Newsletter "UBA aktuell" - No.: 1/2018 | Umweltbundesamt

Antibiotics in the environment promote resistant bacteria

Landing page image on Tierarzneimittel in der Umwelt portal Source: Umweltbundesamt

742 tons of antibiotics were delivered to vets in Germany in 2016. If manure is spread on farmlands, the antibiotic residues excreted by the treated farm animals can reach soils, groundwater and water bodies where problems may arise: microorganisms causing diseases in humans may become more quickly resistant to antibiotics – a potential health risk to people.

The UBA therefore recommend to EU legislators to develop criteria for the marketing authorisation of medicines which allow for the verification of the resistance potential of antibiotics. Furthermore, an environmental risk assessment should be made up for antibiotics already on the market if environmental data are not available by now. A comprehensive environmental risk assessment is currently missing for around 50 percent of the marketable antibiotics for farm animals, since no EU-wide requirements for an assessment of this kind had been in place until 2005.

In addition, EU-wide monitoring of problematic active substances used in medicinal products in rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater and arable soils should be introduced – especially in the catchment of industrial-scale livestock farms, hospitals and sewage treatment plants.

However, also farmers and vets can contribute to reducing the use of antibiotics. The new UBA online portal “Veterinary medicinal products in the environment” provides practical measures and various background information (in German), with special focus on preventive health care measures for farm animals. Because veterinary medicinal products that are not administered won’t harm the environment.

Climate protection at the expense of forests?

The UBA warns of a further increasing use of bioenergy in the EU with the amendment of the Renewable Energies Directive with minimum or even negative benefit for climate protection. This is set against the background of climate protection criteria for energy from biomass that are not strict enough, which can lead to climate protection only existing on paper. read more (in German)

Water resource management: Basics, pressures, measures

The brochure Water Resource Management in Germany provides a detailed overview of the basics, pressures and measures of German water resource management, and presents essential factors and current data on the status of our waterways, on water protection as well as water supply and disposal. read more (in German)

Gender and sex in environmental health research

Health-related environmental monitoring is an instrument to analyse the relationship between environment and health. Biological and sociological differences between the sexes have hardly been considered in environmental health research until now. To close this gap, the UBA is participating in a new, innovative and interdisciplinary research project. read more (in German)

Environmental label Blue Angel: New criteria for nappies, buses & co.

The jury of the environmental label agreed on a Blue Angel for disposable nappies in December 2017. The jury also adopted a few changes: Germany’s most famous environmental label is now also available for electric and hybrid buses. Many criteria of other product groups were revised. read more (in German)

How environmental organisations and companies can cooperate successfully

Companies and organisations committed to environmental protection can collaborate in various ways. Companies can support environmental protection associations financially or associations can advise companies on how to operate in a greener way. A new brochure from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the UBA makes suggestions on what both partners need to look out for. read more (in German)

Environmental performance indicators still not recognised as financial market standard

Institutional investors such as banks and funds managers still do not consider companies’ environmental, social and governance performance to the same extent as companies’ financial performance. Along with a partially lacking understanding of the financial relevance of these performance indicators, this is also due to obstacles in the information chain. read more (in German)

Processing of saline wastewater from plastics production

Industrial saline wastewater is problematic for several reasons: It makes pipes rust quicker, pollutes rivers and seas and impedes drinking water production. In a pilot plant of the Environmental Innovation Programme, the wastewater from plastics manufacturing has been processed without malfunctions, and water and salt have been fed back into the production cycle (electrolysis) since 2015. read more (in German)

Steel castings manufacturer saves energy and material

Friedr. Lohmann GmbH in North-Rhine Westphalia produces steel castings for wind turbines, tool manufacturing and other uses. With the support of the Environmental Innovation Programme, the challenge of making the production of small quantities with changing casting materials and cast parts in a resource-efficient manner has been met: with an innovative flexible casting line in high-bay warehouse form. read more (in German)

Nine questions and answers on diesel

Diesel cars exceed the European limit for nitrogen dioxide on the street significantly. Facts on nitrogen dioxide pollution, driving bans, software updates, retrofitting of catalysers and the role of diesel engines for climate protection. read more (in German)

UBA brochure on sustainable street planning

The planning of streets and squares has a great impact on the quality of life and of the environment in our cities and communities. It influences the type of use, the mobility and the variety of activities in the street space. The brochure “rethinking streets and squares” gives practical examples of how municipalities can design their public space in a more appealing manner. read more (in German)

UBA guideline: Adjusting drinking water monitoring to risks

The amended Drinking Water Ordinance came into effect on 09 January 2018. In the future, drinking water suppliers can adjust their sampling to relevant local risks. An UBA guideline provides assistance. read more (in German)

The new Sewage Sludge Ordinance: a brief guide

A revised Sewage Sludge Ordinance came into effect on 03 October 2017. After a transitional period, sewage sludge from medium-sized and large sewage treatment plants may no longer be used as fertiliser. At the same time, a recovery of the phosphorus contained in sewage sludge is prescribed. The portal “Cleaner Production Germany” explains its background in a short film and a newsletter. read more (in German)

New obligation to declare emissions from building products

The German version of the European test standard DIN EN 16516 for the determination of emissions from building products into indoor air appeared in January 2018. It enables to provide information on health-related emissions in CE labels of building products for indoor spaces. From 1 February 2019, many manufacturers, for example those of floor coverings, are obliged to state the emissions of their products. read more (in German)

National network of Sustainable Consumption starts implementation

The 2nd national network meeting of Sustainable Consumption on 12 December 2017 bore the title “Flagships for sustainable consumption - cooperation and implementation”. The network founded at the beginning of 2017 with almost 200 players from economics, politics, science, associations and civil society is a key component in the implementation of the National Programme for national consumption of the German federal government. read more (in German)

... is a former trainee doing as a UBA training manager today?

Manuela Metting at the specialist library for the environment at UBA
Source: Martin Stallmann / Umweltbundesamt

Manuela Metting has been dealing with “Training at the UBA” since she started working at the UBA. And from different perspectives: From 2002 to 2005, she attended a training at the UBA herself, represented all trainees of the UBA at the JAV (Youth and Trainees council), then the entire UBA staff in the staff council, and later trained apprentices herself to become administrative officers. The specialist in Media and Information Services has now been a training manager in the UBA HR department for about a year.

The UBA trains for a total of six training occupations and at three different locations. The duties of training managers are diverse. They take care of the advertising of trainee positions, the selection process and the contracts, but also public relations and the conceptional development of training at the UBA. Current topics to be considered are for example digitalisation, diversity and skills shortage. And alongside specialist training of mostly young people, topics such as addiction prevention are also on the agenda.

This year, the UBA will participate as a national cooperation partner in the initiative “No clichés”, and will seek to ensure that girls and boys choose a profession suited to their strengths – without gender stereotypes.