Understanding and improving water-driven ecosystem services for the production of drinking water and treated wastewater for agricultural reuse.
FUNDING:
WATERPATH project was funded by the Water4All 2023 JOINT TRANSNATIONAL CALL ON AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
PROJECT DURATION:
2025 – 2028
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Conf.Dr.Mihail Simion BELDEAN-GALEA
DESCRIEREA PROIECTULUI:
The growing production and use of chemicals exert significant pressure on aquatic ecosystems, compromising services such as drinking water and irrigation. Human activities release contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and biological contamination into surface and groundwater from both point sources (e.g., wastewater treatment plants) and nonpoint sources (e.g., agriculture, tourism), ultimately impacting human health.
WATERPATH aims to provide regulators with comprehensive, up-to-date information on anthropic pressure on aquatic ecosystems exerted by chemical contamination and its role in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across three model regions with diverse ecosystem services: continental (Romania), peninsular (Italy), and insular (Spain). The project supports EU environmental policies by contributing to updates of the European Priority and Monitoring Watch Lists as well as regional protection plans.
Through collaboration between academic partners, environmental agencies, and water management companies, WATERPATH will:
- Collect and analyse chemical CECs and their transformation products (TPs) using advanced non-targeted and targeted methods (LC-HRMS, Py-GC-MS).
- Assess antimicrobial resistance markers (ARB/ARGs) via metagenomics and cultivation techniques.
- Integrate chemical and biological datasets to map spatial and temporal trends, assess chemical and biological pressure impacting the ecosystem services.
- Test both high-tech (nanofiltration membranes) and nature-based solutions (biochar-enhanced constructed wetlands) to mitigate contamination, aligning with circular economy principles.
The outcome will be a robust, openly accessible database aligned with the implemented mitigation strategies, enabling more effective monitoring, management, and restoration of water quality under a “one-health” framework.
PARTNERS:
- University of Florence – Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”
- University of Turin – Department of Chemistry
- Babes-Bolyai University – Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering
- Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – Instituto de Estudios Ambientales y Recursos Naturales (i-UNAT) Department of Chemistry
- GIDA S.p.A., Italy (Industrial partner)
EXPECTED RESULTS:
- To provide large-scale quali-quantitative information on the pressure of CECs on key ecosystem services in geographically distinct but globally representative areas.
- To provide comprehensive data on different ecosystems and ecosystem services pursuing a concept of integration of ecosystem services approaches.
- To Understand which technical and political strategies must be adopted to alleviate anthropogenic pressure on these ecosystems, thus contributing to the restoration of natural ecosystems for the conservation of ecosystem services.
- To contribute directly to the restoration of natural ecosystems for the conservation of ecosystem services.) summarises the scientific evidence derived from the project, and (c) proposes recommendations on future policies.
- To contribute directly to the restoration of natural ecosystems for the conservation of ecosystem services
- Results obtained from WATERPATH will have a significant impact on the UN SDGs 3 (Good health and well-being) and 6 (clear water and sanitation) and are in line with the EU’s Green Deal and Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
Find more information on the project website!