Editorial: Recent Results and Impacts

 

The PROMISCES project is now in its third and final phase. Over the past 12 months, significant progress has been made! Our coordinator Dr. Julie Lions (French Geological Survey) takes a look back:

 

In June 2024, the consortium completed its second report to the European Commission. The Commission recognized that the project has produced outstanding results with immediate or potential significant impacts. During the review, partners presented  their updates of research, technology and project management, with a focus on actionable results. Key exploitable results and innovations include advanced methods for detecting and quantifying PFAS and iPM(T) in water and complex matrices. These chemical and toxicological analytical methods have been developed and are now available to the consortium and third parties.

Significant progress has also been made in the development of toxicological assessment methodologies, combining in vitro and in silico testing. Recently developed QSAR models, which predict PFAS properties, are being used in modeling case studies, while AI/ML-based models predicting aquatic toxicity will help risk assessors. New OECD-compliant QSAR models, focusing on nuclear receptors, provide a better understanding of the impact of PFAS on the environment. PROMISCES results also support various working groups, such as the Technical Expert Group for the Drinking Water Directive.

In terms of technological innovations and risk assessment, the latest results are still being acquired. Pilot-scale and field trials for treatment and remediation technologies are nearing completion and will be shared shortly. Notable progress has been made in soil, groundwater and sediment remediation, including laboratory-scale formulations for PFAS washing and destruction, as well as chemical reduction and nano iron activation for PFAS and organochlorine removal. Water and wastewater treatment technologies have progressed to pilot-scale trials, covering adsorption/ion exchange, dense membranes for landfill leachates and pyrolysis for membrane concentrate.

The project actively focuses on dissemination and exploitation, leveraging social media channels such as LinkedIn to reach a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, industry professionals and the public. Collaboration with European networks, such as the Green Deal Call cluster and NORMAN and the sister projects (SCENARIOS, ZeroPM, ALTERNATIVE, PANORAMIX, LifeSaver), strengthens outreach efforts.

PROMISCES’ impact is further amplified through participation in key discussions with authorities and stakeholders, as well as involevement in initiatives like the CEN Workshop Agreement and the German Drinking Water Commission. Last September, we organized a session dedicated to PROMISCES entitled “PFAS Treatment Technologies for Contaminated Sites: Soils, Sediments, and Groundwater” during the Remtech Europe 2024 in Ferrara, Italy. And in Decmeber 2024, a session titled “PFAS Solutions: Technologies and Policies for Circular Water Cycles in Support of the Zero Pollution Action Plan”  was co-organised with WaterEurope at WaterKnowledgeEurope.

All the results will soon be integrated into the multi-stakeholder decision-support framework (DSF), which will be available in the coming weeks.

The project’s achievements demonstrate outstanding technological and scientific quality, as evidenced by the accepted deliverables and numerous publications in high-ranking scientific journals. In addition to publications, project results have been widely shared at many conferences and events.