

Human activities cause the entry of a wide range of substances to the aquatic environment. These substances often represent a hazard to the environment as well as human health. At TZW we work intensively on the microbiological degradation processes that contribute substantially to the reduction of these types of pollutants in an environmental friendly, cost effective and sustainable manner. Another focus is on combining technical and biological methods to eliminate especially persistent substances in waste water, surface water and groundwater. In addition to these aspects, our risk assessment activities also include evaluating microbial contamination in environmental samples using micro and molecular biological detection methods, for instance for antibiotic-resistant, hygienically relevant and pathogenic microorganisms.
Microbiological pollutant degradation
TZW establishes innovative concepts in the field of microbiological degradation of contaminated groundwater to develop novel, simple, and economic methods with long-lasting efficiency to eliminate pollutants in groundwater.
Combination of technical and biological methods
Biological decomposition processes are often unusable or inadequate for persistent and/or toxic substances. By using technical methods such as cavitation, electrochemistry, ISCO or ozonation, substances can be subjected to microbial decomposition. Combining this with subsequent biological degradation makes it possible to develop cost-effective and sustainable concepts to effectively eliminate persistent substances.
Biomonitoring and efficacy tests
To detect and evaluate the activity of microorganisms in environmental samples, TZW develops micro- and molecular biological detection methods, for example, of antibiotic-resistant, hygienically relevant and pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, we use efficacy tests to monitor, assess and evaluate the risk of processes running in the aquatic environment, which are used and further developed as tools for a variety of investigations.
Water quality
In many places the quality of the water – whether surface water or groundwater – is at risk or may already be impacted by increasing contamination, extreme weather, accidents and changes in use. The identification and assessment of this contamination is often made more difficult due to a lack of suitable methods or because those that are used are too time consuming or lack sensitivity. Relevant research activities for TZW, therefore, are the establishment, further development, optimisation and validation of micro and molecular biological methods that can help monitor and improve water quality.
Projects
With EiCLaR, an EU/China consortium, scientific and technical innovations for in-situ bioremediation processes were promoted. As part of the project,…
Read moreA new biologically productive degradation pathway of trichloroethene is promising for the elimination of pollutants in groundwater. To determine the…
Read moreUsing molecular biological methods, additional information can be obtained to assess the microbial degradation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and…
Read moreNano-iron(0) technologies are a promising option to rehabilitate contaminated sites. The microbiological degradation of perchloroethene (PCE) was…
Read moreIn the German-Israeli cooperation project BioChlor, in cooperation with the Ben Gurion University (Israel), the aerobic metabolic chloroethene…
Read moreBrinkmann M., Maletz S.X., Krauss M., Bluhm K., Schiwy S., Kuckelkorn J., Tiehm A., Brack W., Hollert H.: Heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons show estrogenic activity upon metabolization in a recombinant transactivation assay. Environmental Science and Technology 48(10): 5892-5901 (2014)
Gaza S., Schmidt K.R., Weigold P., Heidinger M., Tiehm A.: Aerobic metabolic trichloroethene biodegradation under field-relevant conditions. Water Research 151: 343-348 (2019)
Kranzioch-Seipel I., Beckert U., Shen C., Yin D., Tiehm A.: Microbial dechlorination of HCB, PCP, PCB180, HCH and PCE in a Yangtze Three Gorges Reservoir enrichment culture, China. Environmental Earth Sciences 75 (10): published online 20 May 2016 (2016)
Kranzioch I., Ganz S., Tiehm A.: Chloroethene degradation and expression of Dehalococcoides dehalogenase genes in cultures originating from Yangtze sediments. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22(4): 3138-3148
Schmidt N., Page D., Tiehm A.: Biodegradation of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors with oxygen, nitrate, manganese (IV), iron (III) and sulfate as electron acceptors. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 203: 62-69 (2017)
Schneider A.-L., Schell H., Hild S., Mangold K.-M., Tiehm A.: Studies into design and operation of microbial fuel cells using oxygen gas diffusion electrodes. Desalination and Water Treatment 91: 222-227 (2017)
Schneider A.-L., Tisler S., Schell H., Matthee T., Behrendt-Fryda B.., Tiehm A.: Electrochemical oxidation of iodinated X-ray contrast media by boron-doped diamond electrodes. Desalination and Water Treatment 91: 268-272 (2017)
TZW publication series:
Volume 66: Aerob-produktiver Abbau von Chlorethenen: Nachweis eines neuen Abbauweges für Trichlorethen [Aerobic productive degradation of chloroethenes: evidence of a new degradation pathway for trichlorothene]
Volume 62: Elimination anthropogener organischer Spurenstoffe im Zuge der Grundwasseranreicherung [Elimination of anthropogenic organic micropollutants during groundwater enrichment]
Volume 67: Anaerober CKW-Abbau: Molekularbiologie, Substanzspektrum, Isotopenfraktionierung [Anaerobic CHC degradation: molecular biology, substance spectrum, isotope fractionation]
Volume 76: Verhalten von Antibiotikaresistenzgenen bei der Trinkwasseraufbereitung [Behaviour of antibiotic resistance genes in drinking water treatment]
Volumes from the TZW publication series can be purchased here.
Contact
List of publications