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REsEaRch topics in thE woRking gRoup
EnviRonmEntal and soil chEmistRy
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL CHEMISTRY
The working group of Environmental and Soil Chemistry follows various research to-
pics in which you always have the possibility to work in a short-term project, to write a
case study or bachelor’s / master’s / diploma thesis and participate in current research
projects.
The different research questions are answered with different methods. Some require
a preliminary data sampling in the field which are treated in the laboratory afterwards,
others are based in the lab only. However, pure literature work is possible, too.
The following pages will introduce you into the different research topics and the
scientific staff. Please do not hesitate to ask the displayed contact persons for more
information.
January 2012
• Howtodistinguishbetweentotalcontentandthebioavailableconcentrationofemergingsubstancesinsoilsandsediments?
Besides monitoring and measuring concentrations in the environment, one major issue of environmental chemical analyst is the development and application of new me-thods to get better insieght on the fate and risk of pollu-tants in the environment.
It is commonly accepted that simple determination of total concentrations does not reflect the risk and that the behavior of the compounds under environmental conditions which determines e.g. the bio availability has to be investigated.
EnviRonmEntal analytics ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL CHEMISTRY
Research topics for Bachelor/Master/Diploma thesis/Case Studies:
Contact person:
Dr. Nicole [email protected]
• Methoddevelopmentfor2Dseparationofnanoparticlesviacouplinghydrodynamic,electrophoreticandspectro-scopictechniques.
Engineered inorganic nanoparticels (EINP) are con-tinously being released into the environment. Risk assessment is, however, currently hampered by the lack of suitable methods to detect nanoparticles in the environment.
Research Topics for Bachelor/Master/Diploma thesis/Case Studies:
Contact person:
Denis [email protected]
nanopaRticlEs in thE EnviRonmEnt ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL CHEMISTRY
Background:
During the last decade the production of engineered inorganic nanoparticles (EINP) has steadily incre-ased and today they can be found in a multitude of daily use products such as cosmetics or textiles. Although increasing research activity focuses on the fate of EINP in the environment, there is still a big gap of knowledge with respect to their transformation and mobility in the environment. Thus, we currently investigate engineered nanoparticles and their interactions with natural organic matter, soils and (in)organic surfaces via a combination of several chromatographic, microscopic and light scattering techniques.
Research topics for Bachelor/Master/Diploma thesis/Case Studies:
Contact persons:
Allan [email protected]
Andre [email protected]
Priya [email protected]
• Investigationofmodelnanoparticle’sfateindifferentaquaticmedia.
• Interactionofnaturalorganicsubstanceslikehumicandfulvicacidswithengineerednanoparticlesinsurfacewaters.
• Interactionofnanoparticleswithorganicandinorganicsurfaces.
• Detectionandinvestigationofnanoparticlesinsoils.
Denis [email protected]
Dr. Ilona [email protected]
intERdisciplinaRy REsEaRch ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL CHEMISTRY
Background:
We want to resolve part of the discrepancy between environmental knowledge and environmentally responsible behavior with research in an interdisciplinary team to promote environmentally sustainable behavior. We refer to ecologically and socially relevant topics, for example nanotechnology, renewable energy or green genetic technology.
The below offered theses are literature based studies where you e.g. analyze the environmental know-ledge in the scientific literature and compare this with the content in the media. You will be supported by Dr. Ilona Heidmann and Dr. Jutta Milde.
Research topics for Bachelor/Master/Diploma thesis/Case Studies:
Contact person:
• Discrepanciesbetweenscientificknowledgeandmediacontent-acomparativestudyofscientificliteratureandmediacontent.
• Riskassessmentandperceptionofrisk–comparisonofscientificandsocialpointofview.
• Lobbyinginsciencecommunication/environmentalresearch/…
• Uncertainorfaked?Discourseinscienceandmedia.
Dr. Ilona [email protected]
watER mEadows ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL CHEMISTRY
Background:
Water meadows management is a special way of agricultural irrigation using periodically flooding for improving the water and nutrient supply of the meadows, which lead to an enhanced grass production. Parts of the water meadows of Landau (Wässerwiesen) have been regularly flooded for more than 500 years with yet unknown impact on the ecosystem.Comparison of e.g., soil characteristics, vegetation patterns and biodiversity of these areas allows a direct investigation of the effect of hydrological alterations on the terrestrial ecosystem. We hypothe-size that the continuous alteration between reducing and oxidizing conditions in the regularly flooded meadows may have led to an accumulation of soil organic matter (SOM) with different properties with respect to the non-flooded fields. Furthermore the regular shrinking and swelling of the soil can change nature of binding of organic pollutants and thus their bio availability.
Research topics for Bachelor/Master/Diploma thesis/Case Studies:
Contact persons:
Dr. Nicole [email protected]
Dr. Dörte [email protected]
Martin [email protected]
• SoilwaterbalanceandtemporalchangesinredoxconditionsundercontrastinghydrologicalregimesinwatermeadowsinLandau.
• InfluenceofhydrologicalregimesonthermalbehaviorandsurfacepropertiesofSOMinfloodplainsoils.
• Influenceofwaterwaterplantsonwaterqualityandtheirroleaspossiblesourceforcontaminationofmeadows.
• Influenceofshrinkingandswellingonadsorptionandbioavailabilityoforganiccompoundsinthesoil.
wastEwatER REusE on soil ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL CHEMISTRY
Background:
Shortage of water resources is an urgent issue in many regions in the world leading to different con-cepts facing the needs of agriculture. In Palestinian Authorities and Israel waste water as e.g. pre-treated water from waste water treatment plants or water of olive oil mills is often re-used. Despite the positive effects as high nutrient content and water supply possible negative effects as decreased water holding capacity, salinization and quality of soil organic matter of this practice are rather unknown.
Research topics for Bachelor/Master/Diploma thesis/Case Studies:
Contact persons:
• Doesbiodegradationreducewaterrepellencyinoliveoilmillwastewatercontaminatedsoils?
• Retentionofoliveoilmillwastewaterbysoils.Towhichextendisthewastewaterretainedbysoil andwhatcharacteristicsdoestheleachate,whichcancontaminatethegroundwater,have?
• Whatsubstancesinthewastewaterareinducingthewaterrepellency?
• Whichlongtermeffectsdoesirrigationwithpre-treatedwastewateronsoilqualityandphysico- chemicalpropertiesaswaterrepellency,pHandsalinityhaveonIsraelisoils?
Dr. Nicole [email protected]
Dr. Dörte [email protected]
Benjamin Peikertpeikert@uni-landau.
• Characterizationofsolidmineralsinfertilizermaterials.
• Soilbatchandsoilcolumnexperiments.
• DissolutionkineticsofUraniumfromfertilizer.
• Plantgrowthexperiments.
Maintaining soil fertility is one of the most urgent human problems on earth. It is estimated that up to 40% of the world‘s agricultural land is seriously degraded.
Fertilizers: To ensure food supply for the growing world population agriculture depends on an increasing consumption of fertilizers. Unfortunately, fertilizers do not only contain the basic (N, P, K), secondary (e.g. Ca, Mg, S), and micro-nutrients (e.g. Zn, Fe, Mo and Na). They may also contain traces of contami-nants like Uranium and heavy metals like Cd, Pb and As which with increasing fertilizer supply may enrich in the soils.
Therefore possible pathways of Uranium deriving from fertilizers in soils are of special interest.
FERtilizERs and othER soil amEndmEnts ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL CHEMISTRY
Background:
Research topics for Bachelor/Master/Diploma thesis/Case Studies:
Contact person:
Dr. Mohamed [email protected]
• ThermalbehaviorandsurfacepropertiesofTerrapretasubstrate
• Changesoforganicmatterstabilityduringtheproductionprocess
Terra preta is a black soil probably anthropogenically developed in former In-dian cultures in Amazonia. It has a long lasting fertility of more than 1000 years even under the extreme Amazonian climate. Palatine researchers successfully produced this organic rich material. The so-called “Terra preta substrate” has a high water holding and nutrient binding capacity which is supposed to be related to the stability of the organic substrate.
Therefore it is planned to use Terra preta substrates, e.g., on degraded soils to re-establish an organic matter layer and re-enable plant growth.
Research topics for Bachelor/Master/Diploma thesis/Case studies:
Contact persons:
Dr. Jette [email protected]
Dr. Dörte [email protected]
soil oRganic mattER (som) ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL CHEMISTRY
Soil is a highly complex, heterogeneous and chemically ill-defined system. Organic matter regimes in soil serve for various biological and physico-chemical processes. Water plays a key role in several pro-cesses by direct and indirect involvements. Water molecules are hypothesized to bridge between orga-nic matter segments to form cross-links between the molecules. This can affect the SOM stability and uptake and release of small molecules including pollutants. A better understanding of the mechanism that water molecules undergo will open a better way to control soil pollution and enhance remediation technologies.
Research topics for short-term projects:
Contact persons:
Prof. Dr. G. [email protected]
PD. Dr. Jiří Kučerí[email protected]
Yamuna Kunhi Mouvenchery [email protected]
• Rootexudates
• Extracellularpolymericsubstances
• Soil-gelinteractions
• Swellingprocessesinsoil
• Microbialinteractionsinsoil
Background:
Research topics for short-term projects:
• Humificationbywater
• Effectsofwatercontentonphysicalstructureofsoil
• Bridgingoforganicmatterbywatermolecules
contact dEtails ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL CHEMISTRY
Allan PhilippeBuilding I, room 4.06Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Andre DabrunzBuilding CIII, room 1.47Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Priya AbrahamBuilding CIII, room 0.54aPhone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Denis RakcheevBuilding I, room 2.24Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Dr. Ilona HeidmannBuilding I, room 4.30Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Dr. Nicole BandowBuilding CIII, room 1.47Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Dr. Dörte DiehlBuilding CIII, room 0.52aPhone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Martin AltBuilding I, room 5.26Phone: 06341 - 280 31474 [email protected]
Dr. Mohamed AzeroualBuilding CIII, room 0.51Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Dr. Jette SchwarzBuilding CIII, room 0.52bPhone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Prof. Dr. Gabriele SchaumannBuilding I, room 3.11Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
PD. Dr. Jiří KučeríkBuilding I, room 3.29Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Yamuna Kunhi Mouvenchery Building CIII, room 1.47Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
Benjamin PeikertBuilding CIII, room 0.51Phone: 06341 - 280 [email protected]
