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Krautzberger: Move more goods to the rail, substitute fossil fuels.

Antibiotics used in livestock breeding and in human medicine can find their way into groundwater says a recent study by the German Environment Agency (UBA). Maria Krautzberger, President of UBA, commented: "Groundwater must stay clean. This is the reason why the German Environment Agency has issued a recommendation for a threshold for antibiotics in groundwater."

Which pollutants are people exposed to nowadays and which have diminished as a result of environmental legislation? This was one of the topics more than 300 experts from 33 countries discussed on the 2nd International Conference on Human Biomonitoring in April 2016 in Berlin. The presentations, the conference proceeding and impressions from the conference are found on the conference website.

Some 2.2 million people were employed in the environmental protection sector in Germany in 2012, say updated figures from the German Environment Agency (UBA), which is an increase of 245,000 jobs (12.5%) compared to 2010. Great increases in employment have notably occurred in the services sector associated with environmental protection.

Whether it is greenery from the home garden or fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen, some waste is just too valuable to become residual waste. The compost heap at home can turn kitchen and garden waste into valuable humus. The German Environment Agency (UBA) has updated its manual on composting with hints and advice on how to make good compost.

Until now, with few exceptions, there are no specific provisions for nanomaterials within the substance legislations. As a result, specific environmental risks cannot be described and assessed adequately. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to outline the necessary further development of chemi¬cals regulations for nanomaterials with regard to the environment from UBA´s perspective.

UBA cancels credits for greenhouse gas emissions

After Dresden, Moscow, Ottawa, Foz do Iguaçu and Durban, the IUPAC Green Chemistry Conferences Series moves to Italy; the Sixth Event will be held in Venice on 4th-8th September 2016.

A victory for environmental protection: Cybutryn, better known by its trade name Irgarol®, may no longer be used as the active substance in antifouling products on boat hulls after 27 January 2017.

A sad record: concentrations of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide at both of the UBA´s measuring stations on the Zugspitze and the Schauinsland exceeded an annual average level of more than 400 parts per million for the first time.

The UBA recommends a swift move to renovate Germany's building stock comprehensively. A new UBA study shows how it can be done.

A study by the German Environment Agency looks into the scope for political and economic steering to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from bogs and forests. The analysis covers measures both at international level (UNFCCC) and EU level.