P4 Floodplain Biogeochemistry - Redox Buffering and Contaminant Fate in Waterlogged Sediments
People Involved
Principal Investigators
Prof. Dr. Stefan B. Haderlein
University of Tübingen, Environmental Mineralogy & Chemistry
Prof. Dr. Carolin Huhn
University of Tübingen, Analytical Chemistry
Prof. Dr. Christian Griebler
Helmholtz Center München, University of Vienna, Limnology and Bio-Occanography
Prof. Dr. Andreas Kappler
University of Tübingen, Geomicrobiology
In the second phase of CAMPOS, the P4 team will change as parts of the research on glyphosate will be continued in P6. Adrian Mellage will become a new PI.
Researchers
Lena Cramaro, MSc
PhD Candidate, University of Vienna, Limnology and Bio-Occanography
Benedikt Wimmer, MSc
PhD Candidate, University of Tübingen, Analytical Chemistry
Johanna Schlögl, MSc
PhD Candidate, University of Tübingen, Environmental Mineralogy & Chemistry
Research Questions and General Approach
Research Questions
Redox processes play a key role in both the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and pollutant transformations. Thus, the overarching goal of this project is to identify and quantify the biogeochemical processes controlling the redox dynamics and the spatial and temporal transformation of redox sensitive nutrients (nitrate, ammonia) and agrochemicals (glyphosate and degradation by-products) in floodplain sediments.
General Approach of P4
We apply advanced electrochemical, trace analytical, microbial and biochemical techniques to determine
- the redox state and its seasonal dynamics in floodplain sediments
- the decisive reactive soil components that control the redox dynamics and redox buffering
- the speciation, sorption and mobilization of glyphosate and its major transformation product AMPA as affected by the redox conditions
- the dynamics of microbial communities and microbially driven nitrogen and sulfur cycles
- the transport and transformation the herbicides in sediments under simulated water-logging and redox dynamics
The work comprises field coring campaigns (in close collaboration with P3) as well as detailed laboratory studies to decipher and quantify the links between geochemistry, redox dynamics, microbial activity and pollutant fate.