Counting down the days to the official start of ZeroPM, a European research project aimed at zero pollution from persistent, mobile substances.

Persistent, mobile (PM) substances are being recognised as serious threats to the safety of water resources. In many cases, drinking water supplies have to be purified using expensive technologies because of contamination by PM substances. The most famous examples of PM substances are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), but there are numerous others. This worldwide problem has triggered new policy and monitoring actions and the European Green Deal contains a broad initiative for chemical and water regulations for PM substances.

As part of this effort, a new, wide-reaching European Research project, Zero Pollution of Persistent, Mobile substances, ZeroPM, will start in autumn 2021. Funded under the H2020 call “Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future: Research and innovation in support of the European Green Deal: Innovative, systemic zero-pollution solutions to protect health, environment and natural resources from persistent and mobile chemicals”, ZeroPM includes 15 partners and will run for 5 years.

ZeroPM will interlink and synergise prevention, prioritisation and removal strategies to protect the environment and human health from PM substances. To do this, ZeroPM will establish an evidence-based multilevel framework to guide policy, technological and market incentives to minimise use, emissions and pollution of entire groups of PM substances.

Milieu will lead ZeroPM’s policy work with the aim of stimulating and supporting policy changes to tackle PM substances more effectively.