New Research Project

News

The teams from Thilo Hofmann (EDGE) won together with Prof. Benny Chefetz (HUJ) the new University of Vienna  - Hebrew University of Jerusalem strategic research partnership grant. In the upcoming 2 years, both teams will investigate the impact of tire wear particles (TWP) and TWP-derived compounds on plants. Biosolids are used as a fertilizer in agriculture, thus introducing TWP to the agroecosystem. In this project, we will investigate plant uptake and metabolization of TWP-derived compounds under realistic agricultural conditions using biosolids as the main exposure driver. Specifically, we want to investigate if toxic TWP-derived compounds accumulate in edible plant organs (roots, fruits, and leaves) and thereby reach the consumer at concentrations of concern. This work is important, timely, and needed regarding human health, stimulating better regulation, as well as providing novel mechanistic insight into the fate of TWP-derived compounds in the agri-environment.