Project description
Making sure an independent supply of raw materials from the earth has a green life cycle
From smartphones to petroleum refining, rare earth elements (REE) are part of our way of living and producing. Mostly produced in China, access to REE is strategic for Europe. Moreover, it is shown that REE operation produces toxic waste. Although several research and industrial projects were launched to identify European REE-stocks and greener extraction processes, the environmental risk has not yet been considered. The PANORAMA project aims to consider the environmental impact of REE in its entirety. (Geo)chemists, (hydro)geologists and (eco)toxicologists, gathered within a consortium of 14 academic partners and 4 non-academic partners, will enable 15 PhD students to develop skillsets in basic and cross-cutting research. PANORAMA training shall enable them to obtain secure jobs in the academic, industrial, commercial or political sectors, all within a high-level European intersectoral collaborative framework.
Objective
As Rare Earth Elements (REE) are crucial to a wide range of modern technologies regards to their unique properties, Europe expands its ability to obtain these strategic REE resources. Thus, several research and industrial projects were recently dedicated to the identification of potential REE stocks in Europe. However, the environmental risk exerted by the REE dissemination has so far received very little attention although disruptions of some REE biogeochemical cycles have been already evidenced. In that context, intensive and cooperative intersectoral researches are needed on REE environmental occurrence, behaviour, fate and their respective effects on natural resources (soils, waters and biota) and human health. The PANORAMA project is a unique multi- and interdisciplinary project aiming at (i) investigating the whole REE environmental behaviour including the characterization of sources, speciations and transfers throughout the different environmental compartments and sensu lato associated effects onto environmental health, as well as (ii) gaining valuable knowledge for applications in friendly environmental REE life cycle. For the 1st time PANORAMA gathers the competencies of (geo)chemists, (hydro)geologists and (eco)toxicologists, working in 14 academic and 4 private partners to enroll and train 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs). The project will combine training and cutting-edge research tools through coupled field/ analytical/experimental/modeling approaches. The strong blend of academic and non-academic sectors in the consortium will give the ESRs a unique chance to develop a wide set of fundamental research, technical and transferable skills (e.g. research integrity, communication and dissemination, career development and innovative technology), thus preparing them for long-time employment in either the academic, industrial, commercial or policy sectors and pave the way for high-level long-standing intersectoral collaborations within a European framework.
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Coordinator
35042 RENNES
France