Department of Environmental Safety

Last modified: 23. May 2022

The Department of Environmental Safety is integrated into the Institute of Aquaculture and Environmental Safety of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Our Department has a special focus on teaching and investigating the environmental aspects of agricultural and human activities and plays a key role in the education of agricultural environmental management engineering (MSc). The co-workers of our Department have qualifications in agricultural and environmental engineering, environmental and life sciences, microbiology, and ecotoxicology. Our vision is to provide data on the complex relationship between the microbial ecosystem and the effects of globalisation, climatic change, and environmental contaminants such as pesticides, drug residues, or hydrocarbon compounds to support decision makers. The Department is continuously participating in scientific cooperation with non-profit organisations and consortia in R+D+I projects.
Our research activity covers the spatiotemporal biogeochemical monitoring of surface- and groundwaters and the laboratory analysis of environmental samples including long term monitoring, analysis, and risk assessment of chemical analytical, microbial parameters and microplastics.  We have years of experience in the cultivation and enrichment of microorganisms capable of potential biodegradation of organic pollutants, and in the monitoring of their degradation dynamics under oxygenated and oxygen-limited conditions in vitro. We have expertise in fermentation methods for bacteria, which can degrade hydrocarbons in situ on site. Our biological safety (virulence and antibiotic resistance) investigations ensure the safe application of bioremediation techniques in accordance with the One Health approach of WHO. The complex ecotoxicological assessment (acute and chronic cytotoxicity, endocrine disrupting effects) and bacterial biodetoxification of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and their mixtures are also part of our research profile.