PFAS-QUEST: Embedding PFAS Semi-Quantitative Non-Targeted Strategies into Urban Water Management for Environmental Protection in Luxembourg

The project at a glance

• Start date:
  01 July 2024

• Duration in months:
  36
  

• Funding:
  IAS Luxembourg / European Commission

• Principal Investigator(s):
  Dr. Federica PIRAS
  
  

About

PFAS-QUEST will enable the development of standardized semi-quantitative non-targeted screening (NTS) workflows to identify and quantify per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and to systematically assess the performance of a new advanced treatment scheme (ATS) in removing PFAS. In such ATS, ozonation will be followed by constructed wetlands (CWs) in place of traditional granular activated carbon filtration, aiming at preventing PFAS emission from small-medium size WWTPs installed in rural areas of Luxembourg.

The integration of nature-based CWs in ATS for wastewater remediation represents a sustainable option relying on non-use of energy for operation, low carbon footprint, in situ recycling of wastes to provide supporting medium and ease of integration in environment. The action will release procedures and recommendations on how to implement NTS workflows for O3/CWs system assessment, benefiting public and private stakeholders.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions grant agreement 101081455.

Organisation and partners

Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM)
Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB)
Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS)
European Commission