Objective
ASSESSMENT OF THE ECOTOXICOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS.
THE RESEARCH PROJECT COMPRISES THE THREE FOLLOWING PARTS:
1) PREDICTION OF THE MOBILITY AND BIODEGRADABILITY OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT BY THEIR STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL FATE OF EXISTING CHEMICALS, SELECTED FROM THE 64B LIST, WILL BE PREDICTED ON THE BASE OF THEIR CHEMICAL STRUCTURE. ADDITIONALLY THE EXPOSURE PROBABILITY OF ORGANISMS WILL BE EVALUATED.
2) ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS IN A FRESH WATER POND.
LONG-THERM SUBLETHAL TESTING OF THE EFFECTS OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS ON THE FLORA AND FAUNA SPECIES IN A NATURAL 20 YEAR OLD POND OF 500 M2 SURFACE AREA.
3) MOBILITY, TRANSFORMATION AND ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS IN TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS.
FOR NINE ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS THE EFFECTS AFTER SHORT-TERM EXPOSURE (1 WEEK) ON PLANT GROWTH, CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATION IN PLANTS AND SOIL, VOLATIBILITY, PLANT UPTAKE AND TOTAL DEGRADATION WILL BE MEASURED IN A CLOSED CHAMBER AND UNDER NATURAL CONDITIONS, RESPECTIVELY.