AQUAGloCon · Global Distribution Assessment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Aquatic Environment

Chemical pollution is a global threat, with the production and release of man-made chemicals surpassing the world's capacity for safety assessment. Over 350,000 chemicals are in use, and many persist in the environment, affecting human health, ecosystems and biodiversity. Long-range transport of chemicals like persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is well-documented, but global monitoring of waterborne contaminants has been limited. Recently, the Aquatic Global Passive Sampling (AQUA-GAPS/MONET) network addressed this gap by investigating hydrophobic organic contaminants in surface waters worldwide. However, the global distribution of potentially hazardous contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in the aquatic environment has not been studied yet. The AQUAGloCon project builds on this network to assess the global distribution of unknown hydrophobic CECs in the aquatic environment. CECs will be identified in a unique set of water samples from five continents collected by passive samplers. Its main goal is to provide baseline data on prioritized CECs, combining advanced analytical techniques with risk assessment. The project will develop workflows for CEC identification and quantification, prioritize contaminants based on hazard, and assess their global distribution. The obtained data will be digitally stored for retrospective analysis. AQUAGloCon's interdisciplinary approach integrates environmental chemistry, data mining and risk assessment, delivering first-ever global data on high-priority CECs. The findings will offer insights into CEC levels, persistence and potential for long-range transport, supporting policy decisions and future research on chemical pollution's impact on ecosystems and human health. The project's open science practices ensure data accessibility for future studies. The researcher will develop scientific expertise, strengthen transferable skills and expand the international network enhancing career prospects to become an independent researcher.