News

A study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment and co-authored by IGB illustrates the extent of light pollution and highlights technological gaps in nighttime Earth observation that may lead to underestimation of light pollution. A night-time Earth observation mission would also be useful in other contexts, such as monitoring crises, wars and natural disasters.

In a recent EU consultation, the IGB provided feedback on the use of so-called Renure fertilisers and recommended that the current nitrate limits should be strictly followed and that renure fertilisers should not benefit from any exemptions.

At around 380 kilometres, the Spree is not one of Germany’s longest rivers, but it is one of its most famous. As the capital’s river, it is representative of water bodies in Germany and around the world that are under increasing pressure. While private and commercial interests in its water resources continue to grow, it is also clear that there will be significantly less water available in the future. What needs to be done to counteract this is the subject of controversial debate.

The IGB has provided research-based feedback on a draft legislation to regulate the reuse of municipal wastewater for agricultural irrigation.

In an EU consultation, IGB researchers emphasise that the practical implementation of the Nitrates Directive has so far been inadequate.

Aquatic microorganisms in China's Yangtze River are particularly resistant to many antibiotics, posing a high health risk. This is the result of a study by a Chinese research team in which IGB scientist Professor Hans-Peter Grossart was involved.

The contraceptive pill is obviously not intended for fish and frogs. However, the hormones in the pill and other pharmaceuticals that are not completely broken down in sewage treatment plants can affect aquatic organisms. This is because the human hormone system is not so different from that of other vertebrates. In fact, the same transmitters and receptors are often involved. The World Health Organisation (WHO) calls these substances or their mixtures endocrine disruptors, and there are regulations to assess and reduce the risk to humans and animals.

In July and August 2022, a man-made environmental disaster occurred in the in the Oder River: a mass die-off of fish, mussels and snails that started in the Polish section of the Oder and then continued downstream until it reached the border Oder. The immediate cause of their death was a toxin-producing (planktonic) brackish water alga, scientifically known as Prymnesium parvum, which was able to grow en masse due to high salinity, high solar radiation, and low water flow. An IGB Fact Sheet summarises the current state of scientific knowledge.