Application of the Zürich-methodology for risk assessment concerning the inspection of pesticide application equipment in use according to article 8 (3) of Directive 2009/128/EC at the example of Germany

Die Richtline 2009/128/EC (nachhaltige Verwendung von Pestiziden) fordert in Artikel 8 eine Risikobewertung mit Bezug zur menschlichen Gesundheit und zur Umwelt, um mögliche Ausnahmen bei der Kontrollpflicht für in Gebrauch befindliche Geräte umzusetzen. Diese Ausnahmen können nur für bestimmte Gerätearten angewendet werden und können zu alternativen Zeitplänen und Kontrollabständen oder auch insgesamt zum Wegfall der Kontrollpflicht bei einigen Gerätearten führen. Auf dem Treffen der SPISE (Standardised Procedure for the Inspection of Sprayers in Europe) Technical Working Group im März 2015 einigten sich die Experten darauf, die Zürich-Methode als ein geeignetes Instrument zur harmonisierten Risikobewertung in allen EU 27 Mitgliedsstaaten für diesen Fall heranzuziehen. Dieser Beitrag erklärt die Methode, zeigt ihre Anforderungen auf und demonstriert sie am Beispiel der in Gebrauch befindlichen Pflanzenschutzgeräte in Deutschland. Darüber hinaus wird aufgezeigt, welche Fragen zukünftig noch von den Experten beantwortet werden müssen, um ein europaweit harmonisiertes Verfahren anwenden zu können. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2015.10.03, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2015.10.03Article 8 of Directive 2009/128/EC (Sustainable Use Directive) demands a risk assessment for human health and the environment in order to apply different time tables and inspection intervals in selected cases for the inspection of pesticide application equipment (PAE) in use or make exemptions from inspection within the member states of EU 27. The experts of the SPISE (Standardised Procedure for the Inspection of Sprayers in Europe) Technical Working Group agreed on their meeting in March 2015 to use the Zürich-methodology as an appropriate instrument to implement the demanded risk assessment in a harmonized manner within the EU 27. The article explains the Zürich-methodology, illustrates its requirements and demonstrates the application of this method at the example of a risk assessment in case of Germany. Furthermore, it shows of what questions still have to be discussed in future by the expert in order to come up with a common and harmonized procedure being applicable for all member states of EU 27. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2015.10.03, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2015.10.0

Kombinationswirkungen umweltrelevanter Metallverbindungen in Lungenzellen

This project aims to investigate the genotoxicity of environmentally relevant particulate nickel and cadmium compounds in human lung cells as primary targets of metal-induced carcinogenicity. Special focus will be given to the question whether direct DNA damage or inhibition of DNA repair processes causing enhancing effects with other DNA damaging agents are predominant. In a first step, a sensitive procedure to quantify DNA adducts of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) was established. This method is based on HPLC with fluorescence detection and allows the specific and reproducible quantification of 1 DNA-adduct of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) per 108 base pairs in cultured cells. By this approach, we demonstrated the dose-dependent generation of DNA lesions and their repair in HeLa and A549 lung cells. The removal of DNA adducts of BPDE was inhibited by both NiCl2 and NiO in the non-cytotoxic concentration range. The results obtained so far indicate that the repair inhibition by Ni(II) observed previously also applies for lung cells and for both soluble and insoluble nickel compounds. Zusammenfassung Gesamtziel des Vorhabens ist die Abklärung der Genotoxizität von partikulären, umweltrelevanten Nickel- und Cadmiumverbindungen in menschlichen Lungenzellen als Zielzellen der metallinduzierten Kanzerogenese. Insbesondere soll abgeklärt werden, ob primäre gentoxische Effekte oder DNA-Reparaturinhibitionen im Vordergrund stehen, die in der Folge zu Wirkungsverstärkungen in Kombination mit anderen DNA-schädigenden Agentien führen. Hierfür wurde zunächst ein auf HPLC mit Fluoreszenzdetektion basierendes Testsystem zum empfindlichen Nachweis von DNA-Schäden des Benzo[a]pyrens (B[a]P) etabliert, welches nunmehr den spezifischen und reproduzierbaren Nachweis von 1 DNA-Addukt des Benzo[a]pyren 7,8-diol 9,10-epoxids (BPDE) pro 108 Basenpaare in Kulturzellen ermöglicht. Mit Hilfe dieses Testsystems wurde die dosisabhängige Induktion der DNA-Schäden und ihre Reparatur in HeLa- und A549-Zellen gezeigt. Die Entfernung der DNA-Läsionen wurde sowohl durch NiCl2 als auch durch NiO in nicht-cytotoxischen Konzentrationen gehemmt. Die bislang erhaltenen Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, daß die in Vorarbeiten gezeigten Reparaturinhibitionen durch NiCl2 auch in Lungenzellen zu beobachten sind und daß sowohl wasserlösliche als auch weitgehend wasserunlösliche Nickelverbindungen inhibitorisch auf die Nucleotid-Exzisionsreparatur wirken

Towards a transportable aluminium ion quantum logic optical clock

With the advent of optical clocks featuring fractional frequency uncertainties on the order of 10-17 and below, new applications such as chronometric leveling with few-centimeter height resolution emerge. We are developing a transportable optical clock based on a single trapped aluminum ion, which is interrogated via quantum logic spectroscopy. We employ singly charged calcium as the logic ion for sympathetic cooling, state preparation, and readout. Here, we present a simple and compact physics and laser package for manipulation of 40Ca+. Important features are a segmented multilayer trap with separate loading and probing zones, a compact titanium vacuum chamber, a near-diffraction-limited imaging system with high numerical aperture based on a single biaspheric lens, and an all-in-fiber 40Ca+ repump laser system. We present preliminary estimates of the trap-induced frequency shifts on 27Al+, derived from measurements with a single calcium ion. The micromotion-induced second-order Doppler shift for 27Al+ has been determined to be δνEMMν=-0.4-0.3 +0.4×10-18 and the black-body radiation shift is δνBBR/ν = (-4.0 ± 0.4) × 10-18. Moreover, heating rates of 30 (7) quanta per second at trap frequencies of ωrad,Ca+ ≈ 2π × 2.5 MHz (ωax,Ca+ ≈ 2π × 1.5 MHz) in radial (axial) direction have been measured, enabling interrogation times of a few hundreds of milliseconds

Guidelines for developing optical clocks with 10−1810^{-18} fractional frequency uncertainty

There has been tremendous progress in the performance of optical frequency standards since the first proposals to carry out precision spectroscopy on trapped, single ions in the 1970s. The estimated fractional frequency uncertainty of today's leading optical standards is currently in the $10^{-18}$ range, approximately two orders of magnitude better than that of the best caesium primary frequency standards. This exceptional accuracy and stability is resulting in a growing number of research groups developing optical clocks. While good review papers covering the topic already exist, more practical guidelines are needed as a complement. The purpose of this document is therefore to provide technical guidance for researchers starting in the field of optical clocks. The target audience includes national metrology institutes (NMIs) wanting to set up optical clocks (or subsystems thereof) and PhD students and postdocs entering the field. Another potential audience is academic groups with experience in atomic physics and atom or ion trapping, but with less experience of time and frequency metrology and optical clock requirements. These guidelines have arisen from the scope of the EMPIR project "Optical clocks with $1 imes 10^{-18}$ uncertainty" (OC18). Therefore, the examples are from European laboratories even though similar work is carried out all over the world. The goal of OC18 was to push the development of optical clocks by improving each of the necessary subsystems: ultrastable lasers, neutral-atom and single-ion traps, and interrogation techniques. This document shares the knowledge acquired by the OC18 project consortium and gives practical guidance on each of these aspects

Guidelines for developing optical clocks with 10-18 fractional frequency uncertainty

There has been tremendous progress in the performance of optical frequency standards since the first proposals to carry out precision spectroscopy on trapped, single ions in the 1970s. The estimated fractional frequency uncertainty of today's leading optical standards is currently in the 10−18 range, approximately two orders of magnitude better than that of the best caesium primary frequency standards. This exceptional accuracy and stability is resulting in a growing number of research groups developing optical clocks. While good review papers covering the topic already exist, more practical guidelines are needed as a complement. The purpose of this document is therefore to provide technical guidance for researchers starting in the field of optical clocks. The target audience includes national metrology institutes (NMIs) wanting to set up optical clocks (or subsystems thereof) and PhD students and postdocs entering the field. Another potential audience is academic groups with experience in atomic physics and atom or ion trapping, but with less experience of time and frequency metrology and optical clock requirements. These guidelines have arisen from the scope of the EMPIR project "Optical clocks with 1×10−18 uncertainty" (OC18). Therefore, the examples are from European laboratories even though similar work is carried out all over the world. The goal of OC18 was to push the development of optical clocks by improving each of the necessary subsystems: ultrastable lasers, neutral-atom and single-ion traps, and interrogation techniques. This document shares the knowledge acquired by the OC18 project consortium and gives practical guidance on each of these aspects.EU/Horizon2020/EMPIR/E

Kombinationswirkungen umweltrelevanter Metallverbindungen in Lungenzellen

Zusammenfassung Gesamtziel des Projektes ist die Abklärung der Genotoxizität von löslichen und partikulären, umweltrelevanten Metallverbindungen in menschlichen Lungenzellen als Zielzellen der metallinduzierten Kanzerogenese sowie Kombinationswirkungen mit Benzo[a]pyren als wichtigem Umweltmutagen. Bisher konnte gezeigt werden, dass sowohl lösliches NiCl2 als auch partikuläres schwarzes NiO im nicht-zytotoxischen Bereich in A549 Zellen lediglich eine geringe Anzahl an oxidativen DNA-Schäden induzieren, wohingegen sie die Reparatur von BPDE-induzierten DNA-Addukten in diesem Bereich erheblich hemmen. Die intrazelluläre Verteilung von Nickel, die oftmals für die Unterschiede in der Kanzerogenität von löslichen und partikulären Nickelverbindungen verantwortlich gemacht wird, wurde mit Hilfe der AAS untersucht. Erste Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Nickel entgegen anders lautenden Vermutungen in der Literatur auch nach Inkubation mit löslichen Nickelverbindungen in den Zellkern gelangt, was für die Risikobewertung von großer Bedeutung ist. Zur Zeit untersuchen wir die Induktion von oxidativen DNA Schäden durch lösliche und partikuläre Cadmiumverbindungen und Kombinationswirkungen der entsprechenden Cadmiumverbindungen mit Benzo[a]pyren. Zusätzlich wurde auch die Induktion oxidativer DNA-Schäden durch Arsenit und seine zwei methylierten Metabolite MMA(V) und DMA(V) getestet. Unsere Experimente weisen die Entstehung oxidativer DNA-Basenschäden durch alle drei Verbindungen nach; dies deutet darauf hin, dass es sich bei der Methylierung nicht wie bislang angenommen um eine generelle Detoxifizierung handelt. Summary This project aims to investigate the genotoxicity of soluble and particulate, environmentally relevant metal compounds in human lung cells as primary targets of metal-induced carcinogenicity as well as indirect genotoxic effects in combination with benzo[a]pyrene as an important environmental mutagen. Within this project, we could demonstrate that in A549 cells both soluble NiCl2 and particulate black NiO induce only little oxidative DNA damage in a non-cytotoxic range, whereas they show a pronounced repair inhibition of BPDE-DNA adducts. The intracellular distribution of nickel(II), frequently suggested to be responsible for differences in carcinogenicity of soluble and particulate nickel compounds, has been determined after incubation with different nickel compounds by AAS. First results show that in contrast to the current opinion in literature also soluble nickel(II) reaches the nucleus in significant amounts, a finding of major importance for risk assessment. Currently we investigate the induction of oxidative DNA damage by soluble and particulate cadmium compounds and the combined effects with benzo[a]pyrene. Additionally the induction of oxidative DNA damage by arsenite and its two methylated metabolites MMA(V) and DMA(V) has been examined. Our experiments demonstrate the formation of oxidative DNA modifications by all three compounds, indicating that methylation does not merely resemble detoxification of arsenic compounds