Permotox – Occurrence and sources of persistent, mobile, and toxic substances in Irish waters

Project Partners

EPA, University of York, National Federation of Group Water Schemes, University of Galway, DCU Water Institute

Lead PIs

Dr. David O’Connor, Prof. Fiona Regan, Dr. Liam Morrison, Dr. John Wilkinson, Ruth Clinton (MBA), Dr. Susan Hegarty, Alexander Savelev 

Funding 

This project is funded by the EPA Research Programme (2021-2030). The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. It is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, which has the statutory function of co-ordinating and promoting environmental research.

Project Summary

With an ever-increasing number of contaminants of emerging concern being added into waterways it is critical to understand the influence that these chemicals can have on the natural environment and the consequences that they may harbour. As these chemical pollutants pose a threat to drinking water and the greater aquatic environment, particularly those that are categorised as persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) or very persistent and very mobile (vPvM). In 2019 the European Commission created the REACH guidelines which outlines the criteria to identify and categorise chemical pollutants as PMT or vPvM.

The target of this project is to determine the impact, sources, and quantity of PMTs and vPvMs on water quality in Ireland. This will be completed through the development of  suitable analytical methods for determination of PMT/vPvM chemicals in Irish waters. Through this the presence and quantity of  PMT/vPvM chemicals in Irish waters, including surface water, groundwater, drinking water sources as well as treated drinking water, can be thoroughly assessed. This assessment will take place in the form of a water blitz with the assistance of citizen scientists. The data gathered through the water blitz shall allow the examination of  the potential pathways of such PMT/vPvM chemicals in the Irish environment and then undertake an emissions review of PMT/vPvM chemicals with details on industries and sectors that use or produce these chemicals.

As a result of this research completed through this project, it is anticipated that a number of recommendations will be able to be provided to inform robust monitoring programmes in order to identify chemicals of interest, as well as areas of concern where monitoring efforts might need to be concentrated for Irish waterways.

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