International Environmental Conference starts in Wuppertal – Rhineland – News – WDR – Rhineland – News

From New Zealand, from United States of America And in Japan, researchers came to Vober: cell and environmental biologists, doctors, physicists, zoologists, and food chemists. The focus is on research into environmental toxins, especially metals.

New risks H-the cars?

In many cases it is still unknown what the effects of even small amounts are on the human body. In Wuppertal, scientists will talk about current research, for example on the possible genetically harmful effects of nickel with cobalt.

These are the metals found in batteries H-Cars play an important role and are increasingly issued. The danger became particularly clear at the end of July, for example, when one of them happened HA cargo ship loaded with cars caught fire off the Dutch coast.

““If the soil is poisoned, you won’t notice it right away.”

Researchers still don’t know much about the cycling of metals in the environment, when exactly substances enter the food chain, and what role they might play in our food.

The conference was prepared by Jörg Rinkleby, an agricultural scientist from Bergisch University. Its subject is soil. “If the soil is poisoned, you don’t notice it immediately. There’s a delayed effect, often weeks, months, years or even decades or centuries later.”

Research questions and their solutions

The conference aims to help develop new analysis and early warning systems, but scientists are also offering solutions. For example, Jörg Rinkleby experiments with plants that help neutralize toxic metals in the soil.

This is the first time that the conference is held in Germany. Scientists will discuss this issue in Wuppertal until Sunday.

We will also report on this topic on September 6, 2023 on WDR TV at 7:30 pm Bergisches Land local time and on radio on WDR2.