More about the Programme
A clean and safe source of drinking water is regarded by the United Nations as a fundamental human right. Many European countries depend on groundwater for drinking water supplies. As this water becomes increasingly polluted, they are faced with two options: develop increasingly complex and expensive methods of cleaning the water or risk the consequences to human health of drinking polluted water. Groundwater pollution is, of course, also of concern in environmental terms.
GPoll was a long-term programme that initiated and promoted multinational, multidisciplinary research on pollution of groundwater by toxic chemicals, metals, pathogenic organisms, radionuclides and by excess nutrients. It focused on the fate of pollution in groundwater systems because of their significance for human and environmental health. The research had urgency because of the sharp increases in the incidence of pollution-related disorders and the increasingly conspicuous damage caused by pollution to natural ecosystems. However, most of the groundwater participates in the hydrological cycle although the residence time may vary from months to centuries. The processes causing groudwater pollution may, therefore, often only become apparent over the long term. Hence, the programme included planning for long-term research and monitoring.
European collaboration provides added value, partly because pollution is international, and also because environmental problems require interdisciplinary research. No single country can provide all of the necessary expertise and therefore international cooperation is essential between centres of excellence in different subject areas. One aim of GPoll was to encourage the best scientists from widely different disciplines to engage in environmental research, and to co-operate internationally.
GPoll’s emphasis was on fundamental and strategic research that has potential for use in maintaining clean groundwater supplies. Determining whether prevention of a specified kind of pollution is urgent requires research into the fate and impact of the pollutant, or mixture of pollutants. Only then, will we have a basis for remedial measures to degrade, immobilise or contain them.
Molecular microbial diagnostics needs intensive further development if we want to know who is doing what in the ongoing subsurface microbial processes and which are the dominant organisms. To detect existing pollution, the limits and the direction of its spreading and the location and extension of its source, sensitive, accurate, quick and cheaper methods have to be developed.
Activities
Workshops
Exchange Grants
Summer School
GPoll mailing list
A brochure containing information on the scientific background and aims and objectives of the programme has been published and can be downloaded by clicking here (PDF 262 KB)
News Release - Harnessing nature to clean up Doñana - scientists recommend a biological solution (ESF Workshop on the "Scientific basis for the remediation of the toxic spill of the Aznalcollar mine" Sevilla, 7-10 January 1999).
Prospective Terrestrial Environment and Groundwater Pollution Research Conference (PDF 439 KB)
Proceedings of the GPoll Workshop held in Göteborg, 15-18 November 1998.
