ECOPHARMA project website now launched
A website dedicated to raising the profile of an EU-funded research project to improve the quality of surface water across Europe has been launched.
UK-based Aqua Enviro is part of a six-strong consortium taking part in the €1m CFIS-ECOPHARMA project which will help detect pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, in water across Europe using the CFIS (Continuous Flow Integrative Sampler) probe system.
Aqua Enviro, as part of the European-wide joint venture, will now trial and verify the CFIS for detecting contaminants in water, such as pharmaceutical products and herbicides.
New EU legislation has driven an improvement in analytical techniques to monitor and detect chemical pollutants; however the current analysis is expensive, does not produce immediate results and has a slow turnaround time.
Pharmaceutical products, such as oral contraceptives, can pose a risk to marine wildlife and disrupt development in fish. Scientific studies have shown that other substances can be harmful, potentially proving toxic to humans and aquatic wildlife.
The online system, developed by Spanish company Labaqua, could enable flow-balancing and treatment responses to be tailored to incoming contaminants. This will avoid excessive capital and operational costs through overtreatment.
The two year ECOPHARMA project began in January 2015 and will last until November 2016.
For further information on the project please contact Paul Pickard at Aqua Enviro on 01924 242 255 or email paul.pickard@aquaenviro.co.uk
