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Veröffentlichung Decades needed for ecosystem components to respond to a sharp and drastic phosphorus load reduction(2020) Beulker, Camilla; Köhler, Antje; Chorus, Ingrid; Fastner, JuttaLake Tegel is an extreme case of restoration: inflow treatment reduced its main external phosphorus (TP) load 40-fold, sharply focused in time, and low-P water flushed the lake volume ~ 4 times per year. We analysed 35 years of data for the time TP concentrations took to decline from ~ 700 to 20-30 (my)g/l, biota to respond and cyanobacteria to become negligible. The internal load proved of minor relevance. After 10 years, TP reached 35-40 (my)g/l, phytoplankton biomass abruptly declined by 50% and cyanobacteria no longer dominated; yet 10 years later at TP < 20-30 (my)g/l they were below quantifiable levels. 20-25 years after load reduction, the lake was stably mesotrophic, macrophytes had returned down to 6-8 m, and vivianite now forms, binding P insolubly in the sediment. Bottom-up control of phytoplankton through TP proved decisive. Five intermittent years with a higher external P load caused some 're-eutrophication', delaying recovery by 5 years. While some restoration responses required undercutting thresholds, particularly that of phytoplankton biomass to TP, resilience and hysteresis proved irrelevant. Future research needs to focus on the littoral zone, and for predicting time spans for recovery more generally, meta-analyses should address P load reduction in combination with flushing rates. The Author(s) 2020Veröffentlichung Investigating environmental matrices for use in avian influenza virus surveillance - surface water, sediments, and avian fecal samples(2023) Ahrens, Ann Kathrin; Selinka, Hans-Christoph; Wylezich, ClaudiaSurveillance of avian influenza viruses (AIV) in wild water bird populations is important for early warning to protect poultry from incursions of high-pathogenicity (HP) AIV. Access to individual water birds is difficult and restricted and limits sampling depth. Here, we focused on environmental samples such as surface water, sediments, and environmentally deposited fresh avian feces as matrices for AIV detection. Enrichment of viral particles by ultrafiltration of 10-L surface water samples using Rexeed-25-A devices was validated using a bacteriophage Phi 6 internal control system, and AIV detection was attempted using real-time RT-PCR and virus isolation. While validation runs suggested an average enrichment of about 60-fold, lower values of 10 to 15 were observed for field water samples. In total 25/36 (60%) of water samples and 18/36 (50%) of corresponding sediment samples tested AIV positive. Samples were obtained from shallow water bodies in habitats with large numbers of waterfowl during an HPAIV epizootic. Although AIV RNA was detected in a substantial percentage of samples virus isolation failed. Virus loads in samples often were too low to allow further sub- and pathotyping. Similar results were obtained with environmentally deposited avian feces. Moreover, the spectrum of viruses detected by these active surveillance methods did not fully mirror an ongoing HPAIV epizootic among waterfowl as detected by passive surveillance, which, in terms of sensitivity, remains unsurpassed. © 2023 Ahrens et al.Veröffentlichung Tracking down unknown PFAS pollution - The direct TOP assay in spatial monitoring of surface waters in Germany(2023) Göckener, Bernd; Badry, Alexander; Fliedner, Annette; Weinfurter, Karlheinz; Koschorreck, JanPFAS contamination of surface waters in central Europe was investigated in a spatial monitoring using suspended particulate matter and sediment samples. The samples were collected in 2021 at 171 sampling sites in Germany and at five sites in Dutch waters. All samples were analyzed for 41 different PFAS by target analysis to establish a baseline for these compounds. In addition, a sum parameter approach (direct Total Oxidizable Precursor (dTOP) assay) was used to investigate the PFAS load in the samples more comprehensively. PFAS pollution varied widely between water bodies. Target analysis detected (Sigma)PFAS concentrations between <0.5 and 53.1 (micro)g kg-1 dry weight (dw), while levels of <1.0-337(micro)g kg-1 dw were determined by dTOP assay. Associations were observed for (Sigma)PFSAdTOP and the percentage of urban area in the vicinity of the sampling sites and, less strongly, for distances to industrial sites (i.e. galvanic/paper) and airports. PFAS hotspots were identified by setting the 90th percentile of the data sets for (Sigma)PFAStarget or (Sigma)PFASdTOP as a threshold. Of the 17 hotspots identified by target analysis or dTOP assay, respectively, there were only six overlaps. Thus, 11 highly contaminated sites could not be identified by classical target analysis. The results demonstrate that target analysis captures only a fraction of the actual PFAS load, while unknown precursors remain undetected. Consequently, if only the results of target analysis are considered in assessments, there is a risk that sites heavily polluted with precursors will not be identified delaying mitigation actions and risking prolonged negative impacts on human health and ecosystems. Moreover, effective PFAS management requires establishing a baseline for PFAS using target and sum parameters such as the dTOP assay, and then monitoring this baseline on a regular basis to support emission control and to inform risk management of its effectiveness. © 2023 The Authors.