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Clean Environment

We advane science and solutions for pollution prevention, sustainable resource use, and healthier ecosystems — toward a cleaner, safer planet.

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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.

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News and Stories

Unclear Visions of Carbon Removal

ECHO Story
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Created by Thomas Zauner

Current climate goals require the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, how this should happen is up for debate. Researchers at the University of Vienna and the Potsdam Research Institute for Sustainability took a close look at the emission reduction plans of major EU industry sectors and found a substantial but underspecified reliance on uncertain carbon removal technologies. This enables them to project currently highly emission-intensive business models into the future.

20 Years of Microplastics Research: Time to Act

Clean Environment
Foto von einem Sieb, in welchem einige Plastikpartikel hängen geblieben sind. Im Hintergrund ist das Meer zu sehen.
wonderisland - stock.adobe.com

Science has provided more than enough evidence to develop a collective and global approach to tackle the proliferation of plastic pollution. This is the conclusion of an international research team including environmental psychologist Sabine Pahl from the University of Vienna. The current Science publication particularly emphasises the urgency of a global agreement to curb plastic pollution.

Projects

MARCO-BOLO: MARine Coastal BiOdiversity Long-term Observations

Clean Environment
Marco-Bolo logo
MARCO-BOLO

Alice Vadrot at the Department of Political Science is leading the “MARCO-BOLO” project.

The MARCO-BOLO (MBO) project aims to structure and strengthen European coastal and marine biodiversity observation capabilities, linking them to global efforts to understand and restore ocean health, hence ensuring that outputs respond to explicit stakeholder needs from policy, planning and industry.

Assessing Biodegradation of Dopamine-Based Electrochromic Formulations for Ultra-Low Power Flexible Displays by Environmental Microbial Communities

ECH Project
A square, textured artwork resembling moss, fungi, and coral structures is displayed in a forest setting with tall trees and a mossy ground.
Petra Pjevac

Petra Pjevac from the Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science is leading the project "Assessing Biodegradation of Dopamine-Based Electrochromic Formulations for Ultra-Low Power Flexible Displays by Environmental Microbial Communities".

To ensure sustainable electronics truly biodegrade, researchers develop a standardized workflow to test organic materials in soil, water, and sediments. This interdisciplinary project aims to improve certification standards.

Publications

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2026

Lu, Y., Eisenhauer, N., Patoine, G., Chen, Y., Heintz-Buschart, A., Küsel, K., Wegner, C. E., Buscot, F., Liu, X., Araujo, A. S. F., Frey, B., Maestre, F. T., Vadeboncoeur, M., van den Brink, L., Ponette, Q., Didion, M., Wohlfahrt, G., Gaxiola, A., Branquinho, C., ... Guerra, C. A. (2026). Landscape effects on global soil pathogenic fungal diversity across spatial scales. Nature Communications, 17(1), Article 1164. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67929-5

Bokareva, O. S., González, L., & Mai, S. (2026). Predicting excited-state lifetimes in Cobalt(III) polypyridyl complexes: From quantum chemistry to nonadiabatic dynamics. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 564, Article 218055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2026.218055

Tippner, S., Hörl, E., & González, L. (2026). Polymer-brush confinement modulates redox behavior of a MnV polyoxometalate water-oxidation catalyst. Electrochimica Acta, 571, Article 148951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2026.148951

Formentin, G., Nogay, V., & Hofmann, T. (2026). Data Space Inversion for efficient and uncertainty-informed contaminant source identification in aquifers. Water Research, 302, 1-14. Article 126176 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2026.126176

Gao, C., Mordehay, V., Sherman, A., Hämmerle, L. E., Hofmann, T., Polubesova, T., Chefetz, B., & Ben Mordechay, E. (2026). Tire wear particles as a source of organic contaminants in the agro-environment:Release of tire wear-derived compounds and their plant uptake. Environmental Research, 303, 1-10. Article 124681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2026.124681

Zhou, H., Li, Z., Wu, Z., Zou, L., Sun, H., Li, H., Wang, X., Wang, Y., Jin, J., Hofmann, T., & Tang, J. (2026). Zinc accumulation as a primary contributor to co-exposure toxicity with 6PPD-quinone in earthworms: Multi-level evidence. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 514, 1-13. Article 142749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.142749

Rabl-Wolff, H., Sun, F. L., Varga, D., Zhuang, G. L., Huang, Z., Nagaraju Myakala, S., Ayala, P., Blaschke, J., Cherevan, A., Foelske, A., González, L., Apaydin, D. H., & Eder, D. (2026). In-situ surface reconstruction of silver-based MOCHAs via chalcogen depletion for durable CO₂-to-CO electrocatalysis. Journal of CO2 Utilization, 109, Article 103488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcou.2026.103488

Walser, A., Kupc, A., Benker, N., Dollner, M., Heinold, B., Kandler, K., Kristensen, T. B., Müller, T., Tipka, A., Seibert, P., Tegen, I., & Weinzierl, B. (2026). Anthropogenic Pollution Accounts for a Substantial Part of Cloud Condensation Nuclei in North African Dust Layer. Geophysical Research Letters, 53(12), Article e2025GL120808. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL120808

Dietschreit, J. C. B., Mai, S., & González, L. (2026). The entropic barrier around the conical intersection seam. Journal of Chemical Physics, 164(24), Article 244112. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0322805

Chen, W., & Hofmann, T. (2026). From Particles to Chemicals: Redefining the Impact of Agricultural Plastics on Water Quality. Environmental Science & Technology, 60(24), 17058-17062. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c05931

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