The Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), through the call for Strategic Projects in Cooperation Program 2023, funded by the European Union, selected in July the project "Monitoring of emerging contaminants in the sewage network of the City of Valencia", with an economic endowment of 715. 213.60 euros, with the participation of Sequencing Multiplex (Seqplexing), a biotechnology-based company located in the University of Valencia Science Park of the (PCUV), with the aim of monitoring the presence of contaminants in water by studying genes resistant to antibiotics, microplastics and additives and other emerging contaminants.
The results of this project will provide valuable information for the competent authorities and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) concessionaires about the current situation regarding the incidence and concentration of emerging pollutants in the sewage network and the possible need for additional treatments to eliminate them.
"Knowledge of this data will help to avoid costs to other sectors that may be affected by the presence of emerging pollutants downstream of the WWTPs, such as the food industry," says Carmen Ivorra, scientific director of Seqplexing.
The analysis methodologies developed will allow the adequate control of the presence of these pollutants in different effluents, in anticipation of the restrictive measures that are expected to be applied in the near future.
The results of the research carried out during the execution of this project will have a favorable impact in relation to the study of the presence of emerging pollutants in urban waters and their possible elimination through wastewater treatment plants, which is also related to the protection of biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems.
With the support of: