TY - JOUR A1 - Monikh, F. A. A1 - Baun, A. A1 - Hartmann, N. B. A1 - Kortet, R. A1 - Akkanen, J. A1 - Lee, J.-S. A1 - Shi, H. A1 - Lahive, E. A1 - Uurasjärvi, E. A1 - Tufenkji, N. A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Wiesner, Yosri A1 - Grossart, H.-P. A1 - Peijnenburg, W. A1 - Kukkonen, J. V. K. T1 - Exposure protocol for ecotoxicity testing of microplastics and nanoplastics N2 - Despite the increasing concern about the harmful effects of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), there are no harmonized guidelines or protocols yet available for MNP ecotoxicity testing. Current ecotoxicity studies often use commercial spherical particles as models for MNPs, but in nature, MNPs occur in variable shapes, sizes and chemical compositions. Moreover, protocols developed for chemicals that dissolve or form stable dispersions are currently used for assessing the ecotoxicity of MNPs. Plastic particles, however, do not dissolve and also show dynamic behavior in the exposure medium, depending on, for example, MNP physicochemical properties and the medium’s conditions such as pH and ionic strength. Here we describe an exposure protocol that considers the particle-specific properties of MNPs and their dynamic behavior in exposure systems. Procedure 1 describes the top-down production of more realistic MNPs as representative of MNPs in nature and particle characterization (e.g., using thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry). Then, we describe exposure system development for short- and long-term toxicity tests for soil (Procedure 2) and aquatic (Procedure 3) organisms. Procedures 2 and 3 explain how to modify existing ecotoxicity guidelines for chemicals to target testing MNPs in selected exposure systems. We show some examples that were used to develop the protocol to test, for example, MNP toxicity in marine rotifers, freshwater mussels, daphnids and earthworms. The present protocol takes between 24 h and 2 months, depending on the test of interest and can be applied by students, academics, environmental risk assessors and industries. KW - Microplastics KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Cryo milling PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-023-00886-9 SN - 1754-2189 SP - 1 EP - 38 PB - Nature Protocols AN - OPUS4-58557 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - ILC on Laser diffraction - preliminary results N2 - This presentation addresses an interlaboratory comparison on size of polymeric particles (microplastics) measured by laser diffraction. Two microplastic particles were measured separately and once as mixture. Evaluation was done with Fraunhofer and Mie. Here, the first results are presented. T2 - CUSP Annual Meeting CY - Utrecht, Netherlands DA - 12.09.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Laser diffraction KW - Polymer 3R KW - Size distribution KW - Polymer size PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58318 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Drexel, R. T1 - Nano-sized Polypropylene as a Promising Candidate Reference Material: Preparation, Characterization and Stability in Complex Matrices N2 - The lack of nanoplastic (NPs) reference materials capable of mimicking real-world scenarios is currently hampering the development of validated extraction techniques from complex matrices (e.g. soils, sediments, biota), the development of analytical approaches for robust identification and quantification, and the ability to use environmentally relevant test materials in (eco)toxicity testing and hazard assessment [1]. The large body of available data suggests that larger microplastics (MPs) in the natural environment are irregular shaped, partially degraded (chemically and physically), a continuum of sizes, shapes and densities, represent a wide range of polymer types, and acts as a reservoir for thousands of plastic chemicals. Although NPs have been described as being neither MPs nor engineered nanoparticles [2], and while direct measurement data of true NP in the environment remain elusive, they are expected to be as equally diverse as MPs [3]. Here, we present a strategy towards the development of a potential NP reference material based on nano-sized polyproplyene particles (nanoPP) developed within the EURAMET-funded PlasticTrace project (https://plastictrace.eu/). The strategy includes the preparation, the physicochemical characterization and the stability assessment of nanoPP in suspension both in its pristine state, but also when spiked into food (mineral water and milk) and environmental matrices (suspended particulate matter collected from the river Elbe ). Collected experimental data suggests nanoPP to be a promising candidate for a NP reference material. T2 - SETAC Europe 2025 CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 11.05.2025 KW - Nanoplastics KW - Reference materials PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63382 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Validation of microplastics detection methods and proficiency testing: Suitable microplastic reference materials for interlaboratory comparison N2 - The talk summarizes challenges in microplastic analysis. It shows the preparation of microplastic reference materials as well as the testing on homogeneity and stability. The reference material is used in an international laboratory comparison to compare different detection methods used for microplastic analysis. The methods used were µ-IR (FTIR+LDIR) for number-based methods and TED-GC/MS and Py-GC/MS for mass-based methods. The ILC was done under the umbrella of VAMAS TWA 45. Results of the participants are presented. T2 - BAM Akademie CY - Online meeting DA - 16.05.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - Reference materials KW - ILC KW - Microplastics detection KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Polymer 3R PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60085 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Mikroplastik Detektion mit Thermoanalytischen Methoden: Analytik, Referenzmaterial, Ringversuche N2 - Ich dem Vortrag geht es um die Vorstellung von thermoanalytischen Methoden für die Mikroplastik-Detektion. Verschiedene Kopplungsmöglichkeiten werden gezeigt und die Funktionsweise der TED-GC/MS wird erklärt. Im zweiten Teil werden Referenzmaterialien für die Mikroplastik-Analytik diskutiert. PET -Tabletten des PlasticTrace Projektes werden vorgestellt. Am Ende wird der VAMAS Ringversuch zur Mikroplastik-Detektion gezeigt. T2 - Plastik, Mikroplastik, Nanopartikel, PFAS und Verunreinigungen (Agilent Workshop) CY - Hamburg, Germany DA - 28.05.2024 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Polymer 3R KW - Ringversuche KW - Referenzmaterial PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60155 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Drago, C. T1 - Standardization Methods for the Analysis of Microplastics (10 100µm) in Food Matrix: Sample Preparation and Digestion of Milk Powder. N2 - Monitoring of microplastics in food matrices is crucial to determinate the human exposure. By direct ingestion microplastics could be released in the food during the production, through packaging and by consumer’s use. The absence of standard methods to quantify and detect different size range and type of microplastics has led to difficult and time consuming procedural steps, poor accuracy and lack of comparability. In this work, matrix characterization and laboratory experiments were used to investigate the efficiency of sample preparation in milk powder. This information is crucial to compile a standard procedure for sample preparation and digestion of common milk powder to detect different particle sizes and types of polymers. Charaterisation is done by TGA and TOC measurements. T2 - SETAC Europe 2024 CY - Sevilla, Spain DA - 05.05.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - Harmonisation in microplastics KW - Polymer 3R KW - Microplastics in milk PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60034 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Vogel, Christian T1 - Investigating the Thermal Decomposition of PFAS in a Full-Scale Commercial Hazardous Waste Incinerator (SERDP ER24-4073) N2 - Effective and safe treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-laden waste in full-scale hazardous waste facilities is currently the only commercial method for large-scale PFAS destruction, but concerns remain about incomplete combustion and harmful byproducts. Therefore, the fate of fluorine during incineration was investigated in a full-scale hazardous waste incinerator to assess the viability and potential risks of this method. The project involves developing advanced analytical tools, including real-time infrared spectroscopy, and conducting trial burns under varied conditions. Conditions that influence incineration performance are identified, analyzing for products of incomplete destruction (PIDs), exploring the role of fly ash and surfaces in PFAS breakdown, and evaluating the potential formation of polyfluorinated dioxins and furans. Collectively, these tasks aim to deliver practical tools and guidance for scientists and engineers, while informing policymakers and the public on the benefits and potential risks of PFAS incineration. T2 - DoW Applied Innovation Workshop CY - Washington, DC, USA DA - 02.03.2026 KW - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Incineration PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65639 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Update – Milling and weathering of granules N2 - The talk aims to describe the production of microplastic particles as test material and the additional weathering for aged particles. T2 - PlasticsFate meeting CY - Online meeting DA - 12.11.2021 KW - Microplastic KW - Cryo milling KW - Aged particles PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53737 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kittner, Maria T1 - Beschleunigung und Hemmung - Komplexe Wechselwirkungen bei der Zersetzung von thermoplastischen PLA/PS-Blends unter realitätsnahen Umweltbedingungen N2 - Mit dem stetigen weltweiten Anstieg der Nachfrage nach Polymerprodukten nimmt auch die potenzielle Menge an Kunststoffabfällen in der Umwelt zu. Problematisch ist, dass viele der wirtschaftlich relevantesten Kunststoffe sehr lange brauchen, um in der Umwelt abzubauen, sich dort akkumulieren und in kritisch betrachtetes Makro- und Mikroplastik zu zerfallen. Auf der Grundlage des Vorsorgeprinzips fordert die Europäische Kommission daher die Entwicklung neuer polymerer Materialien, die diesem Problem der Persistenz entgegenwirken und unter natürlichen Umweltbedingungen schneller abgebaut werden können. 1,2 Um dieses Problem anzusprechen, wurden mittels additiver Fertigung Polymerblends aus photooxidationsempfindlichem Polystyrol (PS) und hydrolyseempfindlicher Polymilchsäure (PLA) hergestellt. Die Hypothese war, dass sich die beiden Thermoplaste aufgrund ihrer unterschiedlichen Abbauprozesse gegenseitig in ihrem Abbau unterstützen, wenn sie unter moderaten, realitätsnahen Umweltalterungsbedingungen (45 °C) abwechselnd der Photooxidation und Hydrolyse ausgesetzt werden. In der Praxis zeigten die Ergebnisse, dass die Degradation von PLA durch die Anwesenheit von PS deutlich beschleunigt worden ist – wohingegen die Degradation von PS gehemmt wurde. In diesem Vortrag werden die detaillierten Ergebnisse der Oberflächen- (ATR-FTIR, REM) und Bulk-Analysen (DSC, TGA, FTIR-Transmission, TED-GC/MS) der Blends sowie ergänzende Mikroplastik-Ergebnisse des umgebenden Wassermediums (TED-GC/MS) erörtert. T2 - 50. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Umweltsimulation (GUS) CY - Online meeting DA - 23.03.2022 KW - Polymerblend KW - PLA KW - Hydrolyse KW - PS KW - Bewitterung KW - UV-Bestrahlung KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Wasser KW - Mikroplastik PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54544 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Plastik in Böden: Mikroplastik-Analytik N2 - Im Vortrag wir eine Methode zur Analyse von Mikroplastik in Böden dargestellt. Es geht dabei um die Probenvorbereitung und Detektion. T2 - Fachgespräch "Plastik in Böden" CY - Online meeting DA - 28.03.2022 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Mikroplastik-Analytik KW - Methodenentwicklung Böden PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54646 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Plastik in Böden: Mikroplastik-Ergebnisse N2 - In diesem Vortrag geht um die Vorstellung der Ergebnisse des UBA Projektes Plastik in Böden. Es werden Mikroplastik-Gehalte in verschiedenen Böden präsentiert. T2 - Fachgespräch "Plastik in Böden" CY - Online meeting DA - 28.03.2022 KW - Mikroplastik KW - Mikroplastik Böden KW - Mikroplastik-Analytik PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54648 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Mikroplastik heute: Was haben wir in den letzten Jahren erreicht? N2 - In diesem Vortrag geht es um eine Übersicht über die Thematik der Mikroplastik, Was ist Mikroplastik, wie entsteht es und wo kommt es her. Es wird beschrieben wie eine repräsentative Probenahme erfolgen kann und wie welche Herausforderungen bei der Probenvorbereitung existieren. Die Detektion wird ausführlich beschrieben, sowohl mit Partikelanzahl als auch Masse. Im weiteren werden erste Referenzmaterialien und ihre Anwendung in internationalen Ringversuchen beschrieben. Der zweite Teil zeigt die Normungsaktivitäten im Bereich der Mikroplastik. T2 - Mitgliederversammlung der GdCh Lackchemie CY - Online Meeting DA - 20.09.2024 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Polymer 3R KW - Reference material KW - ILC on detection methods PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61087 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kittner, Maria T1 - Contaminant Emissions from Artificial Turf Sports Pitches - Simultaneous sampling for Microplastics, PAH and Heavy Metals N2 - In September 2023, the European Commission introduced a new regulation to reduce microplastic (MP) emissions into the environment, including the sale and use of intentionally added (large) MP < 5 mm (ISO/TR 21960: 2020). This explicitly applies to the use of synthetic rubber granulate infill in artificial turf installations, which are complex multi-component systems consisting of multiple synthetic polymers (Fig. 1). In addition, abrasions of synthetic grass fibres and other turf components are also considered as MP sources. Although this has a major impact on public recreational sports, there is so far no sufficient data to estimate the MP emissions from artificial turf sports pitches into the environment and thus their relevance as a source of MP pollution. To close this gap, this study compared environmental contaminant emissions of three artificial turf scenarios at different ageing states (unaged, artificially and real-time aged): the past (old turf: fossil based, synthetic infill), present (most commonly installed in Germany: fossil based, EPDM infill) and future (turf with recycled grass fibres, no synthetic infill). Accelerated ageing by UV weathering and mechanical stress was carried out to simulate the outdoor weathering during the lifespan of approx. 15 years. MP emissions and released environmentally relevant contaminants posing a risk to the groundwater were simultaneously sampled using the newly developed Microplastic Eluate Lysimeter manufactured at BAM (Fig. 2). MP contents were analysed using smart microfilter crucibles (mesh size: 5 μm) with subsequent MP detection by TED-GC/MS. Additionally, concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined using GC/MS and heavy metals using ICP-AES. T2 - 22nd European Symposium on Polymer Spectroscopy (ESOPS) CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 08.09.2024 KW - Microplastics Eluate Lysimeter KW - Microplastics KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Heavy Metals KW - PAH PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61013 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Miclea, Paul-Tiberiu T1 - Membrane filter cascade for size-selective analysis of nano-and micro particles N2 - From a metrological point of view, the analysis of micro and nanoplastics MNP requires not only representative and meaningful methods for sampling, preparation, and detection, but also defined and reproducible analytical procedures for the processes and materials used. For such a validation of the detection procedures (including the determination of process and laboratory blank values), the filters and laboratory conditions used in interaction with the final MNP measurement play a central role for detection limits regarding MNP size, MNP content and statistical measurement control, in addition to the reference materials mentioned above. On the basis of available filtration materials (e.g. metal mesh, silicon, aluminum oxide, polycarbonate) and metrological boundary conditions, key aspects for metrologically sound method development must be defined. Two key categories of analysis are developed for the characterization of MNP’s: analytical methods (e.g. µ-IR spectroscopy, µRaman) and mass spectrometry (eg. Py-GC/MS or TED-GC/MS). If in the first category the shape, size, number of particles and the size distribution present in the samples can be determined. In the second category the mass of the material can be measured and the volume of plastic present in the samples can be deduced from this. Both catagories are very sensitive in terms of the volume of material that can be analyzed; vibrational methods can detect single particles but mass-based method require enough particles to reach the limit of detection. That is why in this study we propose a filtration system, which in our opinion brings the two categories much closer to each other and allows true measurements of particle number and mass of the same sample. In this way it is possible not only to estimate the volume of plastic in the sample, but also to determine with much greater precision the number of particles and the type of plastic present. Furthermore, new methods for particle detection can be added and combined with existing methods. Our proposed system can be used for a single filter, but also for the use of several filters in cascade. In this way a separation of particles by size can be achieved. T2 - 13th Annual World Congress of Nano Science & Technology 2024 CY - Osaka, Japan DA - 22.05.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - Si filters KW - Filtration KW - Polymer 3R PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61097 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Drago, Claudia T1 - Rapid sample preparation to detect microplastics in baby milk powder N2 - Microplastics, ubiquitous as it is, could be released into food during production chain, through packaging and by consumer´s use. To determinate human exposure to microplastics is crucial to monitor microplastics in food matrices. The current absence of standard sample preparation procedures to identify and quantify different microplastics according to number and mass have generate time-consuming protocols and lack of comparability among different analytical methods, laboratories and time scales. Monitoring microplastics in complex matrices as food, and in particular in baby milk powder, requires an accurate approach that need to be validate, to ensure the comparability of results. Bottled drinking water or surface waters, for example, can be measured with mass-based methods (TED-GC/MS or Py-GC/MS) directly after filtration. Baby milk powder, instead is more challenging, due to the proteins and fatty acid that clog the filters and contaminate the measuring devices with heavy carry over. In this study, we characterize the baby milk powder by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and we tested different treatments for matrix reduction: water, H2O2, citric acids. In particular, the use of citric acid was tested for protein reduction before filtration. Our hypothesis was that citric acid will induce the precipitation of proteins and amino acids, leading to a strong matrix reduction. In fact, this sample pre treatment, allowed us to use a higher intake, necessary for representative quantification. Finally, the milk powder was spiked with reference material tablets containing polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The PET was not degraded by the citric acid and high recovery rate was achieved by TED-GC/MS and Py-GC/MS methods. Considering the simplicity and accessibility of this sample preparation and its robust results, this procedure could be easily proposed as a simple sample preparation approach to monitor microplastics by mass-based methods. T2 - MICRO 2024 CY - Arrecife, Spain DA - 23.09.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - Milk KW - Polymer 3R KW - TED-GC/MS PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61273 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Round Table for Expert Stakeholders​ - The Transfer of Research into Policy and Regulation N2 - This talk gives an overwiew about the material and physico chemical characterisation of materials developed for the EU founded project PlasticsFate. Particles in 1st and 2nd sample set are presented next to their characterisatin and documentation in data sheets. Some materials are prepared for reference material and used in an interlaboratory comparison. Results are briefly discussed. T2 - Stakeholder Workshop PlasticsFate CY - Bühl, Germany DA - 17.09.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - Reference materials KW - Polymer 3R KW - Interlaboratory comparison PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61088 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Alić Stolar, Jasna T1 - Harnessing mechanochemistry to tackle PFAS pollution N2 - We are currently facing one of the most serious environmental crises in human history – the widespread pollution caused by PFAS. PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are toxic, persistent, highly mobile, and bioaccumulative compounds, often referred to as 'forever chemicals'. For over 70 years, they have been used to make products resistant to water, heat, and stains, but the cost of damaging ecosystems and harming human health was revealed far too late. As of 2023, there were more than 23,000 confirmed PFAS contamination sites in Europe alone, with at least an equal number of presumptive contamination sites due to historical and current industrial activities.1 Public concern has pushed regulatory bodies to restrict the production of the most common PFAS, but with over 10,000 PFAS compounds and existing contamination, the problem remains largely unresolved. State-of-the-art remediation strategies rely on energy-intensive incineration, which releases greenhouse gases and smaller, volatile PFAS derivatives.2 Here, we present a fast, simple, and sustainable method for the complete degradation of PFAS, leveraging mechanochemistry3 to break down the persistent carbon-fluorine bonds. Our findings indicate that liquid-assisted grinding conditions accelerate the degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid compared to neat grinding conditions, resulting in a significant reduction in energy consumption. Moreover, the fluoride released during the process binds to inorganic additives, allowing fluorine recovery as crystalline salts and preventing the formation of secondary toxic waste. The method has strong potential for scaling up and offers a green and viable solution for real-world application in PFAS decontamination. T2 - Tag der Chemie CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 03.07.2025 KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Forever chemicals KW - Sustainability PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63972 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bauer, J. A1 - Miclea, P.-T. A1 - Braun, U. A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Turek, M. A1 - Hagendorf, C. T1 - Microplastic detection and analysis in water samples N2 - Microplastic detection in water samples becomes important for tracing microplastic sources. Microplastic may harm desalination facilities by blocking filters and disturbing the marine food chain. Thermo analytical methods such as pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectroscopy, and spectroscopic methods like (micro) Raman spectroscopy or (micro) Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy in combination with appropriate filters and sample preparation are suitable for analyzing microplastics on a scale from 1 µm to 1000 µm fast and unambiguous. While the thermo analytical methods are suitable for larger sample volumes, Raman spectroscopy and Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy are able to detect and analyze single microplastic particles for instance in bottled water. Machine learning algorithms ensure a reliable classification of different plastic materials. T2 - International Conference on Sustainable Energy-Water-Environment Nexus in Desert Climate 2019 CY - Ar-Rayyan, Qatar DA - 02.12.2019 KW - Microplastics KW - Water samples PY - 2022 SP - 111 EP - 113 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-56240 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Axel T1 - Representative sampling of roadside soil and determination of tire wear contents by TED-GC/MS N2 - The presentation describes microplastic findings from tyre wear near roads. Both the sampling and the analysis are presented. T2 - Mikroplastik Workshop der Hochschule Zittau CY - Online meeting DA - 25.11.2021 KW - Mikroplastik KW - Reifenabrieb KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Probennahme PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53831 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wiesner, Yosri T1 - MIKROPLASTIK – von der Probenvorbereitung bis zur Analytik N2 - Der Vortrag beschreibt die Herausforderungen bei der Analyse von Mikroplastik inklusive Probennahme, Probenvorbereitung und Detektion. Es werden Ergebnisse aus dem BMBF-Projekt RUSEKU vorgestellt. T2 - LABO-Anwendertag CY - Online meeting DA - 23.11.2021 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Mikroplastik-Analytik PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53829 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Mikroplastik – Ein Problem für die Menschheit? N2 - Mikroplastik findet sich in Ozeanen, Seen, Flüssen und Bächen. Es kann in unserem Boden, in der Luft und sogar in Organismen nachgewiesen werden. Jedes Jahr werden weltweit Millionen Tonnen freigesetzt. Doch wo und wie landet Mikroplastik in der Umwelt? Und wie können wir diese winzigen Partikel nachweisen? T2 - Berlin Science Week CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 01.11.2021 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53734 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Mikroplastik Referenzmaterial und erste Vergleichsuntersuchungen N2 - Hierbei geht es um die Vorstellung von ersten Möglichkeiten um Referenzmaterial für die Mikroplastik-Analytik herzustellen und die Ergebnisse erster Vergleichsversuche. T2 - EUROLAB-D Workshop: Mikroplastik in der Praxis CY - Online meeting DA - 30.11.2021 KW - Mikroplastik KW - Referenzmaterial KW - Vergleichsversuche PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53880 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Microplastics at BAM: TED-GC/MS and reference materials N2 - Thsi talk aims to present the activities of microplastic analysis at BAM according to TED-GC/MS and reference materials developement. T2 - Webinar BAM / University of Birmingham CY - Online meeting DA - 15.06.2021 KW - Microplastic KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Reference materials PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53738 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scharek, Vera M. A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - A direct solid sampling approach for fluorine determination via ETV/ICP-QQQ-MS N2 - Organic fluorine sum parameters are used to detect F-containing pollutants, e.g., per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), in the environment, within materials, or for monitoring technical processess, e.g., thermal decomposition of PFAS during municipal waste incineration. However, established approaches determining the extractable organic and adsorbable organic fluorine content (EOC and AOC) require laborious and error-prone sample preparation. We report a solid sampling-electrothermal vaporization (ETV) method for direct fluorine measurement based on the formation of [138Ba19F]+ with an inductively coupled plasma-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometer (ICP-QQQ-MS). Method development involved the instrumental setup for Ba introduction and fluorine-specific tuning of lens and collision-reaction cell (CRC) parameters. An inorganic fluorine fraction was detected in a cyclonic dust sample from a municipal waste incineration plant as a peak above a broad background signal. The content was estimated through standard addition using a NaF solution to 2300 mgg−1. With a limit of detection (LOD) of 130 mg g−1, which was below the reported value for an electrothermal vaporization/inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ETV/ICP-MS) approach, acquiring [19F]+. The method's potential for fractionation analysis was demonstrated by analyzing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) powder. KW - PFAS KW - ETV/ICP-QQQ-MS KW - Solid sampling PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-656766 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ja00014b SN - 0267-9477 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-65676 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Roß, Marcel A1 - Severin, Stefanie A1 - Hildebrandt, Jana A1 - Erdmann, Kerstin A1 - Miaskiewicz, Aleksandra A1 - Škorjanc, Viktor A1 - Bernardes de Araujo, Wander Max A1 - Leyden, Matthew A1 - Korte, Lars A1 - Seeger, Stefan A1 - Dallmann, André A1 - Albrecht, Steve T1 - Compositional Analysis of Metal Halide Perovskites: Insight into the Coevaporation Process via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy N2 - Lead halide perovskites have emerged as a highly promising class of materials for solar cells. Nevertheless, suitable procedures to analyze the exact composition of the perovskite films are rare and are not generally applicable. Here we show a simple and fast method to determine the absolute composition of mixed metal halide perovskites through a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance and total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The method is validated on powder mixtures and applied to thin film samples prepared by coevaporation of formamidinium iodide (FAI), CsI, PbI2 and PbBr2, allowing correlation between film composition and solar cell performance. We show that the rates of the individual precursors do not always translate linearly into film composition and that the preparation of the hole transport layer MeO-2PACz strongly influences the incorporation of FAI. Our work highlights the importance of compositional analysis and demonstrates how the developed method provides new insights into the complex coevaporation process in perovskite solar cells. KW - e‑ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy KW - Metal Halide Perovskites KW - CoevaporationP rocess KW - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-656932 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.5c03689 SN - 2380-8195 VL - 11 IS - 2 SP - 1935 EP - 1943 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-65693 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Thünemann, Andreas T1 - Developtment of Nanoplastics Reference Materials at BAM N2 - Engineered particles are essential for sustainable innovation and modern industrial applications, but their reliable, number‑based characterisation remains a major challenge. Regulatory frameworks in healthcare, personal care (EU 745/2017, 749/2017, 1223/2009), and environmental monitoring—such as the EU Drinking Water Directive 21840/2020—demand robust particle measurements across complex matrices. Yet standardised methods currently exist only for simple particle systems, leaving significant gaps for technologically relevant materials and for micro‑ and nanoplastics as emerging pollutants. These challenges are amplified by the lack of well‑defined input parameters, particularly density and refractive index, which are critical for many analytical and modelling approaches. This talk highlights BAM’s work on developing nanoplastics reference materials to support validated, traceable, and harmonised measurement methods. I will outline strategies for producing stable, well‑characterised polymeric nanoparticles, establishing accurate material parameters, and integrating these reference materials into interlaboratory and standardisation activities. These efforts provide the metrological foundation urgently needed for regulatory testing, environmental monitoring, and industry innovation. T2 - ConcenSus Virtual Webinar on Reference Materials supporting characterization of nanomaterials: Current status and future trends CY - Online meeting DA - 17.03.2026 KW - Nanoplastics KW - Nanoparticle PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65717 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Geburtig, Anja A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana T1 - Combined impact of UV radiation and nitric acid (HNO3) on HDPE jerrycans – comparison of outdoor and lab test N2 - A damaging action of HNO3-55% only occurs in combination with its decomposition into nitrous gases, which can be caused by UV radiation. In a laboratory test, transparent HDPE jerrycans have been exposed to both UV radiation and 55 wt-% nitric acid solution at (41 ± 2)°C, for up to 20 days. For comparison, UV radiant exposure (21 days) and nitric acid exposure (up to 6 weeks) were performed separately, at nearly equal temperatures. The respective damages are compared with FTIR spectroscopy in ATR and HT-gel permeation chromatography (GPC) on a molecular level and with hydraulic internal pressure testing as a component test. For the used jerrycans, relevant oxidation can only be found after the combined exposure. The gradual increase in oxidative damage shows the good reproducibility of the lab exposure. The decomposition of nitric acid into nitrous gases by UV radiation – as well as the jerrycan oxidation – is also observed at lower HNO3 concentration (28 wt- %). Similar results are obtained after outdoor tests. Again, the damage occurs only after combined exposure, in contrast to the exposures to UV only and to HNO3 only, which were conducted in parallel. Outdoor exposures are most readily accepted as they represent possible end-use conditions. However, the reproducibility of these exposures is poor due to the large temporal variations in weather. There are also several safety risks, which is why the number of replicates remains limited. Since the outdoor and lab exposure tests show the same qualitative results, it is appropriate to conduct systematic studies in the laboratory. After 6 days of lab exposure, the oxidation damage is rated as critical, which corresponds to about 1/10 year in Central Europe, according to the UV radiant exposure. It should be noted that this amount can also occur in two sunny weeks. T2 - 24th iapri World Packaging Conference CY - Valencia, Spain DA - 17.06.2024 KW - Ppolyethylene KW - UV exposure KW - Nitric acid KW - Oxidation PY - 2024 VL - 2 SP - 30 EP - 37 PB - ITENE AN - OPUS4-60414 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Deliverable 2: Summary report on: The development of pristine SI traceable reference materials for SMPs (0.1 μm - 10 μm) and NPs (< 0.1 μm), representative of partially degraded/naturally aged samples in complex food and environmental matrices, and for realistic polydisperse size distributions and irregular shapes N2 - PlasticTrace aims to address the urgent need for development and harmonisation of methods for the chemical identification, physical characterisation and quantification of released small micro/nanoplastics (SMPs/NPs) in drinking water, food and environmental matrices, as required by the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). This report describs the characterisation of nanoPP analysed in the PlasticTrace project aiming to develop a reference material. The nanoPP was analysed mainly by light scattering methods. Homogeneity control was done by DLS. KW - Nanoplastics KW - Reference materials PY - 2024 N1 - Project Number 21GRD07: PlasticTrace (Tracing Micro and NanoPlastics in Food and Environment), funded by the European Union SP - 1 EP - 29 PB - European Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET) CY - Braunschweig AN - OPUS4-62299 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Reference material candidates for microplastic analysis N2 - Every day, there are new headlines in the media about microplastics (1-1000 µm, ISO/TR 21960:2020) and nanoplastics (< 1 µm, ISO/TR 21960:2020) findings all over the planet with high variations in particle number and mass. The challenges in analytics are very complex, e.g. representative sampling, non-destructive sample preparation with concentrated particles and homogeneous distribution and true detection. All together lead to lacks in harmonization and results, which are hardly comparable. On the other hand, monitoring of microplastics is mandatory in the future strictly regulated by the EU commission in the Drinking water and Wastewater Framework Directive. One step to accurate and precise results will be the development of suitable reference materials mimicking particles in the environment. BAM developed test materials, which are produced by mixing a small portion of microplastic particles with a water-soluble matrix. After solid phase dilution and homogenisation small portions are pressed into tablets and bottled in glass vials (Figure 1). These tablets are well characterized with particle size distribution and SEM images. Additionally, they are tested as reference material candidate according to homogeneity and stability for particle number with µ-IR and µ-Raman as well as on particle mass with Py-GC/MS and TED-GC/MS after ISO Guide 35. Results are promising. The material passed the homogeneity control. No changes are observed within 6 months of storage. The same tested reference material is finally used in sample preparation experiments, where environmental suspended particular matter from surface water or baby milk powders are spiked with the tablets. T2 - ESOPS CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 09.09.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Reference materials KW - Polymer 3R KW - Tablets PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61017 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Challenges in microplastics standardisation N2 - This talk addresses the challanges in microplastic analytics. It shows the need of standards, analytics and reference materials for accurate and reliable measurements. It explains the state of the art for referenence materials in this field and their problems. A solution is presented with PET tablets. The urgent need of harmonisation it also emphasised. T2 - MARII Summit CY - Madrid, Spain DA - 15.10.2025 KW - Microplastics KW - Reference materials PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64488 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Sieg, Holger A1 - Heilscher, Jasmin A1 - Ott, Franziska A1 - Böhmert, Linda A1 - Drusch, Stephan A1 - Thünemann, Andreas A1 - Rohn, Sascha A1 - Braeuning, Albert A1 - Kieserling, Helena T1 - Direct Interactions of Micro- and Nanoplastics with Proteins – A Key to Mechanistic Understanding? N2 - Micro-/Nanoplastics (MNP) have gained widespread scientific and public attention within the last two decades. While knowledge about measuring techniques, occurrence and exposure was improved substantially, questions on toxicological impact of MNP remained unclear. A major reason for that are the continued remaining knowledge gaps with regard to mechanistical understanding of MNP effects. Our work aimed at investigating MNP properties, protein interactions, and cellular effects in combination. Therefore, we characterized MNP-protein- adsorption, changes in protein structure, cellular uptake and cellular modes of action. In a first study, we studied the molecular interactions of β-lactoglobulin, a serum and storage protein, with different MNP materials1. We identified structural changes, depending on physicochemical MNP properties, using FTIR- and fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, we investigated cellular uptake of MNP individually and as a complex with β-lactoglobulin and studied the effects on cell growth and viability, using colorimetric MTT testing, flow cytometry, and cell impedance measurements. MNP material properties, especially hydrophobicity, had an impact on protein folding and consequently also on cellular interactions. In a second study, we applied α-amylase, an extracellular digestive protein with enzymatic activity. Here, in addition, we investigated the influence of MNP binding on enzyme activity, using a colorimetric starch degradation assay. We observed for the most MNP, that adsorption processes resulted in a decrease of enzyme activity. Furthermore, we used Alexa633 staining to visualize MNP uptake with and without the presence of α-amylase. Taken together, this work aims to close data gaps regarding mechanistical effects of MNP on cells by investigating direct MNP-protein-interactions. Mechanistic knowledge is crucial for understanding toxicological effects of MNP, and therefore, also for the risk assessment of possible hazards on human health. T2 - 92. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie (DGPT) CY - Düsseldorf, Germany DA - 17.03.2026 KW - Microplastics KW - Nanoplastics PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65667 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H. R. A1 - Weidner, Steffen T1 - Polymerization of L-lactide with SnCl2: A Low Toxic and Eco-friendly Catalyst N2 - Polymerizations of L-lactide catalyzed either by neat SnCl2 or by SnCl2 + difunctional cocatalysts were conducted in bulk at 180, 160 and 140 °C with variation of the Lac/Cat ratio and time. With neat SnCl2 poly(L-lactide) having weight average molecular weights (uncorrected Mw’s) up to 190 000 g mol−1 were obtained mainly consisting of linear chains. Addition of salicylic acid or 1,1-bisphenol yielded a higher fraction of cyclic polylactides but lower molecular weights. Furthermore, SnCl2 was compared with Bu2SnCl2 and various other metal chlorides and the best results were obtained with SnCl2. With ethyl L-lactate as initiator SnCl2-catalyzed ROPs were performed at 120 °C and the lac/initiator ratio was varied. All these experiments were conducted under conditions allowing for comparison with ROPs catalyzed with neat Sn(II)-2-ethyhexanoate. Such a comparison was also performed with ε-caprolactone as monomer. KW - Catalyst KW - Polylactide KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Polycondensation PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-520517 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-020-02042-w SN - 1566-2543 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-52051 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Geburtig, Anja A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana T1 - Combined impact of UV radiation and nitric acid on high‐density polyethylene containers as a laboratory test N2 - In a laboratory test, transparent high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) jerrycans have been exposed to both UV radiation and 55 wt‐% nitric acid solution at (41 ± 2)°C, for up to 20 days. For comparison, UV radiant exposure (21 days) and nitric acid exposure (up to 6 weeks) were performed separately, at nearly equal temperatures. The damages are compared with FTIR spectroscopy in ATR and HT‐gel permeation chromatography(GPC) on a molecular level and with hydraulic internal pressure testing as a component test. For the used jerrycans, relevant oxidation can only be found after the combined exposure. This is caused by the decomposition of nitric acid into nitrous gases by UV radiation, which is also observed at lower concentrations (28 wt‐%). After 6 days of laboratory exposure, this is rated as critical, which corresponds to about 1/10 year in Central Europe, according to the UV radiant exposure. The gradual increase in oxidative damage shows the reproducibility of the test. KW - Molecular mass distribution KW - High-density polyethylene KW - Nitric acid KW - UV radiation PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-550141 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pts.2673 SN - 0894-3214 VL - 35 IS - 10 SP - 729 EP - 735 PB - Wiley CY - New York, NY AN - OPUS4-55014 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, Hans. R. A1 - Weidner, Steffen T1 - About the Toxicity of Polymerization Catalysts and Polymer Additives Based on Tin(II) Salts and Tin(IV) Compounds N2 - This article reviews and discusses information on the toxicity of numerous tin-based catalysts used in academic research and industrial production for the synthesis of various polymers, such as polyesters, polyurethanes, and polysiloxanes. Tin(IV) compounds used as additives and as PVC stabilizers are also considered. Emphasis is put on the differentiation between tin(II) salts on the one hand and tin(IV) compounds on the other hand. In the first chapter, historical facts about human contact with stannous ions are discussed, along with toxicity studies of canned foods and beverages. In the second part, toxicity tests based on cell cultures and medical applications of tin(II)-containing films or implants are described. The third part focuses on alkyl and aryl tin(IV) compounds. KW - Tin KW - Toxicity KW - Environment KW - Polymer catalysts KW - Polymer additives PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-642877 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.5c00105 SN - 1871-5532 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-64287 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schumacher, Julia T1 - Unlocking black fungi: from genomes to material conservation and biotechnological innovation N2 - Black fungi are a polyphyletic group of melanized ascomycetes adapted to extreme environments such as deserts, rocks, and human-made surfaces. Their slow compact growth, and thick melanized cell walls confer exceptional stress tolerance but have long hindered molecular studies and genetic engineering. Consequently, the biology and biotechnological potential of these organisms remained largely unexplored. To overcome these limitations, we selected the rock-inhabiting black fungus Knufia petricola as a model. Its genome sequence (12 contigs, ~10,000 genes) enabled the development of a versatile genetic toolbox based on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing, achieving up to 100% homologous recombination and supporting multiplex editing of at least six genomic regions. Color-based selection systems targeting pigment genes enable rapid identification of strains with correctly integrated expression cassettes, including simultaneous insertion of optimized genes coding for blue, green, and red fluorescent proteins for co-localization and protein interaction studies. These tools enable functional analyses of traits central to extremotolerance, such as the role of melanin in stress protection, biofilm formation, and material interactions. Furthermore, K. petricola has been established as a eukaryotic expression platform: heterologous genes from bacteria, fungi, and plants can be expressed under constitutive or inducible promoters, including the Tet-on system for tunable gene regulation. Pigment-free strains provide access to metabolic precursors, enabling high-level synthesis of alternative secondary metabolites. Importantly, the optimized transformation protocols were successfully transferred to the Antarctic black fungus Cryomyces antarcticus, a cryptoendolithic extremophile and astrobiology model, demonstrating that even the most stress-tolerant fungi can be genetically engineered. Together, the genome sequence and advanced genetic engineering strategies have transformed K. petricola from a challenging extremotolerant organism into a tractable model for studying stress adaptation, material interactions and a promising host for biotechnology and synthetic biology approaches. These achievements, combined with emerging black fungal genomes, inform sustainable material protection strategies to mitigate colonization and biodeterioration of exposed surfaces, linking fundamental research with applied solutions for material conservation and industrial biotechnology. T2 - Annual Conference of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) 2026 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 22.03.2026 KW - Functional genetics KW - Material colonizer KW - Pigments PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65752 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schumacher, Julia T1 - Biodiversity on Materials: Black Fungi Colonizing Solar Panels N2 - Sun-exposed surfaces are extreme environments characterized by intense UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, desiccation, and nutrient scarcity. These habitats are colonized by extremotolerant microorganisms that often form multispecies biofilms. Among them, black fungi (Ascomycota) stand out for their unique morphophysiological traits: slow growth, small compact colonies, reproduction by budding or meristematic growth, and continuous deposition of 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin on thickened cell walls. This melanin is thought to provide protection against abiotic stress, for both the fungi and their microbial partners. Originally associated with natural substrates such as rocks in hot, cold, or saline deserts, black fungi have recently been detected on human-made surfaces, including solar panels, where they may reduce system efficiency. Despite their simple morphology, black fungi represent a vast and underestimated genetic diversity with representatives in Eurotiomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Arthoniomycetes. They exhibit diverse lifestyles, including lichen symbioses, opportunistic pathogenicity, and saprobic growth. However, only a few genomes of black fungi have been sequenced to date. Initial analyses indicate haploid or diploid states, occasional genome duplications, and gene loss, reflecting adaptation to extreme conditions. For even fewer species, genetic engineering tools are available. To address this gap, we develop genetic tools for functional studies and compare genome sequences. The STRES Community Science Program, funded by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI), aims to sequence up to 600 black fungal genomes from diverse extreme environments (https://stresblackfungi.org/). Our contribution includes black fungi isolated from solar panels in Germany and the United States – among some several new species. Annotated genomes are now becoming available, enabling comparative analyses to discover novel genes for enzymes and secondary metabolites. These efforts also support strategies to mitigate undesired biofilm formation on man-made surfaces such as facades and solar panels. T2 - Annual Conference of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) 2026 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 22.03.2026 KW - Biodiversity KW - Fungi KW - Melanin PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65750 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Erdmann, Eileen A. T1 - In-vivo Transposon Mutagenesis in the Black Fungus Knufia petricola N2 - Microcolonial black fungi, commonly found on sun-exposed natural and man-made surfaces worldwide, belong to different classes within the Ascomycota but convergently evolved similar morpho-physiological adaptations to colonize extreme low-competitive environments. Genetic studies of these organisms have long been hampered by slow growth, lack of sexual cycles and difficulties in transformation. To overcome these limitations, CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing was implemented in the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola (Eurotiomycetes, Chaetothyriales). This enables efficient generation of deletion mutants and overexpression strains for functional analyses, and thus hypothesis-driven targeted mutagenesis. However, the unique ability of black fungi to colonize oligotrophic extreme environments remains poorly understood, and genes involved are unknown. To address this, a hypothesis-generating tool for functional assessment of new species- and/or trait-specific genes was implemented in K. petricola. Specifically, we adapted the two-component Activator/Dissociation (Ac/Ds) transposon system from maize for generating insertional mutants by in vivo mutagenesis. For controlling the transposition of a Ds transposon carrying a resistance cassette, the inducible and metabolism-independent Tet-on promoter system was combined with the Ac transposase (AcTPase) coding sequence fused to a functional nuclear localization signal. In total, six auxotrophic Ac/Ds starter strains were generated, each harboring the Ds transposon at different positions within ade2, ura3 or ppt1. Induction of TET::AcTPase with doxycycline followed by selection on ADE/URA/LYS-lacking media resulted in prototrophic revertants for most Ac/Ds strains. Sequencing of excision sites revealed characteristic footprints. Mapping of Ds re-insertion sites demonstrated transpositions both within the same chromosome and across different chromosomes, identifying 30 genes as non-essential. Current efforts include scaling up mutant generation, as the generation and sequencing of saturated mutant libraries combined with mutation mapping will enable the systematic identification of essential genes under diverse culture conditions. T2 - Annual Conference of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) 2026 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 22.03.2026 KW - Genetics KW - Material colonizer KW - Melanin PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65749 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schumacher, Julia T1 - Iron Acquisition in Black Fungi: Genomic Insights & Mitigation N2 - Iron is an essential micronutrient for all organisms, driving intense competition for its acquisition. This competition is particularly evident in parasitic interactions, where hosts actively restrict iron availability to inhibit the growth of fungal invaders (nutritional immunity). Saprobic fungi, on the other hand, acquire iron by digesting dead organic material and may protect their nutrient sources from competitors through efficient iron uptake, rapid growth, and the production of toxic secondary metabolites. Rock-inhabiting black fungi colonize – alone or within microbial communities (subaerial biofilms) – oligotrophic, exposed surfaces such as rocks, stone monuments, and photovoltaic panels, where competition from fast-growing saprobes is minimal. To understand how these fungi acquire iron, we combined comparative genomics with targeted gene deletions in the model species Knufia petricola. Genome analysis revealed a reduced repertoire of iron acquisition-related genes compared to those of pathogenic relatives: a single reductive iron assimilation (RIA) complex, one non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) for siderophore biosynthesis, and absence of vacuolar iron transporters. Functional assays demonstrated that K. petricola primarily relies on RIA, mediated by FTR1–FET1, and secondarily on siderophore-mediated iron acquisition (SIA) via NPS1. Mutants lacking both systems were nearly non-viable under iron limitation, confirming that RIA and SIA are the only relevant uptake routes under laboratory conditions, that simulate the free-living lifestyle. Cross-feeding and chemotropism assays indicated secretion of an extracellular siderophore enabling growth toward the iron-containing mineral olivine. This siderophore, however, failed to mobilize iron from strong chelators such as BPS and EDTA, and its chemical nature remains unknown. Although melanin adsorbs and reduces iron, results on deletion mutants showed that melanin does not contribute to iron uptake or chelator resistance, functioning instead as a passive iron sink. Sensitivity assays revealed unusually low minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for these chelators in K. petricola and other rock-inhabiting fungi, suggesting limited iron acquisition and storage capacity. These findings highlight the vulnerability of rock-inhabiting fungi to iron depletion and suggest that strong iron chelators could serve as an effective strategy to inhibit fungal colonization of human-made surfaces. T2 - Annual Conference of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) 2026 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 22.03.2026 KW - Material colonization KW - Knufia petricola KW - Iron chelation PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65751 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Cockx, Bastiaan J.R. T1 - From data to model, linking Knufia petricola traits to emergent biofilm properties using individual-based experiments and modelling N2 - Black fungi, a diverse group of ascomycetes, well known for their ability to thrive in extreme environments, are found to colonize and grow on subaerial surfaces where few other microbes survive. This includes bare rock as well as marble monuments and solar panels. Black fungi can deteriorate hard substrates which is of particular concern for the preservation of cultural heritage, while their ability to colonize solar panels can cause a reduction in green energy yield. We have been developing computational modelling tools to gain predictive insight into their growth and proliferation. In this work we focus on the black fungus Knufia petricola, a fungus that possesses many of the characteristic features of black fungi generally and for which genetic engineering tools have been developed. Detailed observations and systematic characterization of the organism are fundamental to developing a predictive model. We combined the lessons from individual-based and biofilm characterization studies of K. petricola by Dehkohneh et al. (Manuscripts in preparation) with the predictive potential of Individual-based Modelling (IbM). In these systematic characterization studies K. petricola was grown and characterized on agar and on a glass substrate. K. petricola was grown under a variety of conditions; different carbon and nitrogen sources, different degrees of nutrient limitation, and C:N ratios. We"ve thus gained insight on how these conditions affect the growth characteristics and morphological development of K. petricola, including how nutrient limitation can limit branch development and shift generation times, and how the C:N ratio affects substrate penetration. We employed this knowledge to develop a new K. petricola IbM.We used the IbM framework iDynoMiCS 2.0 (Cockx et al. 2024) to formulate our model. The model captures both morphological and kinetic aspects of K. petricola. By formulating characteristics of individual cells and the interactions with their neighbors and environment mathematically we can simulate emergent properties, such as the architecture and expansion of K. petricola micro- colonies, which gives us the unique ability to link microbial traits with biofilm characteristics. The model gives us insight on how environmental parameters can be manipulated to steer the development of K. petricola biofilms, it can thus help forecast K. petricola biofilm proliferation and can be used to inform new bio-colonization mitigation strategies. T2 - Annual Conference of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) 2026 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 22.03.2026 KW - Rock-inhabiting fungi KW - Extreme environments KW - Fungal growth PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65755 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meier, F. A1 - Drexel, R. A1 - Wiesner, Yosri A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Bartczak, D. A1 - Alasonati, E. T1 - Nano-sized Polypropylene as a Promising Candidate Reference Material: Preparation, Characterization and Stability in Complex Matrices N2 - The lack of nanoplastic (NPs) reference materials capable of mimicking real-world scenarios is currently hampering the development of validated extraction techniques from complex matrices, the development of analytical approaches for robust identification and quantification, and the ability to use environmentally relevant test materials in (eco)toxicity testing and hazard assessment. Here, we present a strategy towards the development of a potential NP reference material based on nano-sized polyproplyene particles (nanoPP) developed within the EURAMET-funded PlasticTrace project (https://plastictrace.eu/). The strategy includes the preparation, the physicochemical characterization and the stability assessment of nanoPP in suspension both in its pristine state, but also when spiked into complex matrices like mineral water and milk. NanoPP was produced reproducibly in a top-down approach by crushing in acetone with an UltraTurrax, filtering and change of solvent to MilliQ water. The prepared nanoPP material was subjected to a comprehensive physicochemical characterization including e.g., DLS, PTA and AF4-MALS for particle size distribution assessment, PTA and SEM for particle number concentration determination, SEM and AFM for shape analysis and pyrolysis GC-MS for chemical identification. Performed studies showed that the prepared nanoPP material is irregularly shaped and highly polydisperse with a particle size of around 180 nm (e.g., Dh,z-ave from DLS) and a particle size distribution from around 15 nm up to 135 nm (radius of gyration Rg from AF4-MALS). Storage stability studies using DLS, PTA and AF4-MALS revealed nanoPP in aqueous suspension to be stable for at least 22 months with respect to particle size distribution and number concentration rendering it a promising NP candidate reference material. However, conducted spiking experiments in mineral water and milk showed a time-dependent agglomeration of nanoPP that needs further investigation. T2 - MICROPLASTICdays CY - Ljubliana, Slovenia DA - 03.02.2026 KW - Nanoplastics KW - Reference materials PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65769 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meier, F. A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Challenges in nanoplastic analysis: Reference materials, complex matrices, and limits of detection N2 - The growing concern over nanoplastic particles (< 1 µm) in food and the environment has intensified the need for robust analytical approaches to detect, quantify, and characterize these particles. But the lack is high of standardized and well-characterized reference materials that reflect environmentally relevant nanoplastics according to: • Size distribution • Low abundance • Chemical diversity • Surface properties • Behavior in complex matrices. This poster shows different methods like FFF and AF4-MALS and their results when measuring a nanoPP reference materials candidate. T2 - Analytica Conference 2026 CY - Munich, Germany DA - 24.03.2026 KW - Nanoplastics KW - Reference materials KW - AF4-MALS KW - FFF PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65770 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Eggert, Lara A1 - Burkert, Andreas T1 - H2Mare-Projekt PtX-Wind - Untersuchung zu bauseitigen Fragestellungen der Korrosion und des Korrosionsschutzes mit Fokus auf die Außenkorrosion von Bau- und Anlagenteilen N2 - Im Teilvorhaben „Untersuchung zu bauseitigen Fragestellungen der Korrosion und des Korrosionsschutzes mit Fokus auf die Außenkorrosion von Bau- und Anlagenteilen“ standen korrosionstechnische Untersuchungen zum Einfluss maritimer Exposition für großtechnische Offshore-Power-to-X-(PtX-) Anlagen im Mittelpunkt. Die Planung und der Betrieb solcher OffshoreProzessanlagen stellen aufgrund der vorherrschenden Umweltbedingungen hohe Anforderungen an die Korrosionsbeständigkeit der eingesetzten Materialien, wobei dem wirksamen Korrosionsschutz eine zentrale Rolle für einen wartungsarmen, langlebigen und umweltverträglichen Anlagenbetrieb zukommt. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde das Korrosionsverhalten metallischer Werkstoffe und Korrosionsschutzsysteme unter realen maritimen und Offshore-Bedingungen systematisch untersucht. Durch die Verknüpfung normativer und wissenschaftlicher Literaturrecherchen mit kontrollierten Laboruntersuchungen sowie mehrjährigen Expositionsversuchen an ausgewählten maritimen Standorten wurden grundlegende Zusammenhänge zwischen Umweltparametern, Werkstoffeigenschaften, konstruktiven Randbedingungen und Korrosionsmechanismen analysiert. Die gewonnenen Ergebnisse stellen eine repräsentative Datengrundlage zur Charakterisierung der Korrosivitätsbedingungen im maritimen Umfeld dar und bilden eine wissenschaftlich fundierte Basis für die Bewertung, Auslegung und Optimierung von Werkstoffen, Beschichtungen und Korrosionsschutzkonzepten für maritime und Offshore-Anwendungen. KW - Offshore-Power-to-X-Anlagen KW - Maritime Korrosion KW - Korrosionsschutz PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-657965 DO - https://doi.org/10.34657/32992 SP - 1 EP - 32 AN - OPUS4-65796 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kaminski, Katja A1 - Kluge, Stephanie A1 - Frenzel, Olivia A1 - Bücker, Michael A1 - Westphalen, Tanja ED - Ziegahn, Karl-Friedrich T1 - Entwicklung, Validierung und Anwendung eines beschleunigten Bewitterungsprotokolls zur Bewertung der Freisetzung von Bisphenol A (BPA) aus Polycarbonat (PC)-Materialien in die Umwelt N2 - BPA unterliegt einer kontinuierlichen behördlichen Kontrolle und ist als besonders besorgniserregender Stoff (SVHC) gelistet. Besondere Besorgnis besteht hinsichtlich seines häufigen Nachweises in Oberflächengewässern, obwohl es leicht biologisch abbaubar ist. In mehreren Studien wurden die Quellen und Wege von BPA in die Umwelt untersucht, wobei festgestellt wurde, dass seine Hauptverwendung als Monomer in PC nur marginal zu den BPA-Freisetzungen in die Umwelt über seinen Lebenszyklus beiträgt. Um die tatsächlichen Freisetzungen von BPA aus PC unter umweltrelevanten Bedingungen besser zu verstehen, wurde eine neu entwickelte Methodik (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, BAM) angewendet, die ein neuartiges beschleunigtes Bewitterungsprotokoll für Polycarbonat-Materialien in Kombination mit einem sensitiven Analysenverfahren umfasst, welches eine Bestimmung von BPA im Ultraspurenbereich ermöglicht. Das Bewitterungsprotokoll erreicht eine 13,6-fache Beschleunigung im Vergleich zu mitteleuropäischen Wetterbedingungen und simuliert Umweltstressoren (globale Strahlung, Regen, Temperaturschwankungen) in einer Bewitterungskammer, wobei gleichzeitig die BPA-Freisetzung mit einem validierten LC-MS/MS-Verfahren unter Verwendung einer organischen Isotopenverdünnungskalibrierung bestimmt wird. In parallelen Freilandversuchen wurden die Trübung und die Vergilbung („Yellowness-Index“) der zu untersuchenden Proben als Referenzparameter untersucht. T2 - 54. Jahrestagung der GUS 2026 CY - Blankenloch-Stutensee, Germany DA - 25.03.2026 KW - Polycarbonat KW - Bisphenol A KW - Bewitterung PY - 2026 SN - 978-3-9826129-3-5 VL - 54 SP - 139 EP - 153 AN - OPUS4-65793 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Burkert, Andreas A1 - Eggert, Lara T1 - H2Mare-Projekt TransferWind - Übertragung von wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen zur bauseitigen maritimen und offshore-Korrosion in die Normung und Erarbeitung einer Handlungsempfehlung zu Korrosionsschutz und -prüfung N2 - Die Werkstoffauswahl und der Korrosionsschutz zur Sicherstellung der Dauerhaftigkeit stellen für den Offshore Bereich noch immer eine Herausforderung dar. Erfahrungen und Regelwerke liegen insbesondere aus dem Bereich von Offshore Windenergieanlagen vor. Diese Regelwerke befinden sich in einem stetigen Prozess der Anpassung an aktuelle Erkenntnisse und Erfahrungen, da es sich noch um relativ neue Anwendungen handelt. Für Offshore-Prozessanlagen, wie diese im H2Mare-Projekt betrachtet werden, sind die Anforderungen wesentlich komplexer, da Anlagenkomponenten den Beanspruchungen aus den Prozessen im Inneren der Anlagen ebenso genügen müssen, wie den Beanspruchungen aus der maritimen Umgebung. Hier kommen im Vergleich zu Windkraftanlagen eine größere Palette von Werkstoffen insbesondere aus dem Bereich der rost- und säurebeständigen Stähle sowie höhere Prozesstemperaturen zum Tragen, die für Windkraftanlagen keine Relevanz haben. KW - Offshore-Power-to-X-Anlagen KW - Maritime Korrosion KW - Korrosionsschutz PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-658008 DO - https://doi.org/10.34657/32991 SP - 1 EP - 25 AN - OPUS4-65800 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Piechotta, Christian T1 - Entwicklung, Validierung und Anwendung eines beschleunigten Bewitterungsprotokolls zur Bewertung der Freisetzung von Bisphenol A (BPA) aus Polycarbonat (PC)-Materialien in die Umwelt N2 - BPA unterliegt einer kontinuierlichen behördlichen Kontrolle und ist als besonders besorgniserregender Stoff (SVHC) gelistet. Besondere Besorgnis besteht hinsichtlich seines häufigen Nachweises in Oberflächengewässern, obwohl es leicht biologisch abbaubar ist. In mehreren Studien wurden die Quellen und Wege von BPA in die Umwelt untersucht, wobei festgestellt wurde, dass seine Hauptverwendung als Monomer in PC nur marginal zu den BPA-Freisetzungen in die Umwelt über seinen Lebenszyklus beiträgt. Um die tatsächlichen Freisetzungen von BPA aus PC unter umweltrelevanten Bedingungen besser zu verstehen, wurde eine neu entwickelte Methodik (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, BAM) angewendet, die ein neuartiges beschleunigtes Bewitterungsprotokoll für Polycarbonat-Materialien in Kombination mit einem sensitiven Analysenverfahren umfasst, welches eine Bestimmung von BPA im Ultraspurenbereich ermöglicht. Das Bewitterungsprotokoll erreicht eine 13,6-fache Beschleunigung im Vergleich zu mitteleuropäischen Wetterbedingungen und simuliert Umweltstressoren (globale Strahlung, Regen, Temperaturschwankungen) in einer Bewitterungskammer, wobei gleichzeitig die BPA-Freisetzung mit einem validierten LC-MS/MS-Verfahren unter Verwendung einer organischen Isotopenverdünnungskalibrierung bestimmt wird. In parallelen Freilandversuchen wurden die Trübung und die Vergilbung („Yellowness-Index“) der zu untersuchenden Proben als Referenzparameter untersucht. T2 - 54. Jahrestagung der GUS 2026 CY - Blankenloch-Stutensee, Germany DA - 25.03.2026 KW - Bewitterung KW - Bisphenol A KW - Polycarbonat PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65794 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Capacity building and Knowledge Exchange in Research Management from the Perspective of a Project Coordinator N2 - In the Seminar "Capacity building and Knowledge Exchange in Research Management" following three points are presented in detail: - Example of a successfully completed international project, - Role of institutional support in project success, and - Practical challenges and lessons learned from a coordinator‘s perspective. T2 - Seminar "Capacity building and Knowledge Exchange in Research Management" CY - Online meeting DA - 25.03.2026 KW - Research management KW - Institutional support KW - Project coordination KW - European projects PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65811 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Traub, Heike T1 - Elemental Mapping to Study the Interaction of MRI Contrast Agents with Extracellular Matrix Components N2 - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful imaging technique for diagnostic purposes and is frequently used in clinical routine. Typically, non-specific gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are used to improve the image quality. Such contrast agents have been in use for more than 35 years, yet their interaction with tissue components is still not fully understood. Typically, they go into the extracellular space. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a three-dimensional network of macromolecules providing structural and biochemical support of the surrounding cells in all mammalian tissues. It is composed of structural proteins (e.g., collagen, elastin) and proteoglycans, which consist of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) covalently bound to a protein core. GAGs are long, linear polysaccharides composed of repeating disaccharide units that differ in molecular mass, disaccharide structure and degree of sulfation. Many diseases, including inflammation and tumor invasion, are associated with characteristic ECM changes, especially at an early stage of disease development. Characteristic of GAGs is their ability to form complexes with cations, e.g., with lanthanides. Thus, GAGs could be a potential binding partner for GBCA molecules as a whole or for dechelated Gd. In this study we investigated the interaction of ionic Gd and GBCAs with tissue components using spheroids with different ECM expressions as model systems. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and CRL-2242 cells, a CHO mutant that does not produce GAGs, were used to prepare spheroids. These were then incubated with gadolinium chloride and various linear and macrocyclic GBCAs. To study the uptake and distribution two complementary element mapping techniques were used – laser ablation in combination with inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry and synchrotron radiation nano X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, which offers sub-cellular resolution. In addition to Gd, other elements such as Fe, P and S were also measured. Although all spheroids were exposed to identical Gd concentrations, differences were observed. After incubation with GBCAs, Gd is detected in the interior of both types of spheroids. In contrast, incubation with gadolinium chloride leads to Gd enrichment in the outer regions and to much higher Gd contents compared to incubation with GBCAs. However, due to biological variability, further experiments are needed to elucidate such complex processes as the interaction of GBCAs with ECM components. T2 - Analytica Conference CY - Munich, Germany DA - 24.03.2026 KW - ICP-MS KW - Contrast agent KW - Imaging KW - Spheroid PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65801 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -