TY - JOUR A1 - Stawski, Tomasz A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - Pimentel, Carlos A1 - Montes-Hernández, German A1 - Kochovski, Zdravko A1 - Bienert, Ralf A1 - Weimann, Karin A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Scoppola, Ernesto A1 - Van Driessche, Alexander E.S. T1 - Solution-driven processing of calcium sulfate: The mechanism of the reversible transformation of gypsum to bassanite in brines N2 - Here, we show that calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) can be directly, rapidly and reversibly converted to calcium sulfate hemihydrate (bassanite) in high salinity solutions (brines). The optimum conditions for the efficient production of bassanite in a short time (<5 min) involve the use of brines with c(NaCl) > 4 M and maintaining a temperature, T > 80 °C. When the solution containing bassanite crystals is cooled down to around room temperature, eventually gypsum is formed. When the temperature is raised again to T > 80 °C, bassanite is rapidly re-precipitated. This contrasts with the better-known behaviour of the bassanite phase in low-salt environments. In low-salinity aqueous solutions, bassanite is considered to be metastable with respect to gypsum and anhydrite, and therefore gypsum-to-bassanite conversion does not occur in pure water. Interestingly, the high-salinity transformation of gypsum-to-bassanite has been reported by many authors and used in practice for several decades, although its very occurrence actually contradicts numerical thermodynamic predictions regarding solubility of calcium sulfate phases. By following the evolution of crystalline phases with in situ and time-resolved X-ray diffraction/scattering and Raman spectroscopy, we demonstrated that the phase stability in brines at elevated temperatures was inaccurately represented in the thermodynamic databases. Most notably for c(NaCl) > 4 M, and T > 80 °C gypsum becomes readily more soluble than bassanite, which induces the direct precipitation of the latter from gypsum. The fact that these transformations are controlled by the solution provides extensive opportunities for precise manipulation of crystal formation. Our experiments confirmed that bassanite remained the sole crystalline phase for many hours before reverting into gypsum. This property is extremely advantageous for practical processing and efficient crystal extraction in industrial scenarios. KW - Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering KW - Strategy and Management KW - General Environmental Science KW - Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment KW - Building and Construction KW - Calcium sulfate KW - Gypsum KW - Bassanite KW - Scattering KW - Raman KW - In situ KW - Synchrotron KW - BESSY KW - MySpot PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-594698 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652624004591#appsec1 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141012 SN - 0959-6526 VL - 440 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-59469 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Franz, Mathias A1 - Armitage, Sophie A.O. A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Subasi, Bengisu S. A1 - Rafaluk, Charlotte T1 - Trade-offs in virulence evolution: a Hierarchy-of-Hypotheses approach N2 - Understanding the evolution of virulence, that is, the harm pathogens cause their hosts, has major and wide-spread repercussions. A central concept of virulence evolution is the so-called ‘trade-off hypothesis’, a seemingly straightforward relationship between virulence and transmission. However, substantial ambiguity in terminology related to this hypothesis threatens progress in the field. To address this, we apply a Hierarchy-of-Hypotheses approach to provide structured, visual representations of ideas linked to this hypothesis. We illustrate that the trade-off hypothesis is a complex set of many different hypotheses and trade-offs, and we clarify ambiguities and biases in commonly used terminology in the literature. Thereby, we hope to facilitate a more precise understanding of what the trade-off hypothesis means, enabling more targeted and precise hypothesis testing. KW - Pathogen virulence KW - Trade-off KW - Trade-off hypothesis KW - Virulence evolution PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2025.01.006 SN - 1471-5007 VL - 41 IS - 3 SP - 188 EP - 195 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-62620 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Capitain, C. A1 - Schüßler, M. A1 - Bugsel, B. A1 - Zweigle, J. A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Leube, Peter A1 - Zwiener, C. T1 - Implementation of matrix-matched semiquantification of PFAS in AFFF-contaminated soil N2 - This study presents a novel semiquantification approach for nontarget screening (NTS), combining matrix-matched calibration and ionization class-specific average calibration curves (ACCs) to address the lack of analytical reference standards for most per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Ionization class-specific ACCs for carboxylic and sulfonic acids, sulfonamides, and cationic PFAS result in high accuracy, with median absolute accuracy quotients below 2.27×. The approach was applied to soil impacted by aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) contamination. A total of 96 tentatively identified PFAS were semiquantified in addition to 28 quantified compounds based on available standards. Semiquantified concentrations exceeded those of target analytes, demonstrating the critical role of this method in capturing broader PFAS contamination. In this case, validation against extractable organofluorine (EOF) showed a 102% closed mass balance. The innovative approach not only enables comprehensive PFAS contamination assessment in complex matrices but also expands the scope of the NTS for environmental monitoring, remediation, and risk assessment of AFFF-contaminated sites. KW - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Contaminated soil KW - Non-targeted analysis KW - Combustion ion chromatography PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-629445 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c14255 SN - 1520-5851 VL - 59 IS - 14 SP - 7338 EP - 7347 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) CY - Columbus, Ohio AN - OPUS4-62944 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hendricks, A. A1 - Phillips, T. K. A1 - Engl, T. A1 - Plarre, Rudy A1 - Martinson, V. G. T1 - The bacterial microbiome in spider beetles and deathwatch beetles N2 - The beetle family Ptinidae contains a number of economically important pests, such as the cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne, the drugstore beetle Stegobium paniceum, and the diverse spider beetles. Many of these species are stored product pests, which target a diverse range of food sources, from dried tobacco to books made with organic materials. Despite the threat that the 2,200 species of Ptinidae beetles pose, fewer than 50 have been surveyed for microbial symbionts, and only a handful have been screened using contemporary genomic methods. In this study, we screen 116 individual specimens that cover most subfamilies of Ptinidae, with outgroup beetles from closely related families Dermestidae, Endecatomidae, and Bostrichidae. We used 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon data to characterize the bacterial microbiomes of these specimens. The majority of these species had never been screened for microbes. We found that, unlike in their sister family, Bostrichidae, that has two mutualistic bacteria seen in most species, there are no consistent bacterial members of ptinid microbiomes. For specimens which had Wolbachia infections, we did additional screening using multilocus sequence typing and showed that our populations have different strains of Wolbachia than noted in previous publications. KW - Sodalis KW - Ptinidae KW - Anobiidae KW - Bostrichidae KW - Dermestidae KW - Bostrichoidea KW - Wolbachia PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-631564 DO - https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01981-24 SN - 2165-0497 VL - 13 IS - 5 SP - 1 EP - 14 AN - OPUS4-63156 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Willms, Thomas A1 - Kryk, Holger A1 - Hampel, Uwe T1 - An improved method for the analysis of the reaction products of the partial isobutane oxidation by gas chromatography using a green solvent N2 - In the present work, an improved GC/MS method for the analysis of the reaction products of the non-catalytic partial oxidation of isobutane at a starting temperature of 25°C has been developed and compared to a previously published method. Two green GC-solvents (dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC)) and several internal standards (hexane, benzene, toluene, DEC) have been tested. The separation of the products at low retention times (methanol, isobutane, isobutene) could be significantly improved. For the liquid main products t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), di-t-butyl peroxide (DTBP), t-butanol (TBA), propanone and most trace products (isopropanol, isobutanal, methyl formate, isopropyl formate, t-butyl formate and some acetates – 24 compounds in total), a coefficient of determination CoD > 0.999 has been achieved. For all weighing and GC/MS measurements uncertainties have been calculated. The peaks of the peak pair t-butyl formate (CoD >0.999) and isobutanol (CoD >0.99), have been simulated and used for calibrations. DEC gave a decomposition of TBHP on the column. With DMC, a problem of peak purity of TBHP appeared but could be resolved. The use of the green solvent DMC, compared to also studied traditional solvents like heptane and toluene, proved to be very beneficial, since it also permitted to determine polar compounds, e. g. carbon dioxide and formic acid. KW - GC/MS KW - Green solvent KW - Method development KW - Peroxide KW - Measurement uncertainties KW - Oxidation products KW - Simulation PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-632026 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2025.465892 SN - 0021-9673 VL - 1753 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-63202 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Song, Jessica X. A1 - Scales, Brittan A1 - Nguyen, Minh A1 - Westberg, Emelie A1 - Witalis, Bartosz A1 - Urban-Malinga, Barbara A1 - Oberbeckmann, Sonja T1 - Close encounters on a micro scale: microplastic sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their potential effects on associated biofilm communities N2 - Background: Within systems as dynamic as the aquatic environment, it is crucial to address the impacts of an ever-growing network of emerging pollutants at their intersection. With previous research having demonstrated the capacity of microplastics (MPs) to sorb persistent organic pollutants, we ask in our study how different plastic polymers that are found throughout aquatic systems interact with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and how this intersection of pollutants might impact the bacterial communities that form on MP surfaces. We performed an in situ incubation experiment at different sites along the Baltic Sea coast and through a PAH and 16S amplicon analysis, we investigated the sorption patterns of different substrates and their potential impacts on associated biofilm communities. Results: PAH sorption patterns of polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and aquaria stone were found to be dictated predominantly by substrate type and secondly by incubation site. While PE showed a general positive trend of sorption, stone rather leached PAHs into the environment, whereas the PAH levels of PS remained relatively unchanged following incubation. These sorption patterns correlated significantly with the composition of biofilm communities observed on all three substrate types after a 6-week incubation period. Strong correlations between specific PAHs and bacterial taxa indicate a direct relationship between these factors. Elevated levels of specific 3- and 4-ring PAHs on PE and PS coincided with higher proportions of specific taxa reportedly capable of hydrocarbon utilisation as well as a reduced diversity among biofilm communities. Conclusion: The findings in our study highlight the importance of investigating contaminants such as MPs holistically, including any associated substances, to fully understand how they impact surrounding ecological systems as they traverse the different compartments of the aquatic ecosystem. KW - Aquatic biofilms KW - Plastic pollution KW - PAH KW - Microbiome KW - Emerging contaminants PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-636658 DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00747-w SN - 2524-6372 VL - 20 IS - 84 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - BMC Part of Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-63665 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jahnke, Annika A1 - Beck, Aaron J. A1 - Becker, Richard L. A1 - Bedulina, Daria A1 - Braun, Ulrike A1 - Gerdts, Gunnar A1 - Hildebrandt, Lars A1 - Joerss, Hanna A1 - Klein, Ole A1 - Korduan, Janine A1 - Laforsch, Christian A1 - Lannig, Gisela A1 - Leslie, Heather A. A1 - Lips, Stefan A1 - Menger, Frank A1 - Nabi, Deedar A1 - Oberbeckmann, Sonja A1 - Primpke, Sebastian A1 - Pröfrock, Daniel A1 - Ramsperger, Anja F.R.M. A1 - Römerscheid, Mara A1 - Schmitt-Jansen, Mechthild A1 - Scholz-Böttcher, Barbara M. A1 - Tröppner, Oliver A1 - Wendt-Potthoff, Katrin A1 - Kühnel, Dana T1 - Perspective article: Multisectoral considerations to enable a circular economy for plastics N2 - Plastics are widely used but improper disposal and release lead to increasing global pollution, threatening environmental and human health. To address this issue, we suggest intersectoral collaboration to achieve zero plastic pollution. The outcomes of the project P-LEACH demonstrated the enormous complexity and range of potential toxic effects of plastic-associated chemicals and micro-/nanoplastics released into water from UV-weathered plastics. We initiated an intersectoral dialogue amongst scientists, manufacturers, regulators and representatives of civil society about how to alleviate the negative impacts of plastic pollution. Circular economy offers a framework for selecting non-toxic chemicals, extending product (re)use, and waste reduction, which act to alleviate pollution when applied to plastics. We suggest three measures to advance a circular economy of plastics: 1.) Increase simplicity of chemicals in virgin plastics combined with transparent information on the contents; 2.) Consider recyclability already in plastic material and product design; 3.) Foster communication through intersectoral dialogue. Major cornerstones are the provision of standardized, easy-to-use tools to characterize plastics and plastic leachates chemically and (eco)toxicologically, the enhancement of citizen awareness enabling them to make informed choices, the creation of economic incentives for manufacturers, and sector-specific regulations to provide products that safeguard environmental and human health. KW - Plastics KW - Circular economy KW - Cross-sectoral dialogue KW - Recyclability KW - Plastic-associated chemicals PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-638280 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139326 SN - 0304-3894 VL - 496 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-63828 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Li, Changchao A1 - Jin, Ling N. A1 - Bank, Michael S. A1 - Fan, Chunlan A1 - Gillings, Michael R. A1 - Zhao, Tingting A1 - Han, Yong A1 - Chen, Tian A1 - Gao, Meng A1 - Zhu, Dong A1 - Chen, Qinglin A1 - Zhu, Guibing A1 - Wang, Jie A1 - Wang, Lei A1 - Liu, Jian A1 - Yuan, Xianzheng A1 - Huang, Qishen A1 - Wang, Xiaofei A1 - Jahnke, Annika A1 - Brahney, Janice A1 - Allen, Steve A1 - Arp, Hans Peter H. A1 - Oberbeckmann, Sonja A1 - Bergmann, Melanie A1 - Pointing, Stephen B. A1 - Zhang, Daizhou A1 - Rillig, Matthias C. T1 - Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere N2 - Microplastics are a ubiquitous yet long-overlooked component of airborne particulate matter. The surface of these plastic particles provides a unique niche for microorganisms, collectively known as the plastisphere. The plastisphere in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems harbors microbial communities with distinct compositions, structures, and functional profiles, posing potential planetary health risks. The characteristics, fate, and impacts of the microbiome associated with airborne microplastics, however, remain largely unknown. In this review, we fill the knowledge gaps by exploring how airborne microplastics serve as key habitats for microorganisms and the potential planetary health implications. We show that microplastics are expected to carry and sustain microorganisms over long distances and timescales in air, potentially dispersing pathogens, antibiotic-resistance genes, and other bioactive agents across ecosystems. These interactions may perturb ecological processes and biological health on a planetary scale. Interdisciplinary research and innovative methodologies are urgently required to better understand and mitigate the airborne plastisphere risks. KW - Microplastics KW - Microbiome KW - Plastisphere PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-645551 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446 SN - 2590-3322 VL - 8 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-64555 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Poelke, B. A1 - Klein, Luise A1 - Hoffmann, H. A1 - Wilke, Olaf A1 - Roloff, A. T1 - Bestimmung von VOC-Emissionen aus Verbraucherprodukten in mikroskaligen Emissionsprüfkammern: Ergebnisse eines Rundversuchs T1 - Determining VOC Emissions from Consumer Products in Micro-Scale Emission Test Chambers: Results of a Round Robin Test N2 - Die Bestimmung der Anfangskonzentrationen flüchtiger organischer Verbindungen, die innerhalb der ersten Stunden des Gebrauchs aus Verbraucherprodukten emittiert werden, wurde in einem Ringversuch getestet, bei dem Mikro-Kammern verwendet wurden. Neun Labore nahmen an dem Ringversuch teil, der sich aus zwei Teilen zusammensetzte: Im ersten Teil wurde die analytische Leistungsfähigkeit beurteilt. Jedes beteiligte Labor erhielt zwei mit Analyten dotierte Tenax® TA Desorptionsröhrchen zur Qualitätskontrolle (QC). Im zweiten Teil führte jedes Labor Emissionsmessungen über einen Zeitraum von 48 Stunden in Mikro-Kammern mit Volumina von 44 oder 114 ml durch. Als Probenmaterial dienten Stücke eines Regenponchos, der Cyclohexanon, Phenol, 2-Ethylhexanol, Naphthalin und Isophoron in signifikanten Konzentrationen emittierte. Für den QC-Test wurden sehr geringe relative Standardabweichungen (9 14 %) erhalten. Die Ergebnisse der Emissionsmessungen waren ebenfalls sehr gut. In der frühen Phase (0,5 4 Stunden) wurden akzeptable z-Scores (|z| ≤ 2,00) von mindestens sieben Laboren erhalten, nach 24 und 48 Stunden erhielten alle Labore akzeptable z-Scores. KW - Emissionsprüfkammer KW - Ringversuch KW - Verbraucherprodukt KW - VOC-Emission PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.37544/0949-8036-2025-03-04-71 VL - 85 IS - 03-04 SP - 71 EP - 76 AN - OPUS4-63561 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Frenzel, Olivia A1 - Westphalen, Tanja A1 - Kaminski, Katja A1 - Kluge, Stephanie A1 - Bücker, Michael A1 - Piechotta, Christian T1 - Evaluation and Validation of an Accelerated Weathering Procedure to Characterise the Release of Bisphenol A from Polycarbonate Under Exposure to Simulated Environmental Conditions N2 - Bisphenol A (BPA) has been listed as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) due to its endocrine-disrupting properties according to REACH in 2017. European competent authorities have prepared a REACH restriction proposal to reduce BPA levels in the environment. The proposed limit for the concentration of free BPA and other bisphenols in articles is 10 mg kg−1. If exceeded, migration testing can demonstrate that no more than 0.04 mg L−1 is released from the product or material over its lifetime. German authorities are drafting a new restriction proposal after the original was temporarily withdrawn. The residual and migration limits mentioned above were key requirements from the previous restriction proposal. Numerous national and international standards exist for assessing how environmental factors affect the physical and chemical properties of products and materials—such as notch impact strength and tensile strength—but these standards do not cover the release of pollutants. A standardised procedure that covers all aspects of artificial weathering and monitors the subsequent release of pollutants is necessary, especially in the context of the regulation of these substances. An accelerated weathering procedure was established for non-protected samples. This material was not intended for outdoor applications. The testing procedure applied a typical weathering scenario that represents Central European climate conditions. The procedure was validated and applied to samples under distinct quality assurance aspects. Released BPA is quantified via an organic isotope dilution LC-MS/MS method. In parallel, identical samples were weathered outdoors on a weathering rack. Haze and yellowness index are measured to compare outdoor and weathering chamber results. KW - Artificial weathering KW - Polycarbonate KW - Bisphenol A KW - Simulated environmental conditions PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-645020 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/app151910361 SN - 2076-3417 VL - 15 IS - 19 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - MDPI AG AN - OPUS4-64502 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -