Hydrotox Laboratory for Ecotoxicology and Water Protection will participate in UMWELT 2026, the joint annual conference of SETAC-GLB and the GDCh Division of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, and will also contribute to the program: In a presentation, Marie Canon, Head of Biodegradation and Ecotoxicology Testing, will report on the "Schwammstadt" (Sponge City) research project and the ecotoxicological assessment of construction products (A3.5), and a poster will present findings on the biodegradability and ecotoxicity of biocide-free antifouling coatings from the BioShip project (P5.6). UMWELT 2026 will take place 02-04 September 2026, at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Essen. This year’s theme is "Between Crisis and Change: Pollutants, Health, and Ecosystems in the Anthropocene." The event will be held in German. All details about UMWELT 2026, including the full program, can be found at the following link: >>> UMWELT 2026 <<< Thursday, 03 September 2026 Session A3 "Ökotoxikologie & Stressökologie I" (Ecotoxicology & Stress Ecology I) 16:35 - 16:50 Uhr: "Ermittlung ökotoxikologisch unbedenklicher Bauprodukte für Gründächer zur Umsetzung der Schwammstadt" (A3.5) (Identification of Ecotoxicologically Safe Building Products for Green Roofs to Implement the “Sponge City” Concept) Marie Canon We would, of course, be delighted to get to know you or see you again in Essen, and we are already looking forward to stimulating discussions. If you would like to schedule an appointment in advance or have any other questions or requests, please feel free to contact us! CONTAKT

As of 1 July 2026, Hydrotox Labor für Ökotoxikologie und Gewässerschutz GmbH was able to lease additional space totaling 170 m² in its existing building in Freiburg. As a result, the laboratory space will be expanded over the next few weeks by approximately 30 %, while the office space was nearly doubled immediately. With this expansion, Hydrotox - after more than 30 years in the same premises - now has the opportunity to position itself for the future, serve its customers in an even more service-oriented manner, and increase its testing capacity. If you are interested in taking a look at the new space during an in-person meeting in Freiburg, please feel free to contact us - we would love to show you around! CONTACT

A research article titled "Testing the biodegradability of difficult compounds: a future challenge for OECD/ISO standardization" has been published in the journal "Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology", Volume 110, article number 122, (2026). Among the authors is Stefan Gartiser, Senior Scientist at Hydrotox Labor für Ökotoxikologie und Gewässerschutz GmbH. A PDF version of the publication is available for download on the Hydrotox website - HERE PDF - as well as online HERE (Springer Nature Link).