A stakeholder dialogue on voluntary and manufacturer-responsible measures for mitigating micropollutants in water bodies is currently underway at the German Centre for Micropollutants as part of a research project. read more
On 05 November 2024, the EU Commission adopted the revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). It comes into force on 01 January 2025. In April 2023, the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) took position on this in its Scientific Opinion Paper "Moving forward: The European Commission's Proposal for a Recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive".
Moving forward: The European Commission’s Proposal for a Recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
On 10 and 28 June 2024, the committee for the identification of relevant micropollutants approved the relevance classifications of 6-PPD and its transformation product 6-PPDQ. 6-PPD is used in the manufacture of tires and rubber products as an antiozonant and antioxidant.
In the latest issue (test 8/2023) of the German consumer's magazine Stiftung Warentest, a new criterion was included in the evaluation of dishwasher tabs under the category "water pollution": The use of triazoles and thus also of the trace substance 1H-benzotriazole, which is classified as relevant, leads to a downgrading in the quality rating. Thus, dishwasher tabs containing the trace substance 1 H-benzotriazole as a silver protection agent can at best achieve an overall rating of "satisfactory" (grade 3.0). At the same time, the report shows that the use of 1-H benzotriazole is not necessary for good performance in material protection. The new approach of Stiftung Warentest is a positive incentive for manufacturers to adapt their formulations and thus reduce water pollution.
Round Table 1H-Benzotriazole test 8/2023 | Dishwasher tabs (in German)
Measures to reduce micropollutant emissions to water - Summary Maßnahmen zur Verminderung des Eintrages von Mikroschadstoffen in die Gewässer – Phase 2 Arzneimittelabgabe – Inpflichtnahme des Arz-neimittelsektors für Maßnahmen zur Reduktion von Mikroschadstoffen in Gewässern Recommendations for reducing micropollutants in waters 5-point programme for sustainable plant protection
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
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