What dangers do pollutants pose that have accumulated at the bottom of lakes and rivers over decades? A lecture by Mr. Henner Hollert, professor of evolutionary ecology and environmental toxicology at Goethe University Frankfurt, will address this question on Tuesday, September 8, at 6 p.m. at the Museum Wiesbaden. Sediments are the memory of our rivers and lakes.

Over decades, pollutants from industry, agriculture, and cities can accumulate in them and become chemical time bombs. In the Rhine, Neckar, and Elbe, for example, such historical contamination lies buried underground. Flooding, strong currents, or alterations to the riverbed can release these pollutants again. In light of the potential for increasing flood events due to climate change, this topic is gaining in importance. In his lecture, Prof. Dr. Hollert will explain which pollutants accumulate in sediments, under what conditions they are mobilized, and what consequences this can have for fish, aquatic organisms, and entire ecosystems. The lecture is free and open to the public, in cooperation with the Nassau Society for Natural History.

The lecture is part of the accompanying program for the special exhibition “Poison—Deadly Gifts” at the Museum Wiesbaden, in cooperation with the Nassau Society for Natural History (Nassauischer Verein für Naturkunde e.V.). Admission is free.