Exploring AquaticPollutants: A Dive Into Global Efforts to Tackle Aquatic Contamination

This September marks the start of a series of articles on the groundbreaking AquaticPollutants project, a collaborative effort backed by the Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) on Water, Oceans, and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) with support from the European Commission. The project addresses critical challenges related to pollutants and pathogens in aquatic ecosystems, which pose risks to both human health and the environment.

Supported by 32 ministries and funding bodies from 26 countries, along with 9 organizations from associated and third countries, AquaticPollutants seeks to strengthen global cooperation. Activities within AquaticPollutants will enable the creation of a multidisciplinary approach that integrates research from the freshwater, marine, and health sectors to better understand the environmental behavior of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, and pathogens throughout the water cycle.

Following a 2020 call for proposals, the project now funds 18 research and innovation initiatives with a budget exceeding €20 million. These projects, involving 103 partners, address themes that include: measuring the environmental behavior of contaminants; evaluating risks to human health and ecosystems; and developing strategies to mitigate the presence of CECs and pathogens in aquatic environments.

Additionally, the project features the AquaticPollutantsTransNet Transfer Project, designed to amplify the impact of research findings. It also offers a PhD Forum for young researchers to build a supportive community (more events here) and the TAP (Thematic Annual Programming) Action, which fosters international coordination and collaboration in addressing contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.

In future articles we’ll address more in-depth on the activities, innovations and outcomes of the AquaticPollutants project.