Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MAR2PROTECT (PREVENTING GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION RELATED TO GLOBAL AND CLIMATE CHANPREVENTING GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION RELATED TO GLOBAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH A HOLISTIC APPROACH ON MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE)
Reporting period: 2022-12-01 to 2024-05-31
Climate and global change (CC and GC) risk human health, food security and biodiversity. To protect these essential areas, urgent action is needed to meet the 2030 zero pollution goals. MAR2PROTECT project offers a comprehensive solution to prevent groundwater (GW) contamination through a new-generation managed aquifer recharge (MAR). At the heart of this solution is a Decision Support System powered by Artificial Intelligence (M-AI-R DSS) that uses real-time monitoring placed in risk locations. This digital tool will monitor groundwater quality and detect threats caused by climate change and other environmental and human factors. Besides, the system will integrate input from innovative technologies, community feedback, and risk assessments to make better decisions about water protection.
The core of the MAR2PROTECT is this M-AI-R DSS, which combines technological solutions and social input, improving groundwater quality and quantity. To ensure it can be widely applied, the project is collecting data from seven demonstration sites across different climates, water sources, and pollution levels. Using this all-encompassing approach, MAR2PROTECT aims to significantly improve groundwater protection across Europe and beyond.
Community involvement is a key part of the MAR2PROTECT, working closely with citizens, policymakers, and experts to ensure strong action to protect groundwater. This collaboration also helps strengthen European policies on groundwater protection.
The project involves 11 partners, including universities, research organizations, and industry leaders from several European countries, as well as South Africa and Tunisia. Additionally, it benefits from collaboration with large water utilities and policymakers, which helps increase the project's overall impact.
The core of the MAR2PROTECT is this M-AI-R DSS, which combines technological solutions and social input, improving groundwater quality and quantity. To ensure it can be widely applied, the project is collecting data from seven demonstration sites across different climates, water sources, and pollution levels. Using this all-encompassing approach, MAR2PROTECT aims to significantly improve groundwater protection across Europe and beyond.
Community involvement is a key part of the MAR2PROTECT, working closely with citizens, policymakers, and experts to ensure strong action to protect groundwater. This collaboration also helps strengthen European policies on groundwater protection.
The project involves 11 partners, including universities, research organizations, and industry leaders from several European countries, as well as South Africa and Tunisia. Additionally, it benefits from collaboration with large water utilities and policymakers, which helps increase the project's overall impact.
MAR2PROTECT develops advanced treatment technologies to prevent, monitor and reduce groundwater contamination, considering the specific context of each demo site. With this goal in mind, various innovative (bio)materials were prepared for water treatment and monitoring technologies. These novel materials are effective and even better than those currently available on the market. In wastewater treatment, adsorption processes were tested to effectively remove harmful pollutants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) known as forever chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, three different innovative and advanced biodegradation technologies and constructed wetlands were evaluated for removal of nutrients, pathogens and pharmaceuticals.
In surface water treatment, the nanofiltration/reverse osmosis process was optimized to remove salt and micropollutants, as well as phytoremediation to treat brine. Furthermore, the use of salt-tolerant plants for phytoremediation and bioremediation has shown that re-vegetation can be an effective strategy for protecting estuarine environments and ensuring good surface water quality. Finally, FERT-ROOT technology was developed to reduce the need for fertilizers usage, thus also reduce leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus from agriculture.
MAR2PROTECT is also creating innovative methods for real-time monitoring of water contamination, including sensors for the detection of PFAS, E. coli, ecotoxicity and estrogenicity, as well as innovative analytical methods for the monitoring of advanced processes for water treatment. This real-time information is collected in an Internet of Things (IoT) platform called GW-PREV (groundwater prevention) which is now operational and ready to collect data. Finally, this GW-PREV platform will be connected to a Model-based Decision Support System powered by Artificial Intelligence (M-AI-R DSS) to increase MAR efficiency and support decision-makers in all steps.
To ensure that these technological solutions are practical and effective, the project has already launched 6 LivingLabs. These Living Labs are designed using a unique methodology that encourages stakeholder analysis and active engagement with various groups involved in groundwater management.
In surface water treatment, the nanofiltration/reverse osmosis process was optimized to remove salt and micropollutants, as well as phytoremediation to treat brine. Furthermore, the use of salt-tolerant plants for phytoremediation and bioremediation has shown that re-vegetation can be an effective strategy for protecting estuarine environments and ensuring good surface water quality. Finally, FERT-ROOT technology was developed to reduce the need for fertilizers usage, thus also reduce leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus from agriculture.
MAR2PROTECT is also creating innovative methods for real-time monitoring of water contamination, including sensors for the detection of PFAS, E. coli, ecotoxicity and estrogenicity, as well as innovative analytical methods for the monitoring of advanced processes for water treatment. This real-time information is collected in an Internet of Things (IoT) platform called GW-PREV (groundwater prevention) which is now operational and ready to collect data. Finally, this GW-PREV platform will be connected to a Model-based Decision Support System powered by Artificial Intelligence (M-AI-R DSS) to increase MAR efficiency and support decision-makers in all steps.
To ensure that these technological solutions are practical and effective, the project has already launched 6 LivingLabs. These Living Labs are designed using a unique methodology that encourages stakeholder analysis and active engagement with various groups involved in groundwater management.
MAR2PROTECT is set to achieve major breakthroughs in both technology and community engagement to increase the impact of their results. The project’s key technological advances include:
- Innovative and selective (bio)materials for water treatment designed to be cheaper, more efficient, and easier to regenerate. These (bio)materials are prepared from different waste sources using sustainable processes.
- Advanced technologies for biodegradation of micropollutants using aerobic granular sludge, membrane aerated biofilm reactors, and 3D-printed biofilms, which represent the next generation of wastewater treatment systems.
- Nature-based solutions such as constructed wetlands, re-vegetation, and specific salt-tolerant plants to help reduce pollution in estuaries and coastal waters through natural processes.
- Innovative surface water treatment with novel combinations of technologies, such as coagulation, flotation, filtration, and adsorption, to improve the treatment of surface water.
- Phyto-desalination using salt-tolerant plants to break down pollutants and absorb salt in wastewater.
- Innovative FERT-ROOT technology to design and minimize nutrient runoff from agriculture, which can pollute groundwater.
- Real-time monitoring with advanced sensors and tools for monitoring water quality to provide useful information to an Internet of Things (IoT) platform to prevent groundwater contamination.
- An innovative and AI-driven M-AI-R Decision Support System that helps decision-makers throughout the entire process, from design to operation, to optimize the managed aquifer recharge.
In addition, MAR2PROTECT is also pioneering new ways to engage communities and stakeholders to prevent groundwater contamination through innovative multi-stakeholder approaches.
- Innovative and selective (bio)materials for water treatment designed to be cheaper, more efficient, and easier to regenerate. These (bio)materials are prepared from different waste sources using sustainable processes.
- Advanced technologies for biodegradation of micropollutants using aerobic granular sludge, membrane aerated biofilm reactors, and 3D-printed biofilms, which represent the next generation of wastewater treatment systems.
- Nature-based solutions such as constructed wetlands, re-vegetation, and specific salt-tolerant plants to help reduce pollution in estuaries and coastal waters through natural processes.
- Innovative surface water treatment with novel combinations of technologies, such as coagulation, flotation, filtration, and adsorption, to improve the treatment of surface water.
- Phyto-desalination using salt-tolerant plants to break down pollutants and absorb salt in wastewater.
- Innovative FERT-ROOT technology to design and minimize nutrient runoff from agriculture, which can pollute groundwater.
- Real-time monitoring with advanced sensors and tools for monitoring water quality to provide useful information to an Internet of Things (IoT) platform to prevent groundwater contamination.
- An innovative and AI-driven M-AI-R Decision Support System that helps decision-makers throughout the entire process, from design to operation, to optimize the managed aquifer recharge.
In addition, MAR2PROTECT is also pioneering new ways to engage communities and stakeholders to prevent groundwater contamination through innovative multi-stakeholder approaches.