The Joint Research Centre (JRC) Water Laboratory has worked with the Education for Climate Coalition to develop a role-play game on debating solutions to water quality contamination. The starting point and context for the game was provided by real water quality data collected as part of "The...

This report highlights the commonalities and disagreements between the reporting by Member States (MS) to the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) on the standards for Biological Quality elements in coastal waters, and the methodological standards...

This paper examines the causal impacts of reducing solid waste imports on water quality in China, which was the world’s largest importer of waste until recently. We focus on the National Sword policy, introduced at the end of 2017, which abruptly banned the import of plastics, textiles,...

One of the worst natural, economic, and social catastrophes caused by human activity is the Aral Sea crisis in Central Asia. The Aral Sea's desiccation, which has an impact on the region's overall sustainable development, human welfare, security, and survival, is what led to the problem. This...

This briefing provides a first overview of PFAS pollution in water based on monitoring data reported to EEA's Waterbase. PFOS levels are compared with regulatory threshold values, providing an initial understanding of risks in European waters.

Reactive nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution in Germany is mainly caused by production of cattle meat and milk, which is mostly consumed domestically. This pollution comes at a high external costs not yet addressed by current policies. We explore scenarios where reduced domestic cattle...

The Joint Research Center organised the "Summer school on the evaluation of air, soil and water pollution in support to the European Green Deal: a holistic approach" from 4-8 September 2023, in Novi Sad, Serbia. This event was organized in partnership with the University of Novi Sad (UNS) and...

The Joint Research Center organised the "Summer school on the evaluation of air, soil and water pollution in support to the European Green Deal: a holistic approach" from 4-8 September 2023, in Novi Sad, Serbia. This event was organized in partnership with the University of Novi Sad (UNS) and...

From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, most of Europe's bathing waters are of excellent quality for swimming when assessed against the two specific health relevant parameters (Escherichia coli or E. coli and intestinal enterococci) as required under the Bathing Water Directive (EU, 2006). This...

From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, most of Europe's bathing waters are of excellent quality for swimming when assessed against the two specific health relevant parameters (Escherichia coli or E. coli and intestinal enterococci) as required under the Bathing Water Directive (EU, 2006). This...

We investigate the impact of groundwater contamination on educational outcomes in India. Our study leverages variations in the geographical coverage and timing of construction of safe government piped water schemes to identify the effects of exposure to contaminants. Using self-collected survey...

We study how spillovers from water pollution cleanup in the Ganges affect social welfare in an aggregate economy consisting of Kanpur and Varanasi, two cities through which this river flows. We view pollution cleanup in both cities as a local public good and point out that, if Kanpur cleans up...

Standard water affordability measures that only account for expenditure on piped water are unlikely to adequately capture the situation of all consumers in developing countries, who often experience water service quality issues and must rely on coping strategies. We construct and compare a...

We investigate the impact of beer on mortality during the Industrial Revolution in 18th century England. Due to the brewing process, beer represented an improvement over available water sources during this period prior to the widespread understanding of the link between water quality and human...

The rise of shale gas and tight oil development has triggered a major debate about hydraulic fracturing (HF). In an effort to bring light to HF practices and their potential risks to water quality, many U.S. states have mandated disclosure for HF wells and the fluids used. We employ this setting...

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have made notable progress in reducing income inequality; however, the extent to which water and sanitation may foster inequalities remains unclear. In this sector, disparities emerge as lower-income households may encounter reduced access to clean...

Natural and anthropogenic activities have proven to be the main sources of contaminants in groundwater. Hence, the need for continuous evaluation of the controlling factors of groundwater mineralization for monitoring purposes. The study assessed the controls of the groundwater mineralization in...

In this work, an input-output (IO) hydro-economic model was developed to assess economic pressure on water resources. Three innovations are incorporated with respect to previous literature: i) the development of a methodology for disaggregating the extended water demand (including grey water...

Human activity is almost invariably the cause of groundwater contamination. Groundwater is particularly at risk in locations with a high population density and extensive human usage of the land. Almost any action that could result in the purposeful or unintentional release of chemicals or wastes...

In this research note, we focus on a representative, leather producing tannery in Kanpur, India, and shed light on two specific questions that, to the best of our knowledge, have not been studied previously in the literature. First, what is the deadweight loss from water pollution caused by this...

This study conducted an in-depth assessment of municipal water quality management in the Zamboanga Peninsula Region of the Philippines. It aims to identify the key challenges and opportunities in ensuring safe and sustainable water resources for local communities. Through a comprehensive...

Over five million people in south western Uganda depend on River Rwizi for some of their water needs. In recent years, the river has come under huge pressure from a number of challenges including pollution from urban wastes, destruction of its water catchment area and wetlands. The river's water...

Catalytic ozonation is an effective technology widely used in advanced treatment to remove refractory organics from wastewater. Meanwhile, it is also a highly energy-consuming technology, usually accounting for 30%~40% of the total electricity consumption of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)....

One of the global problems in recent years is shortage of appropriate water resources due to increasing demand, seasonal rainfall, and depletion of groundwater reserves, leading to water scarcity. Indonesia, especially Jakarta, is often affected by flooding and waterlogging due to high rainfall...

Substantial evidence demonstrates that contaminated irrigation water is a primary source of fungal and bacterial diseases, which can pose significant challenges in pathology. Poor water quality is a source of contamination in the field which can also be extended to public health issues. An...

Drinking water source area is a weak link in water resources management, but pollution accidents occur from time to time. Most of the prediction models currently developed are not suitable for drinking water source area, so a new model has been established. This model coupled the GIS Platform...

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges of microcontaminants have been shown to have negative impacts on freshwater streams, highlighting the need for accurate mapping of wastewater-derived contamination in water bodies across Europe (EU). In this study, we present a fast and open-source...

Castanhão is a multipurpose reservoir located in the semiarid region of Brazil. From 2012 to 2019, a severe drought occurred in the area, leading to a significant degradation of the water quality in the reservoir, spanning from oligotrophic to eutrophic/hypereutrophic state. In addition, this...

Human health and ecological security are vulnerable to groundwater pollution at landfill sites. It is essential to monitor groundwater quality downstream of landfills, but evaluating the pollution plumes within a multi-component contaminated aquifer remains a challenge. In order to track the...