Clean Environment
Working together on better practices and processes to create a cleaner planet
Environmental pollution is a planetary boundary already exceeded, driven by human practices, production, and consumption. This poses serious threats to planetary health.
Through our focus area on clean environment , we strive to develop a profound understanding of the impact of anthropogenic pollution on environmental systems. We design novel, environmentally friendly materials and greener processes. We are harnessing the rich scientific knowledge available at the University of Vienna—bringing together diverse backgrounds from environmental, chemical, physical, biological, social, and political sciences to address these challenges. To achieve the goal of a clean environment and zero pollution, we need not only excellent scientific understanding and technological innovation to inform solutions, but also significant advances in society, governance, and regulation.
News and Stories
16.04.2024
ECH-Director Thilo Hofmann at the EGU Press Conference
The General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) 2024 took place[...]
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17.01.2024
Review: Semester Question Panel Discussion – „What Will Our Future be Made of?“
Energy transition, circular economy, self-repairing cities: what innovative materials are needed to[...]
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09.01.2024
Shape Matters: How Microplastic Travels That Far
How far microplastics travel in the atmosphere depends crucially on particle shape,[...]
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25.09.2023
How Does the Use of Plastics in Agriculture Become More Sustainable?
It is impossible to imagine modern agriculture without plastics. 12 million tonnes[...]
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21.07.2023
Tracking down Microplastics in the Air
Tiny plastic particles, also known as microplastics, are polluting rivers and oceans.
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12.07.2023
Plastic Waste: Pollution in Lakes Sometimes Higher Than in the Ocean
Global data on microplastic pollution of freshwaters has been lacking until now.
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28.06.2023
Pollutants Go through the Stomach
Pesticides, contaminated food or packaging chemicals – pollutants from food and the[...]
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Projects
08.01.2024
IrrevoChrom: Irreversible Organic Electrochromic Links for Tamperproof
Laura Maggini from the Department of Chemistry is leading the „IrrevoChrom“ project.
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01.01.2024
playNICE: Interplay Between Biological Nitrification Inhibitors, Nitrogen Cycling, and Agronomic Nitrogen Use Efficiency
Petra Pjevac at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CMESS)[...]
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01.01.2024
Occurrence and Remediation of PFAS
Thilo Hofmann at the Department of Geosciences is leading the „Ocurrence and[...]
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01.10.2023
Biodegradable Plastics in Compost
Thilo Hofmann at the Department of Geosciences is leading the Biodegradable Plastics[...]
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09.01.2023
MECS: Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage
Leticia Gonzalez at the Institute of Theoretical Chemistry is part of the[...]
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Seed Funding Projects
29.01.2024
Assessing Biodegradation of Dopamine-Based Electrochromic Formulations for Ultra-Low Power Flexible Displays by Environmental Microbial Communities
The disposal of electronics comes with many sustainability issues and has been[...]
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29.01.2024
Plant Root Exudates as Prophage Inducers
The misuse and overuse of antibiotics in human healthcare as well as[...]
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