The impact of human activities on planetary systems is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. Natural and anthropogenic contaminants can drive systems outside safe operating spaces with far-reaching impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human health.

Our mission is to investigate the environmental fate and effects of organic and inorganic contaminants and processes at mineral interfaces. We train the next generation of leaders and societal actors.

Our vision is to inform solutions for the pressing environmental problems of today and tomorrow that sustain communities while stewarding the environment.

© Gabriel Sigmund

Current Projects

The protection of water resources requires effective measures to prevent impacts on ecosystems and human health. River sediments can play a key role...
More

The discovery of sediments as an additional source of ancient DNA (aDNA) and environmental DNA (eDNA) beyond macrofossils has significantly broadened...
More

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manufactured chemicals that have garnered significant attention due to their widespread...
More

Recent environmental, anthropological and ecological research has demonstrated that ancient DNA (aDNA) can be preserved in sediments over long...
More

New findings in the fields of microbiome research and anthropology have demonstrated that DNA fragments (so called ‘ancient DNA’ or ‘aDNA’) can...
More

If all microbial life disappeared from Earth, our world would change dramatically. Microorganisms are essential for nutrient recycling, decomposing...
More

The University of Vienna and BASF have started a research collaboration to better understand the behavior of biodegradable plastics in compost. This...
More

The safety testing of chemicals and their risk assessment require standardized and validated methods. For nanomaterials there is a critical lack of...
More

Apart from dissolution nanomaterials undergo chemical transformation and agglomeration in environmental aquatic media. These processes change...
More

Organic soil amendments such as compost or biochar can change the dynamics of nutrients and pollutants in the soil: Researchers from EDGE partnered up...
More

Tire wear particles form via mechanical and thermal abrasion of tires while driving, and collect on road surfaces. During rain events they are washed...
More

Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) are used in numerous applications, including home and personal care products. After their use, WSPs are often released...
More

The input of anthropogenic chemicals into environmental systems is a major concern. For example, the presence of antibiotics in wastewater and...
More

Biopesticides are promising alternatives to synthetic pesticides – among other reasons also because they are expected to be biodegraded and thus of...
More

Given the wide gamut of issues cities are facing, the Research Platform "Urban Futures" focuses on five thematic areas: Society and Culture, Economy...
More

Long-term pollution mitigation requires a better understanding of the biogeochemical processes that regulate the behavior and fate of trace metals,...
More

The versatile applicability of plastics in our daily life lead to an increasing demand and production of plastics in the past decades and plastics...
More

The project investigates numerical approaches to bring forth best-management strategies crucial for drinking water production from bank filtration....
More