Integrated Spatial and Temporal POPs Evaluation with Cutting-Edge Strategies for Environmental Monitoring (INSPECT-POPs)
Project Team
Principal Investigator: Dr Jenny Lawler
Co Principal Investigator: Professor Fiona Regan
Project Duration
Two years with expected completion in March 2028
Funder(s)
This project is funded under the EPA Research Programme 2021-2030. The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
Abstract
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) constitute a significant group of environmental contaminants characterised by their chemical stability, persistence in the environment, ability to bioaccumulate in biota, and potential to cause adverse effects on ecosystems and human health.
The INSPECT-POPs project seeks to deliver a robust, evidence-based evaluation of the occurrence, distribution, and long-term trends of POPs in Ireland, encompassing legacy compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, and dioxins, alongside emerging substances of concern, with a particular focus on selected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) including PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS, recognised under the Stockholm Convention.
The project will systematically collate and critically assess long-term monitoring datasets from multiple environmental compartments including surface and groundwater, atmospheric samples, agricultural and food products, soil, and waste matrices.
Data integration will encompass both chemical concentration measurements and existing emission inventories, enabling comprehensive source apportionment and elucidation of environmental fate and transport mechanisms.
Statistical trend analyses and modelling approaches will be applied to discern temporal patterns and spatial variability, providing insights into the effectiveness of regulatory controls and identifying potential emerging hotspots.
A critical element of the work is a detailed gap analysis of Ireland's current POPs monitoring frameworks, focusing on the adequacy of spatial and temporal sampling coverage, chemical analytical scope, and detection limits relative to evolving regulatory requirements. This evaluation will guide recommendations for enhanced monitoring design and strategic integration of POPs surveillance within existing EPA environmental and waste monitoring networks.
Such integration aims to improve cost-efficiency and data comparability while maintaining compliance with international reporting obligations.
To complement traditional chemical analyses, the project will pilot innovative monitoring technologies at a representative scale. Effect-based biomonitoring assays, including in vitro bioassays targeting specific modes of toxic action, will be employed to detect biologically relevant signals of POPs exposure and mixture effects in environmental samples.
Additionally, passive sampling devices will be deployed to achieve time-integrated quantification of low-level POPs across diverse media, offering improved detection sensitivity and ecological relevance by capturing fluctuating contaminant profiles over extended periods.
The methodological framework emphasises seamless integration with existing national and EU monitoring programmes, ensuring that novel data streams enhance rather than duplicate current efforts.
Data management and synthesis will leverage established EPA data infrastructures, facilitating accessibility and future use in policy development and environmental risk assessment.
By combining comprehensive data synthesis, advanced analytical and biomonitoring methods, and strategic integration into established monitoring schemes, this project will generate critical, high-resolution evidence on the presence and behaviour of POPs in Ireland.
The outputs will underpin improved environmental surveillance, support regulatory enforcement, and inform risk management strategies aimed at reducing human and ecological exposure to these persistent pollutants