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Introducing the EU Project ZeroPM: Zero Pollution of Persistent and Mobile Substances

The importance of limiting the release of persistent and mobile substances is based on increasing evidence that they are increasingly accumulating over time and space, entering drinking water sources and re-circulating within anthropogenic and natural water cycles. Consequently, even in instances where toxic hazards have not yet been identified, concern, due to long-term legacy potential can be perceived as sufficient evidence to screen and prioritize potential persistent and mobile substances. Once a persistent and mobile substance is environmentally ubiquitous, it may be too late for it to be efficiently removed. In addition, if toxic properties or other risks are later identified, risk management may be too late and ineffective.

The Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Zero pollution of persistent, mobile substances (ZeroPM, grant agreement number 101036756) began in 2021 and will interlink prevention, prioritization and removal strategies to protect human health and the environment from persistent and mobile substances. The results from ZeroPM will guide policy, technological and market incentives to minimize use, emissions and pollution of entire groups of persistent and mobile substances.

This collection of papers will provide an overview of the activities that are planned in the ZeroPM project as well as showing the solutions ZeroPM is working towards.

Deadline: 31st March 2024

Lead Guest Editor:
Henner Hollert, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Guest Editors:
Sarah Hale, DVGW-Technologiezentrum Wasser, Germany
Hans Peter Arp, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway
Olga-Ioanna Kalantzi, University of the Aegean, Greece


  1. Persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) and very persistent and very mobile (vPvM) substances have gained significant attention in recent years. The substances do not break down in the environment over appreciable ...

    Authors: Anna Lennquist, Jonatan Kleimark, Hans Peter H. Arp and Sarah E. Hale
    Citation: Environmental Sciences Europe 2024 36:2
  2. Laboratory tests and column tests were carried out in a waterwoks to investigate the removal of short- and long-chain PFAS using activated carbon filtration and ion exchange treatment. For all adsorbents, the ...

    Authors: Marcel Riegel, Brigitte Haist-Gulde and Frank Sacher
    Citation: Environmental Sciences Europe 2023 35:12
  3. Replacing hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives is essential for a toxic-free environment. To avoid regrettable substitution, a comparison of the entire spectrum of potential impacts of the candidate for...

    Authors: Monika Nendza, Stefan Hahn, Michael Klein, Ursula Klaschka and Silke Gabbert
    Citation: Environmental Sciences Europe 2023 35:11
  4. In 2020, the European Commission published the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) in which it aims to increase the level of protection for human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals. Par...

    Authors: Romain Figuière, Flora Borchert, Ian T. Cousins and Marlene Ågerstrand
    Citation: Environmental Sciences Europe 2023 35:5