Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V.
Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. is a research center that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
War in Ukraine threatens freshwater resources and water infrastructure
The ongoing war in Ukraine is having multiple impacts on the country's water sector, according to a recent study led by the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research (SGN). In addition to the horror of the direct consequences of war, the destruction of water infrastructure […]
Researchers reveal a bottleneck for the self-purification capacity of deep lakes
Microorganisms help to keep the water of lakes clean. In the process, they also detoxify the nitrogen compound ammonium, which is introduced into water bodies by fertilizers, for example, and is also produced naturally by metabolic processes. An international team led by the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ) with IGB researchers Hans-Peter […]
Improving phosphorus recycling from sewage sludge
Phosphorus is an important raw material, especially as a fertilizer for agriculture. But in water bodies, it deteriorates the water quality. Since the 1980s, phosphate precipitation has therefore been one of the core processes in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Phosphorus is bound with salts in the sewage sludge. However, because this raw material is also […]
Floodplains improve the water quality of rivers
Riverine floodplains are among the most species-rich ecosystems on earth. Because they form the interface between land and water, they are hotspots of nutrient turnover and biodiversity. Along many rivers, however, numerous floodplains have been cut off from waterways or converted to other uses. At the same time, too many nutrients enter the water, especially […]
Freshwaters release methane, even when they dry out
Freshwaters are underestimated sources of greenhouse gases. In a study published in Science of The Total Environment, researchers with the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have now shown that even dry water bodies can release considerable amounts of methane. An overview of the causes and magnitudes of methane emissions from freshwaters and […]
Flood risk reduction confers multiple benefits
Ecological flood control, i.e., measures that restore floodplains, is effective, technically possible and economically efficient. Yet, this approach is not consistently implemented worldwide because of the high administrative and legal hurdles. This is shown in a study by scientists from the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) who, together with other research […]
Peatlands clean up acid mine drainage
The pollution of groundwater and surface waters with sulfate and iron from acid mine drainage is a worldwide problem in post-mining landscapes. Researchers from the Humboldt University of Berlin (HU-Berlin) and the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have shown in the laboratory that fen soil can reduce the iron and sulfate […]
Lake habitats are disappearing as the climate changes
Global warming is increasing the temperatures of lakes worldwide – are species finding the temperatures they need to survive?
Europe: Small hydropower plants do more harm than good, study finds
The example of Romania shows conflicting goals and misguided developments in European environmental and energy policy