Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity,
Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology

Research projects of the Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology aim at a better understanding of processes in aquatic ecosystems. Special emphasis is laid on the analysis of impacts of environmental chemicals in the following areas:

Investigation of contamination in aquatic ecosystems by chemicals (as single substances, in complex mixtures and in combination with other anthropogenic and natural stressors),
Unravelling the modes of action of environmental chemicals on the different levels of biological integration – from molecules to communities and the ecosystem,
Development and validation of ecotoxicological test methods,
Ecological hazard evaluation and risk assessment, development of assessment criteria and implementation of ecologically sustainable management and monitoring programmes.

Current research activities cover the following priority topics:

Pharmaceuticals in the environment
Endocrine mimicking effects of environmental chemicals
Impacts of personal care products on aquatic organisms
Sediment toxicology
Biodiversity: Impact of low pollutant exposure on genetic diversity in populations

Director:

Prof. Dr. Jörg Oehlmann

>	Research group leaders: Dr. Martina Duft ( Sediment toxicology ) Dr. Ulrike Schulte-Oehlmann ( Endocrine mimicking chemicals ) Dr. Matthias Oetken (Pharmaceuticals and personal care products, b iodiversity )