FOR 415:  Organometal(loid) Compounds in the Environment

Subsequent to the profiling of organometal(loid) compounds in important geogenic and anthropogenic deposits, our aim is to investigate the importance of this class of compounds for human health through the analysis of both physicochemical and biological formation, transportation and transformation processes. Through close multidisciplinary work involving input from disciplines as diverse as analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, microbiology, genetics and toxicology the research group will try to: -- estimate the global levels of geogenic and anthropogenic emissions of organometal(loid) compounds, -- obtain insight to processes that influence the genesis (biomethylation), as well as the transport and stability of organometal(loid) species and the interactions or organometal(loid)s with one another and with other matrix components, -- evaluate various environmentally relevant sources from a toxicological point of view to find out if specific "hot spots" of organometal(loid)s exist, which can burden the ecosystem and may damage the health of people living in the surrounding area or working in close contact with the source.

DFG Programme Research Units

• Analysis and synthesis of environmentally important compounds (Applicant Hirner, Alfred V. )
• Determinanten der Biomeythylierung/-hydrierung von Metall(oiden) beim Menschen (Applicant Rettenmeier, Albert )
• Effects of organometal(loid) compounds on neuronal ion channels (Applicant Mußhoff, Ulrich )
• Genotoxic potential of environmental metal(oid) organic compounds in vitro and in vivo (Applicant Hartwig, Andrea )
• Geogene und anthropogene metall(oid)organische Emissionen in die Atmosphäre (Applicant Hirner, Alfred V. )
• Immission and transformation of metal(loid) species in limnic tropic levels water-algae-fish (Applicant Emons, Hendrik )
• Mechanismen der direkten und indirekten Genotoxizität umweltrelevanter metall(oid)organischer Verbindungen (Applicant Dopp, Elke )
• Mechanismus und Regulation der Biosynthese flüchtiger Arsen-, Antimon und Bismut-Verbindungen durch Prokaryonten (Applicant Hensel, Reinhard )
• Moleküldynamische Computersimulationen zur Untersuchung der Wechselwirkung zwischen metallorganischen Verbindungen und Phospholipidmembranen (Applicant Rehage, Heinz )
• Remobilisierung von Metall(oid)en durch Biomethylierung aus Böden und Sedimenten (Applicant Hirner, Alfred V. )
• Verteilung und Abbauverhalten von metall(oid)organischen Verbindungen in umweltrelevanten Systemen (Applicant Zellner, Reinhard )

Spokesperson Professor Dr. Alfred V. Hirner