Unravelling reasons for variability in the OECD 306 marine biodegradation test.

The recommended test for assessing if a chemical can be biodegraded in the marine environment is performed according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Marine biodegradation test guideline (OECD 306). However, this test is known to generate highly variable test results when comparing interlaboratory test results for the same compound. One reason can be the relatively low bacterial content compared to the inoculum used for OECD readily biodegradation tests (OECD 301).

Multi-laboratory Validation of a New Marine Biodegradation Screening Test for Chemical Persistence Assessment.

Current biodegradation screening tests are not specifically designed for persistence assessment of chemicals, often show high inter- and intra-test variability, and often give false negative biodegradation results. Based on previous studies and recommendations, an international ring test involving 13 laboratories validated a new test method for marine biodegradation with a focus on improving the reliability of screening to determine the environmental degradation potential of chemicals. The new method incorporated increased bacterial cell concentrations to better represent the microbial diversity; a chemical is likely to be exposed in the sampled environments and ran beyond 60 days, which is the half-life threshold for chemical persistence in the marine environment.

Removal of antibiotic resistant E. coli in two Norwegian wastewater treatment plants and by nano- and ultra-filtration processes.

The effectivity of different treatment stages at two large wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in Oslo, Norway, to remove antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli from municipal wastewater was investigated. The WWTPs were effective in reducing the total cultivable E. coli.

Environmental fate and effects of novel quorum sensing inhibitors that can control biofilm formation.

The formation of bacterial biofilms can have negative impacts on industrial processes and are typically difficult to control. The increase of antibiotic resistance, in combination with the requirement for more environmentally focused approaches, has placed pressure on industry and the scientific community to reassess biofilm control strategies. The discovery of bacterial quorum sensing, as an important mechanism in biofilm formation, has led to the development of new substances (such as halogenated thiophenones) to inhibit the quorum sensing process.

Diverse Land Use and the Impact on (Irrigation) Water Quality and Need for Measures - A Case Study of a Norwegian River.

Surface water is used for irrigation of food plants all over the World. Such water can be of variable hygienic quality, and can be contaminated from many different sources. The association of contaminated irrigation water with contamination of fresh produce is well established, and many outbreaks of foodborne disease associated with fresh produce consumption have been reported.

Impact of rainfall on the hygienic quality of blue mussels and water in urban areas in the Inner Oslofjord, Norway.

The effects of precipitation on the hygienic quality of water and blue mussels collected from five different localities in the urban areas in the Inner Oslofjord were investigated, with samples analysed for Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., pathogenic Vibrio spp., Norovirus, Sapovirus, Cryptosporidium spp.