Wasser_2022

The "Wasser 2022" conference, organized by the German Water Chemistry Society, is the central annual meeting for professionals in water chemistry. Held online due to pandemic conditions, it covered key topics such as water quality, new pollutants, wastewater treatment, analytical methods, groundwater, sediments, microbiology, hygiene, nanoparticles, microplastics, and drinking water. The event brought together experts from water chemistry and related fields to share the latest research, discuss current challenges, and foster meaningful professional dialogue within the water sector. TALK This work presents a robust "Screen Smart" strategy for identifying highly mobile chemicals in groundwater. The newly developed freeze-drying enrichment—with an enlarged frozen sample surface—enabled sensitive suspect screening and efficient sample processing. By focusing on carefully selected wells and tiered suspect lists, the study identified 15 persistent and mobile organic compounds, including several previously unknown in German groundwater. The approach streamlines monitoring, reduces analytical effort, and highlights the need for further investigation of PMOCs that pose health risks and are largely unregulated.