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    • Labormitarbeiter an einem LC-MS-Analysegeräte
      Water analysis Conducting and evaluating physical-chemical and microbiological water testing in accordance with German Drinking Water Ordinance and other regulations.
    • Test centre and product testing
      Testing of products and devices Initial testing of products and materials in contact with drinking water. The test centre is accredited for more than 200 product standards.
    • Two employees in front of a test facility
      Treatment technologies Develop sustainable water supply concepts. Implement, monitor and optimise new technologies. Test and further develop existing treatment methods.
    • Employee next to a bio-analyser
      Micropollutants and microorganisms Development and improvement of determination procedures. Investigating occurrence, behaviour and fate of inorganic and organic trace substances.
    • Flushing the drinking water network, starting from a car
      Network management and drinking water installation Advice on safeguarding the quality of drinking water in the distribution system, support in the development of specific network management strategies.
    • Well for drinking water production
      Risk management Supporting water supply companies in setting up continuous risk management for water supply facilities, based on our comprehensive expertise.
    • Employees in front of screens with graphics
      Drinking water catchments and resources Protection of drinking water resources by assessing potential hazards in water catchment areas, catalogues of measures, monitoring concepts, databases.
    • Employee at test columns
      Environmental biotechnology and contaminated sites Environmental biotechnology to improve water quality. Degradation processes for water purification. Concepts and studies for pollutant contamination.
    • Hände arbeiten an Laptop
      Digitalisation Solving complex questions and problems of water supply companies in digitalisation through technical support or practical research projects.
    • Water pipes
      Practical projects Research and practice, water supply, scientific and technical expertise, technology concepts, resource protection, distribution network, digitalisation.
  • Research
    •  Employee measuring field
      Resource protection Sustainable resource protection as an important factor for safe drinking water supply, management of hazards and risks in water catchment areas.
    • Employee works on test columns
      Environmental biotechnology Technical and biological methods for the elimination of microorganisms, microbiological degradation processes, risk assessment of microbial contamination.
    • Sample is placed in a bioanalyser
      Microorganisms Application and development of reliable detection methods for microorganisms in drinking water, evaluation of disinfection and treatment measures.
    •  Employee works on analytical column and liquid chromatograph
      Micropollutants Reliable and sensitive determination of trace substances and microplastics, investigation of the behaviour in the water cycle, qualified risk assessment.
    • Employee fills samples on test columns filled with sand
      Waste water and water cycle Development of integrated water supply and waste water disposal concepts, Utilisation of biodegradation processes to eliminate persistent substances.
    • Employee in front of a computer using a colony counter
      New technologies and products Technologies and products for the treatment, disinfection and post-treatment of drinking water, testing for performance, safety and robustness.
    •  Two employees at a test stand for water distribution
      Asset management and infrastructure Development of asset management strategies to ensure a stable supply of high-quality drinking water, assessment of the condition of pipeline networks.
    • LAN connector with fibre optics
      Digitalisation and Management Digitalisation in the areas of data collection, data management, data-driven applications and AI for the water supply.
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An institution of DVGW
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  • Micropollutants

Micropollutants

Micropollutants in sewage treatment plant processes, rivers, streams and drinking water resources are of top priority for the water industry and require the continuous development of new analytical procedures. Only once these substances can be reliably determined at a suitable sensitivity level, is it possible to investigate their behaviour in the water cycle and in the treatment of drinking water, and to make a qualified risk assessment. Biotic and abiotic processes in aquatic systems and in technical water treatment can metabolise substances, which means we also need to research the clarification of these transformation products. For this we are using the latest high-resolution mass spectrometry processes. A new research area is the presence of microplastics in the aquatic environment. We have awarded this topic a special research priority.

Research areas

Development of new analytical procedures

The availability of reliable and efficient methods of analysis is a basic requirement for implementing meaningful scientific testing programmes and for a qualified risk assessment. Developing these methods using the latest high performance analytical techniques such as tandem mass spectrometry is one of our core competencies.

Environmental behaviour of substances

Nature based water treatment needs to be the aim of all parties involved in water supply. For example, in order to assess the efficiency of soil passage for the micropollutant residue, we use theoretical and experimental approaches to determine reliable estimations on the environmental behaviour of the respective substance and targeted recommended actions. 

Substance behaviour in technical treatment

Water supply companies must be well equipped for all eventualities. Testing on how to remove possible problem substances using technical treatment methods such as ozonation, activated carbon and membrane filtration is therefore part of our research.

Transformation products

Substances do not disappear – they transform. Using methods such as high-resolution mass spectrometry, we identify in detail which transformation products are produced in a chemical or biological process.

Microplastics

The presence of microplastics in the aquatic environment has attracted widespread public interest. At present, there are only a few reliable studies available. For this reason, we aim to close knowledge gaps and are concerned with issues of representative sampling and sample preparation, further development of analytical techniques and investigating the presence of microplastics in drinking and surface water.

Projects

Sampling with filtration cascade in the waterworks
Sampling with filtration cascade in the waterworks
Water chemistry research
Microplastics in drinking water supply (MiTri)

As part of MiTri, reliable data on the occurrence of microplastics in the drinking water supply - especially in drinking water distribution networks -…

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LC-TOF mass spectrometer
Analysis of water samples using an LC-TOF mass spectrometer.
Water chemistry research
Artificial and collective intelligence for trace substance tracking (K2I-Xplore)

The project combines water analysis with data science and creates an innovative tool for water utilities through the advancement of the "K2I trace…

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[Translate to English:] Wörterbuch Beschreibung des Wortes "Persistenz"
[Translate to English:] Quelle: ?
Micropollutants
Assessing the degradation of chemicals in drinking water resources

For many substances detected in water resources there is no conclusive assessment of their intrinsic degradability. In cooperation with the German…

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Experimental roofs at LVGA Image: Manfred Köhler
Water chemistry research
Realisation of the sponge city

Green roofs in cities can contribute to improving the urban climate. The necessary policy instruments are being developed for their implementation and…

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Lumbriculus variegatus under a microscope
Lumbriculus variegatus Image: ECT
Water chemistry research
Phosphonates in sediment

Experimental investigation of selected organophosphonates to gain a comprehensive understanding of their environmental behaviour and to obtain a solid…

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Water from a tap fills a glass
Practical approaches are needed for the evaluation of substances in drinking water that have not yet been evaluated or have only been partially evaluated. Image: LedyX on Shutterstock
Abgeschlossen-2024
Concepts for the assessment of drinking water contaminants (GOW-OPTI)

In some cases, substances for which there are no established limit or guideline values are found in drinking water at very low concentrations. The…

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More projects
Publications

TZW Publication Series Volume 84: Minimierungsstrategie für den PSM-Metaboliten-Eintrag ins Grundwasser [Strategy to minimise PSM metabolites entering groundwater]

    

TZW Publication Series Volume 78: Verhalten von Phosphonaten als Antiscalants bei der Membranfiltration [Behaviour of phosphonates as antiscalants in membrane filtration]

    

TZW Publication Series Volume 62: Elimination anthropogener organischer Spurenstoffe im Zuge der Grundwasseranreicherung [Elimination of anthropogenic organic micropollutants during groundwater enrichment]

   

TZW Publication Series Volume 59: Bewertung von Transformationsprodukten bei der Trinkwasseraufbereitung [Assessment of transformation products in drinking water treatment]

 

Volumes from the TZW publication series can be purchased here.

Contact

Dr. Frank Sacher +49 721 9678-120 Send email
Dr. Nicole Zumbülte +49 721 9678-146 Send email
Dr. Karsten Nödler +49 721 9678-258 Send email
 
Solutions
  • Water analysis
  • Testing of products and devices
  • Treatment technologies
  • Micropollutants and microorganisms
  • Network management and drinking water installation
  • Risk management
  • Drinking water catchments and resources
  • Environmental biotechnology and contaminated sites
  • Digitalisation
  • Practical projects
Research
  • Resource protection
  • Environmental biotechnology
  • Microorganisms
  • Micropollutants
  • Waste water and water cycle
  • New technologies and products
  • Asset management and infrastructure
  • Digitalisation and Management
About TZW
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  • Organisation
  • Team
  • Locations
  • Partners
Projects
  • Projects
Information
  • News
  • Publications
  • Annual report 2024
  • Videos
  • Press

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