SARIB

Partner No. 9 Institute For Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), Austria

Department of Environmental Biotechnology
Contaminated Land Management
A-3430 Tulln • Konrad Lorenz Str. 20 • AUSTRIA
http://www.ifa-tulln.ac.at

Role
Leading institute in the field of risk assessment by means of ecotoxicological methods; Contact to EU and knowledge of EU-standards; Contact in target area.
Primary tasks:
Risk Assessment by means of ecotoxicological methods; aquatic, benthic and terrestrial tests

Contribution
This partner will contribute to SARIB as follows:
- Screening of the relevant test organisms.
- Test adaptation and optimisation for each of the three media (water, sediment, soil) and validation of these with samples from Sava River Basin.
- Toxicity Assessment with selected samples from Sava River Basin using the most appropriate tests.
- Correlation of bioassay data with results of other partners.
- Together with other partners from WP3 contribution to development of new methodology for the assessment of environmental and health risks.
- Evaluation of various ecotoxicological tools in terms of their suitability for the assessment of Sava River considering quality, risk and sustainability;

Skills
IFA-Tulln (Institute For Agrobiotechnology) is a joint venture of the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Technology. The institute (foundation 1994) comprises app. 10.000 m2 of laboratory and office space with app. 130 permanently employed researchers and technicians. Due to a strong interaction with the involved universities, the institute is constantly increasing its research potential and is generating the best infrastructure possible. Moreover, extended co-operation with industry allows commercial exploitation of R&D activities.
Activities range from molecular genetics to innovative analytical methods, from environmental process development and biopolymers to animal and plant production. The mission of institute is to conduct interdisciplinary research in the field of agrobiotechnology with particular emphasis on environmental aspects, innovative production techniques based on renewable resources, molecular genetics, quality of food and agricultural products, waste management and ecotoxicology.

The Department of Environmental Biotechnology was established during last decades at the Institute of Applied Microbiology - Vienna (IAM). Research of the department was mainly focused on treatment and disposal processes for water, soil and sewage. Some examples of current work are the development of methods for the characterisation of microbial activity and the biodegradation of recalcitrant substances like PAH in soil, further development and optimisation of membrane bioreactor processes for use in sanitary and industrial sewage treatment as well as the investigation of the biodegradability of different natural and xenobiotic materials. Furthermore, projects are in progress concerning the biotechnological processing of waste products and by-products, as well as new refining methods for biochemicals, and processes for utilising renewable natural resources as a source of energy and chemicals.
The working group 'Contaminated Land Management' at the Department of Environmental Biotechnology has expertise in the decontamination of polluted soils (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mineral oil hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons and pesticides) and in the development of ecotoxicological evaluation strategies for contaminated soil. Within this scope the research group is focussing on processes that are responsible for the transformation of organic contaminants in soil. The phenomenon of bioavailability is investigated as it is a key factor for successful bioremediation and, in addition, also determines the extent of toxic effects exhibited by contaminated soil. Further research is focused on the development of innovative in-situ techniques for the remediation of the vadose and the saturated zone. Moreover, ecotoxicological risk assessment of contaminated soil is accomplished by the application of bioassays and toxicity data is used for the development of site specific risk assessment strategies.

Laboratory resources
Climate chambers, green houses, incubators, high performance analytical instrumentation: F-AAS, ET-Zeeman-AAS, TOC, C-, H-, N-analyzers, several digestion and other sample preparation units, clean benches, anaerobic chamber, cold rooms for sample preparation and storage, photometers, ion chromatography, capillary zone electrophoresis, SFE, HPLC-UV-DAD, HPLC-FD, HPLC-ECD, HPLC-PB-MS, GC-FID, GC-ECD, GC-NPD, GC-MS, automated DC, gel permeation chromatography with laser light scattering detection, semi-preparative LC, software for processing of MS-data. Fermentation pilot plant including bioreactors from 10 to 500 L.

Key Scientists in project
Andreas Paul Loibner. Vice Head of the Department of Environmental Biotechnology at IFA-Tulln, principal scientist of the research group 'Contaminated Land Management', lecturer at the Universität für Bodenkultur (University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna), participation at the European concerted actions NICOLE and CARACAS and as national expert member of CLARINET, a network on the management of contaminated land, participation in EU-projects 'Bioremediation in the Rhizosphere' (ENV4-CT97-0602) and 'GeoEnvNet' (HPRI-CT-2000-40023).
Dragana Todorovic. Scientist, senior research officer of the research group 'Contaminated Land Mangement', focusing on bioavailability of organic pollutants to microorganisms, in combination with physical-chemical treatments, including the development of rapid assessment tools, further research field ecotoxicology, focussing on the elaboration of a techniques for a comprehensive detection of possible ecological hazards.
Hildegard Aichberger. Scientist, junior research officer of the research group 'Contaminated Land Mangement', undertaking research in the transport behaviour of organic pollutants in soil with a special focus of the influence of the mineral particles and soil organic matter, further research in ecotoxicology, focussing on the assessment of crude oil contaminated soil, participation in EU-project 'GeoEnvNet' (HPRI-CT-2000-40023).

EU Projects:
'Bioremediation in the Rhizosphere' (ENV4-CT97-0602)
'GeoEnvNet' (HPRI-CT-2000-40023)
'LIBERATION' (EVK-CT-2001-00105)

Selected Publications

Joner, E.J., Hirmann, D., Szolar, O.H.J., Todorovic, D., Leyval, C., and Loibner, A.P. (submitted to Environmental Pollution). Priming Effects on PAH degradation and ecotoxicty during a phytoremediation experiment.

Loibner, A.P., Szolar O.H.J., Braun, R., and Hirmann, D. (submitted to Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry). Toxicity evaluation of 16 U.S. EPA priority PAHs using the Vibrio fischeri bioassay.

Loibner, A.P., Szolar, O.H.J., Braun, R., and Hirmann, D. (in press). Use of Toxicity Tests in Contaminated Land Analysis. In: Chemical Analysis of Contaminted Land, Eds. Thompson, K.C. and Nathanail, P., Blackwell Publishing, Abingdon, Oxon, UK

dela Cruz, M.A.T., Szolar, O.H.J., Braun, R., and Loibner, A.P. 2003. The Use of Bioassays in Determining the Ecotoxicity of Industrial Soils. In: The Utilization of Bioremediation to Reduce Soil Contamination: Problems and Solutions, Eds. Sasek ,V., Glaser, J.A. and Baveye P., Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. IV. Earth and Evironmental Sciences Vol. 19, 205-209

Bhatt, M., Szolar, O.H.J., Braun, R., and Loibner, A.P. 2003. Exotoxicological Evaluation of PAH-Contaminated Soil Using Earthworms. In: The Utilization of Bioremediation to Reduce Soil Contamination: Problems and Solutions, Eds. Sasek ,V., Glaser, J.A. and Baveye P., Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. IV. Earth and Evironmental Sciences Vol. 19, 199-203

Loibner, A.P., Braun, R., Boller, V., and Szolar, O.H.J. 2003. The Application of Bioassays for Site Specific Risk Assessment. In: The Utilization of Bioremediation to Reduce Soil Contamination: Problems and Solutions, Eds. Sasek ,V., Glaser, J.A. and Baveye P., Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. IV. Earth and Evironmental Sciences Vol. 19, 165-175

Crommentuijn, T., Bierkens, J., Herrchen, M., Jensen, J., Loibner, A.P., Schelwald, R., van Wensem, J., Rutgers, M., Weeks, J. 2001. Ecological Risk Assessment for Contaminated Sites in Europe - ECORISK Conclusions. In: Proceedings of the CLARINET Final Conference, Vienna, Austria, 78-80. Online: http://www.clarinet.at/library/proceedings_finalconf.pdf, accessed at 2002-03-27.

Loibner, A.P., Braun, R., and Szolar, O.H.J. 2000. Ecotoxicity Testing and its Integration in Ecological Risk Assessment. In: ICS Proceedings Expert Group Meetings on 'POPs and Pesticides Contamination: Remediation Technologies' and 'Clean Technologies for the Reduction and Elimination of POPs', Ed. Miertus, St., ICS-UNIDO, Trieste, Italy, 130-135.

Loibner, A.P., dela Cruz, M.A.T., Hirmann, D., Szolar, O.H.J., and Braun, R. 2000. Phytoremediation of PAH-Contaminated Soils - Ecotoxicity Monitoring Using Bioassays. In: Remade Lands, Eds. Brion, A. and Bell, R.W., Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd., Canning Bridge, Western Australia, 24-25.

Loibner, A.P., dela Cruz, M.A.T., Hirmann, D., Szolar, O.H.J., Braun, R.. 2000. Phytoremediation of PAH-Contaminated Soils - Ecotoxicity Monitoring Using Bioassays. In: Remade Lands, pp. 24-25, Eds. Brion A and Bell RW, Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd., Canning Bridge, Western Australia.

dela Cruz, M.A.T., Loibner, A.P., Szolar, O.H.J., Leyval, C., Joner, E., Braun R. 2000. Ecotoxicity Monitoring of Phytoremediation Processes. In: Contaminated Soil 2000, Vol.1, pp. 351-354. Thomas Telford Publishing, London, UK.

Loibner, A.P., Szolar, O., Schlegl, M., and Braun, R. 1998. Bioavailability of PAHs in Soil and Ecotoxicological Considerations. In: Contaminated Soil '98, Eds. Harder, W. and Arendt, F., Thomas Telford Publishing, London, UK, Vol.2, 797-799.

Stoffers, N.H., Loibner, A.P., and Braun, R. 1998. Toxicity of Lindane Metabolites. Proceedings 5. Intern. HCH and Pesticide Forum, Bilbao, Spain, 279-283.