UC joins European consortium to tackle nitrate pollution
The model proposed by the LIFE-NITRAZENS project is based on an integrated approach that combines environmental awareness, active participation of local communities, and behavioural change.
A group of researchers from the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) is part of the European consortium of the LIFE-NITRAZENS project, aimed at developing sustainable solutions against nitrate pollution.
The project, recently approved by the European Commission, received around €2 million in funding under the LIFE Programme. The UC team includes Artur Valente, Sandra Nunes and Tânia Cova from the Department of Chemistry (FCTUC), and Isabel Paiva from the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FLUC).
“Nitrate pollution is a serious threat to ecosystems and human health, caused mainly by intensive agriculture and improper organic waste management,” warns Artur Valente, director of the Department of Chemistry. “It is linked to health problems such as methemoglobinemia and increased cancer risk.”
LIFE-NITRAZENS proposes a sustainable and replicable model to reduce nitrate pollution, combining environmental awareness, active participation of local communities, and behavioural change. Citizens will be directly involved in monitoring nitrate levels in surface and groundwater, encouraging the adoption of more sustainable farming practices and compliance with EU water quality directives.
The project will be implemented in six pilot areas along the Douro and Ebro river basins in Spain. In Portugal, it will focus on the Mondego river basin, applying strategies developed in Spain and ensuring that results are transferable through a Data Sharing Platform for Nitrate Governance.
With eleven partners from Spain and Portugal, LIFE-NITRAZENS brings together universities, research centres, data and digital platform specialists, water managers, farmers’ associations, and local authorities.
“This multidisciplinary network aims to improve water quality, strengthen European environmental policies, and raise public awareness of the impact of nitrates on health and the environment,” the researchers conclude.