We are very pleased and would like to congratulate Dr.-Ing. Alexander Mitranescu on the successful defense of his doctoral dissertation titled “Combining Membrane Surface Patterns and Feed Spacers: A Path to Reduce Membrane Fouling.” Chaired by Prof. Brigitte Helmreich, the examination committee consisted of Prof. Noreddine Ghaffour of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, Prof. Stefan Panglisch of the University of Duisburg-Essen, and Prof. Jörg E. Drewes of the Technical University of Munich.
Technical Innovations in Wastewater Treatment and Sewage Sludge Processing
November 2, 2026, Münster
For more than 50 years, the Oswald Schulze Foundation has supported technical and scientific advancements in the field of municipal water management.
In accordance with its statutes, this non-profit environmental foundation is backed by the technical universities of Aachen, Hanover, and Munich, as well as the Ministry of the Environment of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Following successful one-day events held in Münster in 2018, 2019, and 2024, the 4th symposium will focus on "Technical Innovations in Wastewater Treatment and Sewage Sludge Processing."
With the implementation of the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive underway, the wastewater sector faces significant new tasks in addition to the ongoing efforts required to address the consequences of climate change.
In light of these challenges for the coming years, the event is aimed at wastewater treatment plant operators, manufacturers, planners, and the environmental authorities responsible for issuing permits.
In the winter semester 2026/27, three scholarships will be awarded in the areas Water and Environment by the Roland Mall Foundation at the Technical University of Munich. The foundation aims to promote talented students who have already achieved or for whom outstanding achievements are expected due to their previous commitments and career experiences. Social and personal circumstances are also taken into account.
Master students in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering will be given preference. Applicants should be enrolled in the 1st or 2nd semester of the Master's Program.
Master Scholarships from the Roland Mall Foundation_WS-26-27
Biological methanation of hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in trickle bed reactors (TBR) is considered a promising technology for energy conversion, especially in the context of energy storage via Power-to-Gas (PtG). This study investigates the restart of a pilot-scale thermophilic TBR after 1.5years of uncontrolled dormancy under real wastewater treatment plant conditions to upgrade raw biogas from the local digester to synthetic natural gas quality (CH4 > 95%).
Molecular biological investigations have indicated that it might be feasible to recommend the operation of the reactors, even following a highly protracted period of inactivity. The results demonstrate that the reactor can be successfully reactivated without re-inoculation, indicating a high resilience of the biofilm-based microbial community. Following the addition of digester supernatant as a nutrient and buffer source, methane concentrations above 95% were achieved within a few hours. Stable operation was strongly linked to maintaining NH4+ concentrations above 400mg/L and controlled pH conditions, highlighting the importance of process stabilization during restart. Furthermore, the integration of a 5kW AEM electrolyzer enabled on-site hydrogen production, demonstrating the feasibility of coupling biological methanation with renewable energy supply (e.g., through photovoltaic). Overall, the results provide new insights into rapid reactor restart, process resilience, and the practical implementation of PtG systems under real operating conditions.
Background: Urban green roofs are increasingly introduced to enhance urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, yet their role in shaping antimicrobial resistance in cities remains unclear. Using long-read metagenomic sequencing, we characterized antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) across an experimental extensive green roof system with plots under four different management regimes specifically designed to test the influence of vegetation and organic amendments, as green waste, which although widely used to improve substrate quality, has been flagged as a potential ARG source.
Results: We detected 62 ARGs across the four management regimes, which were dominated by target-modification and mixed mechanisms conferring resistance to naturally occurring antibiotics such as bacitracin (bacA) and rifamycin (arr, rox, rph), rather than efflux-based multidrug resistance, which is typically co-selected by anthropogenic pollutants. The ARGs were mainly chromosomally encoded, with only two ARGs located on plasmids, and associated with non-pathogenic environmental taxa. The management regime had a significant effect on ARG richness, ARG composition and plasmid abundance, but not on average genome size-normalized ARG abundance. We also detected aph3-II and tlmA as enriched in the unamended samples, which were carried by oligotrophic bacteria, pointing towards microbial competition in a nutrient-limited environment.
Conclusions: Overall, our findings indicate that green roof management supports a substrate resistome driven by ecological constraints rather than clinical threats. However, further research is required to evaluate potential risks and support the safe integration of green roofs within a One Health framework.
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance genes, Urban biodiversity, Urban management, Long-read metagenomics, One Health
Green roofs are widely promoted as sustainable urban infrastructure for mitigating climate change impacts, yet their role in stormwater quality remains controversial. This study identifies the primary sources of contaminant leaching from all green roof construction materials by testing material-by-material under standardized laboratory conditions. A total of 19 green roof construction materials, including substrates, fleeces, retention boxes, and root barrier layers, were evaluated in accordance with European and German standards. Results show that green waste compost is the dominant source of pollutants with maximum concentrations for Cu (170 µg/L), and Zn (404 µg/L). Expanded clay released Ni (77.3 µg/L), while crushed bricks contributed to high concentrations of V (99.5 µg/L) and nitrate (1175 mg/L). Leaching from substrates declines over time, often falling below threshold values at high liquid-to-solid ratios. Bitumen sheets with chemical root barriers released Mecoprop, with cumulative release reaching 26.4 mg/m². Mecoprop leaching is characterized by initial wash-off, followed by a diffusion-driven release. A rough estimate based on average daily rainfall suggests that leaching might take several years. However, this estimate does not account for factors such as vegetation uptake, atmospheric deposition, intermittent rainfall, drying-wetting cycles, ageing, preferential flow, and evapotranspiration. Nevertheless, the findings demonstrate that green roof construction materials, particularly substrates and root barriers, can be a major source of pollution in green roof runoff. The results underscore the importance of source control through material selection: replacing green waste compost with low-contaminant alternatives and using non-chemical or encapsulated root barriers. Without such measures, green roof runoff might pose long-term risks to aquatic ecosystems. Sustainable green roof design must prioritize material quality and contaminant screening to ensure true environmental benefit.
Hydrated cement pastes were evaluated as adsorbents for anionic dyes. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and pastes with 36–80 wt% ground-granulated blast-furnace slag were cured for 180 d, crushed (0.125–2 mm), and exposed to Reactive Blue 19 (RB19), Acid Orange 7 (AO7), and Acid Green 1 (AG1). Portlandite-rich OPC showed rapid adsorption, whereas 80 % slag significantly reduced dye uptake. Zeta-potential, XRD, TGA, mercury intrusion, and LA-ICP-MS indicated that portlandite sustains a high pH (>12) and positively charged surfaces, driving dye penetration up to ∼60 µm. Slag substitution consumed portlandite, generated C–(A)–S–H/hydrotalcite, refined pores below 10 nm, interrupted pore connectivity, and suppressed adsorption. Dyeing salts influenced uptake: 0.5 M MgSO4 induced gypsum precipitation, enhancing adsorption in slag-rich mixes, whereas NaCl and Na2SO4 reduced adsorption via charge screening. Dye affinity followed RB19 ≫ AO7 > AG1, emphasizing that residual portlandite and pore connectivity control cementitious sorbent performance, aiding circular reuse of construction by-products.
Resource recovery and nutrient management from organic waste streams are receiving more attention. Water and resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) are expected to support need-driven resource recovery at practical scale, with acceptable costs and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In many WRRFs, anaerobic digestion (AD) is widely implemented along the solids line for energy recovery and is frequently coupled with sidestream deammonification processes, such as partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A), to treat ammonium-rich flows from sludge dewatering. (1) In addition, phosphorus recovery is becoming an important component of resource recovery, with physicochemical units commonly installed for phosphorus precipitation and biological oxygen demand reduction before sidestream treatment. This configuration has enabled progress in resource recovery, but it remains largely fragmented and sidestream-centric. Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal and recovery are still optimized primarily in separate process units, with limited design attention given to how the quality of the anaerobic effluent affects subsequent nitrogen removal, phosphorus recovery, and emissions control. As a result, energy costs and GHG emissions are determined by not only biological conversion but also the energy demands for the thermal hydrolysis process (THP), aeration, chemical conditioning, and sidestream operation. The central challenge is therefore no longer simply to improve isolated unit operations, but to couple upstream carbon valorization with downstream low-carbon nutrient management within a coherent treatment framework.
Long periods of drought and record-breaking heat are putting pressure on Germany's drinking water supply. Many water utilities are pessimistic about the future, as a “Report Mainz” survey shows.
Quelle: tagesschau.de
It has never been this hot at the end of June since weather records began. But the record-breaking heat is pushing the drinking water supply to its limits.
Source: ardmediathek.de
The search for more sustainable and cost-effective wastewater treatment technologies has gained prominence, aiming to combine efficiency, economic viability, and environmental responsibility. In that regard, recycling reverse osmosis end-of-life membranes, which would otherwise be discarded due to loss of performance in the filtration processes, has proven to be a low-cost and sustainable alternative. Although studies confirm the membrane recycling potential, further evaluations are needed regarding their application aimed at treating wastewater, especially those containing emerging pollutants. Therefore, this study investigates the performance of recycled ultrafiltration (UFr) membranes in an expanded granular sludge bed-membrane bioreactor (EGSB-MBR) for wastewater treatment, focusing on bisphenol A (BPA) and nutrient removal. Additionally, the technology's performance was evaluated about toxicity, environmental and human risks, and costs. The results demonstrated that the EGSB-MBR achieved an average BPA removal efficiency of 91.1%, surpassing the performance of conventional anaerobic technologies. Additionally, EGSB-MBR demonstrated COD and PO₄3− removals of 96% and 27%, respectively. Risk assessments confirmed that the permeate was free from high risks. Furthermore, the system had a cost of US$0.079 m−3, making it a competitive alternative to conventional treatment. These findings highlight the potential application of UFr membranes, transforming the way membranes are produced, consumed and disposed of.
Some cities and municipalities are responding to the ongoing drought and are asking everyone to use water carefully and sparingly. In Munich, appeals for conservation have not been effective enough, so the city has now imposed restrictions. We speak with Prof. Drewes.
Source: ardmediathek
Global environmental changes such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the increasing pollution of ecosystems are key security risks; they endanger people, societal stability, economic performance and the ability of states to act. It is therefore imperative that these issues be given priority in both national and international security strategies.
In its latest report section, 'The Environment Shapes Security', the WBGU shows that environmental protection serves to safeguard the provision of basic public services and therefore constitutes an indispensable component of forward-looking, interdisciplinary security policy. The Advisory Council recommends permanently incorporating environment-related threats into the work of the National Security Council and systematically integrating this issue into risk analyses alongside traditional military and economic security considerations. "Security begins with the protection of our natural life-support systems. Anyone who ignores climate risks, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution is underestimating the security-policy challenges of our time,” the WBGU emphasizes.
The report section then examines three areas of action in more detail:
In the WBGU's view, halting climate change and reducing global temperatures in the long term by removing CO₂ from the atmosphere are central building blocks of an integrated security architecture. “The most important prerequisite for this is to phase out the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas as quickly and completely as possible,” says Hans-Otto Pörtner, climate expert at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven and co-author of the report. Switching the world's energy systems to renewable sources such as solar or wind power could enhance resilience and the security of supply while simultaneously expanding geostrategic room for manoeuvre.
The WBGU defines natural infrastructure as ecosystems that contribute to civil protection, for example by mitigating heat, purifying the air or counteracting climate change. In order to do justice to the strategic importance of these areas for security, the Advisory Council considers a number of measures to be meaningful. For example, natural infrastructure should be prioritized by law, and its protection should continue to receive ambitious financial support, not only in Germany but also within the framework of international cooperation models such as the Green Climate Fund. Furthermore, it is important to further develop comprehensive early-warning systems that prevent creeping environmental threats from curtailing ecosystem services. To mitigate risks, it is also necessary to raise public awareness of the security relevance of natural infrastructure. In this regard, it could be helpful to create incentives for people to take on voluntary roles in civil protection or to participate in citizen science projects. “Such activities reinforce our own resilience and that of our society,” says Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, Professor and Chief Physician for Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg and co-author of the report section. “In my consultations with patients, I emphasize every day that a healthy, safe life is only possible with intact ecosystems.”
Ecosystem conservation and the joint management of natural resources can contribute to mutual understanding and peace by increasing trust between governments or individual societal groups. Such approaches should therefore be systematically expanded in development cooperation and peace-building. The WBGU advocates cooperative, inclusive ecosystem protection led by local actors, incorporating local and indigenous knowledge wherever possible. Projects should be designed in such a way that they allow both the preservation of the natural life-support systems and the sustainable use of resources and land. “Otherwise, this can easily lead to new social tensions and conflicts,” explains Aletta Bonn, Head of the Department of Biodiversity and People at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, professor at the University of Jena as part of iDiv, and co-author of the report section. In order to simultaneously strengthen intergovernmental or local cooperation and young people's societal responsibility, the WBGU recommends giving the 'ecological and social year' equal status to military service. “Environmental protection that contributes to security requires broad engagement from civil society,” says Bonn.
Outlook
The report section 'The Environment Shapes Security' is the first chapter of the flagship report 'Security – Sustainable and Integrated', the WBGU's current work-in-progress. In view of the dynamic debates on security policy, the Advisory Council has decided to publish individual chapters in advance. An initial Situation report providing an overview of the flagship report's overall concept was published in March this year; further report sections will follow in the coming months.
More about the WBGU report section 'The Environment Shapes Security' can be found at: http://www.wbgu.de/fr-security-chap1
Source: https://www.wbgu.de/en/
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an essential technology for renewable energy production, yet process stability and methane yield remain sensitive to various factors, particularly under high organic loading rates (OLR). This study evaluates the effects of CO2 enrichment on methane production, hydrogen concentration, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and pH in AD systems using food waste and maize silage as substrates. Under high OLR conditions, CO2 enrichment increased the methane yield by 6.9 % for food waste and 7.2 % for maize silage. Elevated hydrogen levels in CO2-enriched reactors are consistent with the hypothesis of altered methanogenic routing (e.g., increased relevance of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis), which should be verified by targeted microbial and/or isotopic analyses. ORP values were consistently less negative, especially in food waste trials, where they also served as early indicators of process disturbances. No long-term pH alterations were observed. The findings highlight the potential of CO2 enrichment to enhance methane yield and improve process resilience. Monitoring CH4, H2, and ORP is essential to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and optimize AD performance under CO2-enriched conditions.
Applicant’s project: In this new pilot project we will test whether linking remote sensing/aerial top-down data with
bottom-up microbial and chemical data can enhance our understanding of the ecological drivers shaping the spatio- temporal variability of public health-related biomarkers. This project is a collaboration between TUM, the DLR (https://www.dlr.de/en/eoc/about-us/german-remote-sensing-data-center/geo-risks-and-civil-security/city-and-society) and the LGL (https://www.lgl.bayern.de). Specifically, this project builds upon the GIS-based surveillance structure we developed for wastewater-based epidemiology during the pandemic. This structure links the urban sewage network (catchment) and the connected population. In this project, we will test whether we can integrate and extend this framework into a 'One Health' context by combining the additional remote sensing data, which provides high-level, top-down information on various urban land uses, green spaces, roof runoff, building types, heat islands and air pollution, with the bottom-up data from wastewater biomarkers. This project will lay the groundwork for a future combined surveillance network integrating georeferenced wastewater and remote sensing data.
Our offer: The Technische Universität von München (TUM) is one of the most renowned universities in Europe. We
are offering excellent working conditions in a highly international research environment. The salary is in accordance
with the Public Sector Collective Agreement on Länder (TV-L E13 100%). The starting date of the position is not yet
defined and will be updated as soon as we receive the formal funding. We expect a starting date between September and December 2026.
Your application: Please send your application/letter of interest by electronic mail and preferably in one single pdf-
document to Christian Wurzbacher (c.wurzbacher@tum.de, +49 89 289 13797)
Postdoctoral researcher / research assistant (w/m/d) with experience in big data handling
Data Protection Information: When you apply for a position with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), you are submitting personal information. With regard to personal information, please take note of the Datenschutzhinweise gemäß Art. 13 Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO) zur Erhebung und Verarbeitung von personenbezogenen Daten im Rahmen Ihrer Bewerbung. (data protection information on collecting and processing personal data contained in your application in accordance with Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR)). By submitting your application, you confirm that you have acknowledged the above data protection information of TUM.