| Project Detail |
Improved chemical metrology and methods to detect emerging pollutants
Each year, the chemical industry issues some 2 000 new chemicals. How these new chemicals will eventually impact humans and the environment remains unknown due to the limited efficiency of the chemical metrology sector. It is therefore necessary to improve the capacity of the sector. The EU-funded REVAMP (Reference materials and validated methods for emerging pollutants) project will offer innovative training to four early-stage researchers (ESRs). It will propose scalable solutions that rapidly identify, develop, produce and implement new certified reference materials and methods for assessing new and existing chemical compounds, in particular chlorinated paraffins and perfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS). The ESRs will combine scientific research and industrial practice to solve specific challenges at the interface of organic and analytical chemistry and toxicology.
The chemical metrology sector has not been able to keep up with the pace of the chemical industry, which introduces ca. 2000 new chemicals in the market every year. Most chemicals in use today remain almost completely unknown regarding persistence and impact on the environment and society. Delayed action on emerging chemical pollutants has resulted in widespread human exposures and risks, and lessons should be learned from this example and not repeated for the newer chemicals entering the market. Thus, the metrology sector is under strong pressure to radically improve and become highly efficient. The REVAMP project aims at supporting this change by providing cutting-edge training to four young researchers fostering enhanced sustainability of the chemical metrology. This will be achieved through the deployment of scalable solutions to rapidly identify, develop, produce and deploy new certified reference materials and methods for the assessment of the huge amount of existing and emerging chemical compounds with toxicity potential. Together, the ESRs will combine academic research and industrial knowledge to overcome specific challenges at the interface of organic and analytical chemistry and toxicology, applied to the chemical metrology cycle. The ESRs will be trained by an innovative network composed of a leading European academic & research institution, and five leading companies/institutes covering key sub-sectors of the chemical metrology value chain, and including an intersectoral approach. The REVAMP ESRs will obtain a doctoral degree and gain strong skills that match the needs from both industry and academia, increasing significantly their employability and career prospects. |
