Sarah Stevens
About
PhD candidate in the research group Bioanalytical Toxicology.
Plastic products consist of a great variety of chemicals that may leach and reach humans and the environment via different exposure pathways. Besides some well-known substances (bisphenols, phthalate and nonylphenols) little is known about the chemicals present in plastics. Mostly neither the chemical composition nor the toxicity of the final products is known.
Research
As part of the LimnoPlast project my aim is to characterize the in-vitro toxicity of leachates from plastic products of different polymer types with a focus on bio-based and bio-degradable polymers. With the help of effect directed analysis, I want to identify substances causing the observed in-vitro effects.
Background
Master’s degree in Ecology and Evolution from the Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany with a focus on aquatic ecotoxicology.
Master thesis: Ecotoxicological effects of a wastewater treatment plant and highway runoff on a small river in the Hessian Ried.
Bachelor’s degree in biology from the Technical University Dresden, Germany
Bachelor thesis: Bioconcentration of environmentally relevant UV filter substances in embryos of the zebrafish Danio rerio.
Publications
2025
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Galafton, Christina;
Budhiraja, Vaibhav;
Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie;
Mušič, Branka;
Maga, Daniel.
(2025)
Environmental and littering impacts of disposable cups made of polypropylene and polylactic acid in Germany.
Sustainable Production and Consumption
Academic article
2024
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Mc Partland, Molly Young;
Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie;
Bartosova, Zdenka;
Vardeberg, Ingrid Gisnås;
Völker, Johannes ;
Wagner, Martin.
(2024)
Beyond the Nucleus: Plastic Chemicals Activate G Protein-Coupled Receptors.
Environmental Science and Technology
Academic article
-
Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie;
Mc Partland, Molly Young;
Bartosova, Zdenka;
Thorvaldsen, Hanna Sofie Skåland;
Völker, Johannes ;
Wagner, Martin.
(2024)
Plastic Food Packaging from Five Countries Contains Endocrine- and Metabolism-Disrupting Chemicals.
Environmental Science and Technology
Academic article
-
Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie;
Bartosova, Zdenka;
Völker, Johannes ;
Wagner, Martin.
(2024)
Migration of endocrine and metabolism disrupting chemicals from plastic food packaging.
Environment International
Academic article
2023
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Beckers, Liza-Marie;
Altenburger, Rolf;
Brack, Werner;
Escher, Beate I.;
Hackermüller, Jörg;
Hassold, Enken.
(2023)
A data-derived reference mixture representative of European wastewater treatment plant effluents to complement mixture assessment.
Environment International
Academic article
Journal publications
-
Galafton, Christina;
Budhiraja, Vaibhav;
Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie;
Mušič, Branka;
Maga, Daniel.
(2025)
Environmental and littering impacts of disposable cups made of polypropylene and polylactic acid in Germany.
Sustainable Production and Consumption
Academic article
-
Mc Partland, Molly Young;
Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie;
Bartosova, Zdenka;
Vardeberg, Ingrid Gisnås;
Völker, Johannes ;
Wagner, Martin.
(2024)
Beyond the Nucleus: Plastic Chemicals Activate G Protein-Coupled Receptors.
Environmental Science and Technology
Academic article
-
Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie;
Mc Partland, Molly Young;
Bartosova, Zdenka;
Thorvaldsen, Hanna Sofie Skåland;
Völker, Johannes ;
Wagner, Martin.
(2024)
Plastic Food Packaging from Five Countries Contains Endocrine- and Metabolism-Disrupting Chemicals.
Environmental Science and Technology
Academic article
-
Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie;
Bartosova, Zdenka;
Völker, Johannes ;
Wagner, Martin.
(2024)
Migration of endocrine and metabolism disrupting chemicals from plastic food packaging.
Environment International
Academic article
-
Beckers, Liza-Marie;
Altenburger, Rolf;
Brack, Werner;
Escher, Beate I.;
Hackermüller, Jörg;
Hassold, Enken.
(2023)
A data-derived reference mixture representative of European wastewater treatment plant effluents to complement mixture assessment.
Environment International
Academic article
Outreach
2023
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PosterStevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie; Bartosova, Zdenka; Völker, Johannes Michel; Wagner, Martin. (2023) Endocrine activity and chemicals leaching from plastic products. SETAC SETAC Europe Conference , Dublin 2023-04-30 - 2023-05-04
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PosterStevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie; Bartosova, Zdenka; Völker, Johannes Michel; Wagner, Martin. (2023) Endocrine disrupting chemicals in plastics – In vitro toxicity and chemical composition. LimnoPlast Cosortium, UNESCO UNESCO-EU H2020 LimnoPlast Conference , Paris 2023-03-06 - 2023-03-09
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PosterMcpartland, Molly; Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie; Gisnås Vardeberg, Ingrid; Völker, Johannes Michel; Wagner, Martin. (2023) Chemicals in plastic food packaging activate cell surface receptors. SETAC SETAC Europe Conference , Dublin 2023-04-30 - 2023-05-04
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Academic lecturevan den Broek, Karlijn; Doran, Rouven; Böhm, Gisela; Bostrom, Ann; Stevens, Sarah Lena Inge Marie; Özdamar, Aybüke. (2023) Expert’s mental models of microplastics pollution. UNESCO-EU H2020 Limnoplast UNESCO – EU H2020 LimnoPlast Conference Diving into freshwater microplastic pollution: Connecting water, environmental and social sciences , UNESCO Headquarters, Paris 2023-03-06 - 2023-03-08