Research of the Year 2017

PFAS on ski slopes: How a researcher tracks down environmental toxins

!!!!!FOTO FEHLT!!!!!!!! Per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) are extremely persistent organofluorine compounds that are also used in ski wax. Researcher Viktoria Müller from the University of Graz has found residues of these environmental toxins on the slopes of ski resorts in Styria and Carinthia. Skiers can counteract this by choosing the right wax.

Chemische Forschungstage

University of Graz develops sustainable and recyclable bio-plastic

Researchers at the University of Graz are developing a fully recyclable, bio-based epoxy resin that could change the plastics industry in the long term. A breakthrough that combines environmental protection and economic efficiency.

Even greener: University of Graz researchers improve the chemical industry

Durable bioplastics, rapidly available medicines or cosmetics without toxic waste materials: chemists have long relied on enzymes, i.e. proteins from nature, as biocatalysts for environmentally friendly production. Researchers from the University of Graz and the Austrian Center of Industrial Biotechnology, together with BASF, have now discovered how they can determine the ideal conditions for production to make it even more sustainable. The results have been published in the journal Nature Communications.