Project information
Global Distribution Assessment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Aquatic Environment. (AQUAGloCon)

The number of man-made chemicals and their production is rising and represents a global threat posing risks to the environment and human health. Some chemicals once enter the environment can be transported over long distances by air and water. Global monitoring of hydrophobic organic compounds is mainly limited to regulated chemicals and known compounds of emerging concern (CECs) in the air. Still, it has recently been extended to water by the Aquatic Global Passive Sampling (AQUA-GAPS/MONET) network initiative. However, scientific knowledge on the global distribution of unknown and potentially hazardous CECs in the aquatic environment has not been investigated yet.
The project aims to assess the global distribution of unknown hydrophobic CECs in the aquatic environment. The project will use a unique set of water samples collected within the AQUA-GAPS/MONET network at 46 globally distributed sites using passive sampling. CECs will be identified using state-of-the-art analytical instruments and workflows and the obtained data will be digitally frozen for retrospective analysis. Identified CECs will be prioritized, based on exposure, hazard and risk assessment, and high-priority CECs will be quantified and translated into aqueous concentration. The global distribution of prioritized CECs will be assessed in terms of population density, CECs' production and use, and properties predicting their potential for long-range transport and persistence. The project will provide baseline data on the global distribution of CECs in the aquatic environment for the assessment of ecological and health risks, fate modelling, and policy prioritization action. The developed workflows will be implemented in the EU host institution to maintain the collection of comparable data in newly collected samples. The researcher will develop scientific expertise, strengthen transferable skills and expand the international network enhancing career prospects to become an independent researcher.