The degradation of macroplastics under natural conditions is mechanistically only poorly understood, especially because up to now there is no general established method for measuring degradation rates. We have prepared two stream mesocosms with a stony shoreline and constant wave exposure. The initial aim a three year lasting project is to find adequate methods and parameters to estimate degradation rate of various plastic materials. Beside optical or image-forming methods for the assessment of surface changes (i.e. standard light microscopes, a scattered light sensor and potentially a white light interferometer, which will be available on site), also material testing methods like tensile tests or comparative electron microscopy of surface structure might be promising for tracking plastic degradation. In addition chemical analyses could be considered in order to detect losses of additives or changes in the polymer structure as a proxy of the degradation rate. The latter approaches, especially chemical analyses, are not available on site and need to be an expertise by the guest scientist. Currently, the project aims on three different polymers (PET, PE, PBAT), but further types (e.g. material or shape) and hence also corresponding types of analyses are conceivably and will be supported by the host institute.

Project 2: Fate and degradation of a pharmaceutical in a freshwater stream mesocosm,

approximately from April to September 2018, Project lead: René Gergs

Offered TA person-days: up to 100

Metformin is one of the most commonly prescribed antidiabetic pharmaceuticals on the global scale and enters the waste water untransformed as there is no metabolism in human bodies. However, information on its fate in the water phase under natural conditions is scare and known degradation rates are ranging between few and more than 100 days. The project aims to investigate the transformation processes and ecotoxicological effects of Metformin under more natural conditions in two 100-m outdoor stream mesocosm containing a well-developed community including also macrophytes and benthic invertebrates. A special focus of the host institute is on degradation rates and the formation of transformation products under environmentally realistic conditions in the water phase, which will be measured on site. Furthermore, we are highly interested in including transformation processes in other compartments, especially sediment and macrophytes investigated by guest scientists. In addition, effects on bacterial communities or selected invertebrate species as well as bioaccumulation in various taxa would be valuable to add. The host institute can provide further support in terms of for example chemical analyses especially of nutrients, neutral tracers or similar by agreement.