On the trace of pollutants (how I started my work at the Office of Water Protection at Basel (GSA)...
In 1987, I started with my new work at the GSA. The aim was to analyse the treated wastewater of the Chemical Industry in Basel for unknown chemicals. The analytical technique was gaschromatography/masspectrometry, a new, exciting technology in those days. I had the opportunity to analyse extracts of industrial wastewater samples at the Chemistry Lab of the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IRM). I could present the first results of identified chemical substances to G. Della Bianca, the head of the GSA, in February 1988. In May 1988, together with G. Della Bianca, T. Schroeder from the GSA and Professor Hans G. Seiler from the University of Basel, I could visit two important institutions in Germany. In the morning we met Dr. Binnemann from the chem. Landesuntersuchungs-Anstalt in Offenburg, in the afternoon we met Dr. Kühn from the Engler Bunte Institut in Karlsruhe.