Objectif Problems to be solvedPesticide concentrations above the 0.1 µg/L drinking water limit have been reported in many groundwater (GW) used for drinking water supplies in Europe. Questions as why it happens and how it will evolve in the near and distant future cannot be answered at the moment. Because the GW is used extensively for drinking water purposes, this is a problem of true European dimension. PEGASE will focus on delivering performance-assessed tools to predict the possible evolution of GW contamination by pesticides at the aquifer scale and to assess the socio-economic implications of alternative scenarios aiming at GW quality restoration or protection. An improved knowledge of the relative importance of processes involved in pesticide transport to and in the GW of representative aquifers will benefit the harmonized regulatory procedure and eventually lead to reductions in environmental deterioration, benefiting the community at local, regional, national and international levels. The work to be conducted through PEGASE will complement European policy objectives by providing tools that will help in implementing the Member States policies across Europe by both legislators and stakeholders.Scientific objectives and approachThe global objective of PEGASE is to enable predictive modelling of pesticide contamination of representative European aquifers, and assessment of socio-economic implications of the present and future contamination. Specific objectives and innovations are the:· Production of high quality data sets with intensive (36 monthly samplings) and extensive (land use, pesticide applications, soil, vadose zone and aquifer characteristics) monitoring of aquifers ranging from a 1 hectare area of a sandy aquifer with GW table < 2 m bgl to a karst aquifer with GW > 10 m bgl.· Development of mechanistic and semi-empirical tools dedicated to the specialized modelling of pesticide contamination of GW, withi) operating links between root zone models and aquifer models,ii) consideration of non-equilibrium phenomena, andiii) incorporation of uncertainties associated with the field data and the results from transport models.· Performance assessment of those tools using the data of the first 24 months monitoring for calibration, and assessing the predictive capacity (extrapolation step) by comparing predicted GW levels and pesticide concentrations with the values of the third hydrological cycle monitored.· Socio-economic assessment of alternative scenarios including changes in land use and agricultural practices aiming at GW quality restoration or protection in a context of sustainable development.Expected impactsA better understanding of how pesticide concentrations in GW are most likely to evolve over time (a key objective of PEGASE project) will enable a more cost-effective configuration of the treatment plants and result in a cheaper water supply for consumers, thereby yielding considerable benefits to end-users of GW resources. The knowledge provided by PEGASE will also help avoid very restrictive land practices to be recommended or imposed that would not take account of site-specific conditions (e.g. a particularly slow GW recharge, or long transit time of the water flux trough a very thick unsaturated zone). Finally, by identifying areas least at risk for GW pesticide contamination, PEGASE will enable the available financial resources to be allocated to the most vulnerable areas, thus maximizing the improvement the society may expect from its limited financial and natural resources. All stakeholders will be associated with the socio-economic work in PEGASE, ensuring the choice of scenarios that may possibly be implemented and a true assessment of their direct and indirect environmental implications. Champ scientifique engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processesdrinking water treatment processes Programme(s) FP5-EESD - Programme for research, technological development and demonstration on "Energy, environment and sustainable development, 1998-2002" Thème(s) 1.1.4.-1. - Key action Sustainable Management and Quality of Water Appel à propositions Data not available Régime de financement CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinateur Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Avenue Claude Guillemin 3 45060 ORLEANS France Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée Participants (6) Trier par ordre alphabétique Trier par contribution de l’UE Tout développer Tout réduire NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF ITALY Italie Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Borgo XX Giugno 727 06121 PERUGIA Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK Danemark Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Build 115 2800 LYNGBY Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée THE SWEDISH UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES Suède Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse 901 83 Umeå Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée UNIVERSITE DE VERSAILLES SAINT QUENTIN EN YVELINE France Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse 47,Boulevard Vauban 47, Collège Vauban 78047 GUYANCOURT Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée UNIVERSITE JOSEPH FOURIER - GRENOBLE 1 France Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Rue de la Piscine 1023, Domaine Universitaire 38041 GRENOBLE Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée WRC PLC Royaume-Uni Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Henley Road SL7 2HD MARLOW,BUCKS Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée
