Higher Tier Tests

Tests with communities in semi-realistic environments build the highest tier in testing potential effects of plant protection products because they allow testing simultaneously effects on different species including indirect effects due to modified predator-prey or competition relationships. In addition, the recovery potential of affected species can be assessed.

Micro- und mesocosms are well-establised tools in aquatic ecotoxicology and often used for refined risk assessments of pesticides in order to reduce uncertainties in the extrapolation form laboratory standard tests to the situation in the field. In cooperation with gaiac - Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment - in Aachen, and the MESOCOSM GmbH in Homberg, the Fraunhofer IME is one of the international leading providers of such studies with 32 microcosm of 1 m³ at the Fraunhofer site in Schmallenberg, 30 artificial outdoor ponds of 5 m² at gaiac and 5 large artificial ponds to place up to 28 enclosures of 2 m² per pond at Mesocosm GmbH.

Until now, the Fraunhofer IME has conducted approx. 30 GLP- micro- or mesocsom studies.

In a similar way, we can offer studies conducted in Terrestrial Model Ecosystems (TMEs) to analyse effects of pesticides or other chemicals on soil invertebrates. These studies can be conducted in cooperation with gaiac in Schmallenberg or in Aachen. At the Fraunhofer site in Schmallenberg radiolabelled substances can be tested as well.

Brock, T.C.M., Hammers-Wirtz, M., Hommen, U., Preuss, T.G., Ratte, H.-T., Roessink, I., Strauss, T., Brink, P.J. van den:
The minimum detectable difference (MDD) and the interpretation of treatment-related effects of pesticides in experimental ecosystems. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International ESPR 22 (2015) 1160–1174 (DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3398-2)

Schäfers, C.:
Ecological approaches to aquatic ecotoxicology challenged by the needs of risk assessment. Fraunhofer IME (Hrsg.), Fraunhofer Verlag, Stuttgart (2013) 200 pp.; ISBN 978-3-8396-0542-4 (Download)

Knauer, K., Hommen, U.:
Sensitivity, variability, and recovery of functional and structural endpoints of an aquatic community exposed to herbicides. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 78 (2012) 178–183 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2011.11.019)

Knauer, K., Leimgruber, A., Hommen, U., Knauert, S.:
Co-tolerance of phytoplankton communities to photosynthesis II inhibitors. Aquatic Toxicology 96 (2010) 256–263 (DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2009.11.001)

10.1016/j.aquatox.2009.11.001

Knauert, S., Dawo, U., Hollender, J., Hommen, U., Knauer, K.:
Effects of photosystem II inhibitors and their mixture on freshwater phytoplankton succession in outdoor mesocosms. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 28 (2009) 836-845 (DOI: 10.1897/08-135R.1)

Knauer, K., Maise, S., Thoma, G., Hommen, U., Gonzalez-Valero, J.:
Long-term variability of zooplankton populations in aquatic mesocosms. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 24 (2005) 1182-1189 (DOI: 10.1897/04-010R.1)

Giddings, J.M.; Brock, T.C.M.; Heger, W.; Heimbach, F.; Maund, S.J.; Norman, S.M.; Ratte, H.T.; Schäfers, C.; Streloke, M. (eds.):
Community-level aquatic system studies. Interpretation criteria: Proceedings from the CLASSIC Workshop held at the Fraunhofer Institute Schmallenberg, Germany, 30.05.-02-06.1999. SETAC, Pensacola, Fla., 44 pp.; ISBN 1-880611-49-X