Benjamin S. Gilfedder
Laborleiter
My research is focused on the coupling between (bio)geochemistry and hydrology in aquatic and semi-aquatic environments. I primarily study groundwater - surface water interactions and how water fluxes at this interface are coupled with (bio)geochemical fluxes and cycling of carbon, nitrogen, iron, sulphur and trace elements (e.g. iodine and bromine) in streams, rivers, lakes and the coastal zone. I use a range of tracers, but have a particular expertise in radon-222 (222Rn) and temperature measurements combined with modelling for studying the temporal and spatial patterns of water fluxes. Recently I have also been working on microplastic transport in lake and stream environments as part of the SFB (CRC) 1357, and in particular how transport processes influence residence times in the water column and how this relates to the MP exposure times to organisms.
All Publications:
https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=-Hi-xcwAAAAJ&hl=en
Some recent publications:
C. Qian, Q. Wang, B.S. Gilfedder, Sven Frei, Jieyu Yu, Giri R. Kattel, Zhi-Guo Yu. (2025). Seasonal dynamics of groundwater discharge: Unveiling the complex control over reservoir greenhouse gas emissions, Water Research, 269, 122801, doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.122801.
S. Frei, L. Klostermann, B.S. Gilfedder. (2004). Eisenrückhalt in der Lausitz: Eine räumlich differenzierte Analyse der Spree. (2024). Grundwasser - Zeitschrift der Fachsektion Hydrogeologie29, 213–228 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00767-024-00576-7
Glaser, C., Gilfedder, B.S. and Zarfl, C. (2024), Spatio-Temporal Variability of Hyporheic Exchange Processes Across a Stream Network. Hydrological Processes, 38: e15337. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15337
B.S. Gilfedder, H. Elagami, J.P. Boos, J. Brehm, M. Schott, L. Witt, C. Laforsch, S. Frei. (2023). Filter feeders are key to small microplastic residence times in stratified lakes: A virtual experiment, Science of The Total Environment, 890, 164293, doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164293.
D. Adyasari, N.T. Dimova, H. Dulai, B.S. Gilfedder, I. Cartwright, T. McKenzie, P. Fuleky. (2023). Radon-222 as a groundwater discharge tracer to surface waters, Earth-Science Reviews, 238, 104321, doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104321.
H. Elagami, S. Frei, J.-P. Boos, G. Trommer, B.S. Gilfedder. (2023). Quantifying microplastic residence times in lakes using mesocosm experiments and transport modelling, Water Research, 229, 43-1354, doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.119463.
Continious Rn measurement raft
This is a device that i built to measure 222Rn continuously in lakes and wetlands. The top two images are from an experiment I ran for about 3 months on the Steißlinger See, southern Germany. The bottom images are from the Sale Wetland, Australia, where the raft system ran almost continuously for nearly 6 months. It used a RAD7 (with a drystick) and a TINT device for extracting Rn from a continuous water stream. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.05.037
Temperature measurement lances, Sylt
Self constructed temperature measurement lances, Sylt, for long term temperature profile measurements. These lances have proven to be robust and cheap. We have also tested a previous prototype on Spiekeroog with less success, with all 11 sensors being destroyed in the surf. We did manage to collect some interesting temperature mapping data though, which could identify warm upwelling water in a runnel structure that was running parallel to the shoreline. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2020.107140
Kleine Spree 2018
We have been working on and off on the Spree trying to understand the origin of the iron and sulphate coming into the river. We use Rn as a tracer to identify and quantify groundwater fluxes along the river, and correlate this with Fe and SO4 concentrations. We also use stoichiometry of pyrite oxidation to estimate the amount of Fe remaining in the catchment. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00767-024-00576-7
