Twinning for Enhancing the Scientific Excellence of Faculty of Technology novi sad for innovative solutions to protect environmental resources from contaminants of emerging concern

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) include numerous chemicals that are not subjected to routine monitoring or emission control, but pose a global threat due to potential negative impact on the environment and human health. Surveillance of CECs and improvement of removal technologies are aligned with the European Green Deal commitment to become climate-neutral by 2050 and support a toxic free environment. The EU-funded TwiNSol-CECs project enhances the capacity of the Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, Serbia, in CEC research through twinning with two of the leading western European research institutions in this area.
Surveillance of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) has important role in protection of both humans and the environmental resources, which is a goal in compliance to the European Green Deal (EGD) commitment for transition of EU to zero-pollution, toxic free environment. However, there is a significant gap between countries and regions in terms of the scientific and innovative capacities needed to tackle the challenge that CECs in the environmental compartments present.
Overall objective of TwiNSol-CECs is to raise scientific and innovation excellence of the Faculty of Technology Novi Sad (TFNS), Serbia, in various aspects of the CECs research, integrated in broader EU networks of excellence, and contributing to national and regional scientific and economic growth and well-being. Specific TwiNSol-CECs objectives are: 1. Stepping up the excellence of the TFNS scientific capacity and resources in field of the wide-range CECs’ surveillance and innovative removal technologies, contributing to the stronger R&I system in Serbia and WBs integrated in the EU networks of excellence, 2. Intensification of strategic networking activities of TFNS with 2 top-class leading research institutions at EU level: Spanish National Research Council, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (CSIC), Spain, and NOVA University Lisbon, NOVA School of Science and Technology (UNL), Portugal, 3. Raising reputation, research profile and attractiveness of TFNS and its staff, 4. Strengthening the research management and administration skills of TFNS, and 5. Improving the TFNS creativity in new R&I approaches for the CECs’ wide range surveillance and removal with increasing mobility of qualified scientists.
The project represents a coherent set of knowledge-, skills-, experience-, and awareness- raising activities, dissemination, communication, networking, coordination, etc. for successful achieving of the project objectives.

Funded by the European Union. Grant agreement ID: 101059867
Coordinator: TFNS

PARC

The European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (#EU_PARC) aims to advance research, share knowledge, and improve skills in chemical risk assessment. By doing so, it will help support the European Union's Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, paving the way for the "zero pollution" ambition announced in the European Green Deal.

Main objectives:
- Develop the scientific skills needed to address current and future challenges in chemical safety
- Provide new data, methods, and innovative tools to those responsible for assessing and managing the risks of chemical exposure
- Strengthen the networks which bring together actors specialised in the different scientific fields contributing to risk assessment

PARC represents a campaign of unprecedented scale, since it brings together 200 partners from 28 countries, as well as three EU agencies (the European Environment Agency – EEA, the European Chemicals Agency – ECHA, and the European Food Safety Authority – EFSA). The partnership encompasses all aspects of chemical risk assessment, aiming in particular to: better anticipate emerging risks, better account for combined risks, and underpin the concrete implementation of new orientations in European public policies to safeguard the health and the environment in response to important issues for health, the ecology and citizens' expectations.

The Spanish coordination was assigned to the IDAEA's Geochemistry and Pollution group (Joan Grimalt) and the Instituto Carlos III.

HORIZON-HLTH-2021-ENVHLTH-03: 101057014

Quality and management of intermittent rivers and associated groundwaters in the Mediterranean basins

The Mediterranean region is increasingly affected by water scarcity because of rising demand (population growth and land-use changes) and decreasing availability (cimate change led rainfall decreases). This situation leads to more temporary waterways. INWAT will develop and improve tools to analyze, understand and predict hydrology, chemical and ecological status, and services in the Mediterranean area characterized by temporary waterways, and will integrate all these pieces in a decision-support system.

Funding: PRIMA programme (Horizon2020) - Proyectos Intramurales CSIC (2009) Ref.: 201980E121

Developing an innovative toolbox for pollutant monitoring and risk assessment to human health

CICLIC proposes an innovative toolbox to monitor the environmental fate of contaminants and to assess their risks to human health and ecosystems in the current climate change scenario. This toolbox will be developed and tested on highly biodiverse areas, in wetlands, and will include massive data analysis, contaminant monitoring and analytical techniques, wastewater reuse and analysis, metabolomics, environmental and ecological modelling, ecotoxicological tools, and ecosystem vulnerability and resilience analysis.

Funding: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU), la Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) y el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)