Improved risk assessment for strategic water management to reduce micro-pollutant emissions in the Baltic Sea Region - Project - Bridge of Knowledge

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Improved risk assessment for strategic water management to reduce micro-pollutant emissions in the Baltic Sea Region

APRIORA tackles the need for a risk-based prioritisation of quaternary treatment at wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) to mitigate emission of micro-pollutants with focus on active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). Since WWTPs are the main emission pathway to the environment, the new proposal for Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) demands a mandatory quaternary treatment to be implemented in all WWTP > 100.000 PE until 2030 and a risk-based prioritisation of advanced treatment for WWTP between 10.000-100.000 PE. Accordingly, regional environmental protection authorities (EPAs) in charge will have to prioritize risks and propose cost-effective mitigation measures for future investments in cooperation with WWTP operators. However, both target groups lack sufficient information, capacities and tools to do so: API emissions from WWTPs are not measured, concentrations in surface waters are only available on few selected monitoring sites; no consistent tools for the demanded risk assessment (RA) or à priori effect assessment of potential mitigation measures exist. APRIORA addresses these deficits by providing a RA capacity program (1) combining effective monitoring, modelling and multi-criterial RA, an (2) open-source GIS environment, and (3) a capacity building programme to apply (1) + (2) in everyday working practices. Along with BSR-wide transfer + training activities, APRIORA contributes to an efficient strategic water management that improves the state of BSR waters.

Details

Project's acronym:
APRIORA
Financial Program Name:
European Territorial Community
Organization:
Ministerstwo Rozwoju Regionalnego
Agreement:
PROGRAMME 2021-2027 z dnia 2023-11-01
Realisation period:
2023-11-01 - 2026-10-31
Research team leader:
dr hab. inż. Aneta Łuczkiewicz
Team members:
  • researcher dr hab. inż. Sylwia Fudala-Książek
  • researcher dr inż. Małgorzata Szopińska
  • researcher dr inż. Wojciech Artichowicz
  • vice Leader dr inż. Filip Gamoń
Realised in:
University of Rostock
External institutions
participating in project:
  • University of Rostock (Germany)
  • German Environment Agency (Germany)
  • Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea (Finland)
  • The Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (Finland)
  • Finnish Environment Institute (Finland)
  • Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology (Lithuania)
  • Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (Lithuania)
  • Kristianstad University (Sweden)
Project's value:
2 400 000.00 EUR
Request type:
European Founds
Domestic:
International project
Verified by:
No verification

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