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Accurately detecting microplastic particles poses major challenges for researchers from various disciplines. A team of environmental scientists has described the methodological difficulties in the journal Nature Medicine and calls for more standardized methods in biomonitoring.

In the summer of 2022, toxins produced by the brackish-water alga Prymnesium parvum killed around 1,000 tonnes of fish in the River Oder. IGB researchers analysed the toxic effect of the brackish water algae Prymnesium parvum on the blood cells of various fish species in the River Oder. The results revealed species-specific differences in sensitivity to the toxins.

A research team has investigated the interplay between hydrology and microbial communities in small water bodies in Berlin. They discovered many microorganisms that indicate a higher anthropogenic influence. The reason: small watercourses such as the Panke or the Erpe mainly carry treated effluent – accounting for up to 100 per cent of the total discharge volume in summer.

Researchers from the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) analysed various bodies of water in Berlin for traces of nicotine. They detected nicotine in all of the samples, with concentrations ranging from 7 to around 1,500 nanograms per litre. Nicotine from discarded cigarettes primarily enters water bodies via heavy rainfall and the sewage system. 

IGB has provided feedback on the planned EU ports strategy and emphasised that environmental aspects play a decisive role for resilient ports.

Tires abrade fine particles when driving. These contain a complex mixture of different compounds, including toxic substances. If the tire wear particles end up in freshwater ecosystems, the pollutants are leached out there. A new review article in the Journal of Environmental Management summarises the current state of knowledge on the occurrence of tire wear particles and the release of pollutants in aquatic ecosystems. The researchers warn of the toxic effects on aquatic organisms and associated ecological consequences.

In an ICPO consultation, the IGB recommends that the salinity of the Oder should be made an important management issue. 

A study in Nature Cities shows that artificial light, together with urban heat, may be lengthening the growing season in urban environments by as much as 3 weeks compared to rural areas. Light pollution has a greater impact than urban heat, particularly at the end of the growing season. For the study published in Nature Cities, the researchers analysed satellite data from 428 urban centres in the northern hemisphere over a period of seven years.