Eliminate drugs remain present in the wastewater. Why has the region of Puglia been chosen to conduct this experiment? What emerging contaminants are being targeted for eradication? Gallipoli, spearhead in the EU's battle to eradicate this polluting waste.
The fact that the Puglia region, the heel of the Italian boot, was chosen for this scientific experiment is no coincidence. Danilo Spasiano, professor and researcher at the Polytechnic University of Bari states that "Puglia is a unique region, above all because of its geographical location. It is characterised by a semi-arid climate. There are no mountains, no rivers, no lakes. The only water resources available in Puglia are the scarce aquifers, but they are being rapidly depleted, especially in the Salento area. The water that is currently used, especially in coastal areas, is increasingly brackish, which can have important consequences for agriculture and the environment, since it alters the characteristics of the soil."
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In this European project, ECO FLOW, there are two main objectives. First, "we are trying to convince farmers and citizens that the reuse of effluents from a treatment plant can constitute an alternative source of water supply," Spasiano said. But there is a second challenge: the eradication of so-called emerging or recalcitrant pollutants, substances such as drug residues, endocrine disruptors, cosmetic products, non-stickers, pesticides or microplastics, the presence of which in water began to be detected at the beginning of the 21st century.
"Directive 2024/3019 of the European Union provides that, in the future, these pollutants are removed from the effluents of treatment plants, even when they are not reused for agriculture, but are discharged directly into the environment. These include, for example, diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory; carbamazepine, a drug used to treat several conditions; and antibiotics," recalls Danilo Spasiano, convinced that science and research must "anticipate the coming regulations and, above all, collaborate with the bodies in charge of developing them."