EMERTGENTCY

Diagnosis, elimination and prevention of antibiotics and other emerging contaminants, resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in the urban water cycle in the POCTEFA territory (POCTEFA OUTBIOTICS2).

Acronym: EMERTGENTcy

Principal Investigator of the project: María Pilar Goñi Cepero

Contact: pgoni@unizar.es

Total cost: 347.089€

FEDER: 225.608€

The main objective of the project is to diagnose and reduce the use and presence of antibiotics and other emerging contaminants (ECs) in the urban water cycle (UWC) of the POCTEFA territory, to reduce the presence of bacteria (ARBs) and resistance genes (ARGs) in the aquatic environment; and to promote access to healthy water and sustainable water management. The spread of ECs and resistance are considered to be among the main challenges worldwide. All ECs end up in wastewater, which connects urban life, agriculture and the environment and favours their spread. These ECs are transferred across borders by common surface waters, agricultural products and people. A collaborative transboundary approach is therefore necessary to implement a common Wastewater Epidemiology (WBE) and to diagnose and develop strategies against this pollution. Its origins, both point and domestic, will be studied in French and Spanish localities. Their origins, both point sources and domestic, will be studied in France and Spain. The elimination of EC in wastewater treatment plants will be studied and technologies will be implemented for its elimination in wastewater treatment plants and technologies will be implemented for its elimination in point sources. Likewise, a great effort will be made in prevention through two lines: sensitisation and awareness-raising, to prevent the improper use of antibiotics, creating specific didactic material in the four languages of the POCTEFA territory; work will also be done to create regional legislation that limits the concentration of EC in discharges. The (public-private) partnership is led by NILSA, a public water treatment company.

The EMERTGENcy project has been co-financed 65% by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Spain-France-Andorra Programme (POCTEFA 2021-2027). The objetive of POCTEFA is to strengthen the economic and social integration of the Spain-France-Andorra border area.