RESOURCE | Groundwater quality assessment in areas with intensive livestock: is manure recycling a major source of pollution and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes?”

Summary
Groundwater protection is one of the latest environmental battlegrounds in Europe. It is used as a major source for drinking water production all over Europe and as such, the preservation of its chemical and microbiological quality is of vital importance. In agricultural areas with intensive livestock activities, groundwater quality might be seriously compromised by the excessive use of manure as organic fertilizer. Animal manure may contain high levels of organic contaminants (e.g. antibiotics, nitrogen-containing compounds) and bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and its reuse as soil amendment could be an important route of entry of these pollutants into groundwater bodies. This project aims at broadening the knowledge about the role of animal manure recycling as a major source of groundwater pollution by: (i) analyzing selected multiple-class antibiotics and ARGs and (ii) using an innovative approach, based on the bulk characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), to uncover the chemical pattern of selected manure-impacted groundwater bodies, used as sources for drinking water production, and provide evidence about the role of manure recycling as a major source of aquifer pollution. RESOURCE is a project with high societal relevance in Spain. The shutdown of large scale manure treatment plants in 2014 and the subsequent generation of large amounts of untreated waste might endanger the good chemical and microbiological status of drinking water wells. Thus, the outcomes of this project will be highly valuable to assess the current status of groundwater bodies and will contribute in preventing serious environmental and human health issues. The fellow’s expertise, gathered in international top research institutions and the outstanding infrastructure and capabilities available at ICRA, makes an ideal conjunction for the successful completion of the project.
Unfold all
/
Fold all
More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/750104
Start date: 02-10-2017
End date: 09-05-2020
Total budget - Public funding: 170 121,60 Euro - 170 121,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Groundwater protection is one of the latest environmental battlegrounds in Europe. It is used as a major source for drinking water production all over Europe and as such, the preservation of its chemical and microbiological quality is of vital importance. In agricultural areas with intensive livestock activities, groundwater quality might be seriously compromised by the excessive use of manure as organic fertilizer. Animal manure may contain high levels of organic contaminants (e.g. antibiotics, nitrogen-containing compounds) and bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and its reuse as soil amendment could be an important route of entry of these pollutants into groundwater bodies. This project aims at broadening the knowledge about the role of animal manure recycling as a major source of groundwater pollution by: (i) analyzing selected multiple-class antibiotics and ARGs and (ii) using an innovative approach, based on the bulk characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), to uncover the chemical pattern of selected manure-impacted groundwater bodies, used as sources for drinking water production, and provide evidence about the role of manure recycling as a major source of aquifer pollution. RESOURCE is a project with high societal relevance in Spain. The shutdown of large scale manure treatment plants in 2014 and the subsequent generation of large amounts of untreated waste might endanger the good chemical and microbiological status of drinking water wells. Thus, the outcomes of this project will be highly valuable to assess the current status of groundwater bodies and will contribute in preventing serious environmental and human health issues. The fellow’s expertise, gathered in international top research institutions and the outstanding infrastructure and capabilities available at ICRA, makes an ideal conjunction for the successful completion of the project.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2016

Update Date

28-04-2024
Images
No images available.
Geographical location(s)
Structured mapping
Unfold all
/
Fold all
Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2016
MSCA-IF-2016