Background

While the monitoring of priority pollutants in European river basins is well developed there is an increasing awareness that non-priority emerging chemical substances may pose a risk to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Typically environmental samples are contaminated by thousands of compounds from different sources that may impact organisms and communities inhabiting surface waters and eventually penetrate ground water reservoirs and contaminate drinking water. Integrated and interdisciplinary approaches such as EDA, including bio-diagnosis, effect based monitoring, fractionation and chemical analysis are required, which necessitates a new generation of appropriately well trained scientists. This has also been identified as an apparent need within the Common Implementation strategy of the Water Framework Directive (CIS WFD).

EDA-EMERGE Mandate

The aim of the EDA-EMERGE network is to train a new generation of young scientists to meet the major challenges in the monitoring, assessment and management of toxicants in European surface and drinking water.

In addition to comprehensive supervision at Europe’s leading environmental research institutes, EDA-EMERGE offers its fellows multi-disciplinary training and courses at private water companies and regulatory bodies. A unique feature of EDA-EMERGE is the practical focus of the training, highlighted by the involvement of fellows in roles related to monitoring and assessment of actual EU wide programs such as the European Demonstration Programme.

EDA-EMERGE Outcomes

• A new generation of EDA approaches will be developed for identifying toxicants in European surface and drinking water by integrating innovative mode of action based bio-diagnostic tools including in vitro tests, transgenic organisms and ‘omics’ techniques with powerful fractionation and cutting edge analytical and computational structure elucidation tools.
• Innovative method development by young researchers at leading research institutes and private companies will be closely linked with a joint European Demonstration Program and higher tier EDA, together with extensive training courses, summer schools and conferences.
• Practical experience in organizing and running of actual international sampling and monitoring campaigns.
• In providing methodologies, tools and 14 skilled young scientists, EDA-EMERGE helps meet the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and creates a basis for future regulations to protect and use water resources sustainably.