EmerGO - Tracking pollutants in water for safer food and drink systems

EmerGO is a project funded by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) under the Horizon Europe programme, and coordinated by Eurecat. It brings together 18 partners from 10 countries.

Its mission is to establish a pioneering European platform to monitor and reduce persistent and emerging pollutants (PEPs) present in the water used to clean facilities in the agri-food sector (microplastics and nanoplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), endocrine disruptors, antibiotic residues, disinfectants and detergents).

EmerGO will combine real-time monitoring of PEPs using smart sensors with advanced water treatment technologies to determine the best possible combination of online detection/analytical measurement and treatment processes. The project aims to reduce pollutants by 40–80 per cent in the pilot plants where the innovations will be validated.

Multimodal sensors will be combined with artificial intelligence models to detect pollutants in real time, alongside circular treatment technologies that enable water recovery.

The solutions will be tested at three pilot sites in the meat, fruit juice and confectionery sectors.

OiEau is leading the ‘Dissemination – Exploitation of Results’ strand. As part of this, it is responsible for developing a strategy aimed at maximising the project’s impact through high visibility and the widespread sharing of its results.

It is responsible for monitoring and evaluating activities and maintaining strategic links with other European projects, as well as with key initiatives and clusters, and for overseeing tasks relating to awareness-raising tools and campaigns aimed at consumers in the agri-food sector, educational tools for industry (feedback videos, serious games), and training programmes aimed at building the capacity of the various target groups, both during the project and beyond.

They are also involved in reviewing Best Available Techniques for water and effluent treatment in the agri-food industry, as well as in consultation with stakeholders.