ZeroPM will interlink and synergize prevention, prioritization and removal strategies to protect the environment and human health from persistent and mobile (*PM) substances. To do this, ZeroPM will establish an evidence-based multilevel framework to guide policy regarding the technological and market incentives to minimize the use of emissions and pollution of entire groups of PM substances.
To prevent pollution, ZeroPM will activate the momentum of the EU's Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and support its implementation through the development of scientific, policy, and market tools supporting essential use and mitigation of prioritized PM substances. This will result in substitution to safe and sustainable alternatives. ZeroPM will prioritize PM substances and substance groups through the development and application of robust screening and prioritization tools aimed at identifying all PM substances on the global chemical inventory.
ZeroPM will develop next-generation remediation techniques to remove prioritized PM substances from water resources, drinking water and sludge-derived products sustainably. ZeroPM unites leading researchers, regulators and green chemistry innovation experts who have been instrumental in advancing the science and awareness of PM substances, to form an exemplary multidisciplinary team. ZeroPM will deliver policy improvements, an increase in business opportunities and competitiveness, an improved livelihood for EU citizens, and beyond state-of-the-art methods to prevent regrettable substitution and regrettable remediation of PM substance groups. ZeroPM will be the pathfinding project enabling the ambitions of the Chemical Strategy to become an on-the-ground reality, supporting the movement towards a zero pollution, toxic-free environment.
* PM stands for persistent and mobile and relates to the physico-chemical substance properties Persistence and Mobility. Persistence is related to the time a substance remains in the environment and Mobility is related to how far a substance can travel with water.
Read their policy brief titled "Zero pollution of persistent, mobile substances".
