WATCH Water Catchment Areas: Tools for management and control of hazardous compounds.
Country: EU Projects
Start Date:   28/2/2001         Duration: 36 months         Project Type: RTD
Contract Number: EVK1-CT-2000-00059
Organisation Type:  EC Project
Topics: 
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Tools and procedures
Contaminated land-->Site investigation-->Methods
Diffuse pollution-->Monitoring
Groundwater protection-->Monitoring-->Monitoring overview
Groundwater protection-->Monitoring-->Sampling techniques
Project objectives: 
In the WATCH project in situ on-line sensors for hydrocarbons in soil and groundwater will be designed, constructed and optimised by field tests at involved 
end users. Rapid, robust, cheap and sensitive on site immunoassay testkits for BTEX, MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) and ETBE (ethyl tert-butyl ether) will 
be designed and tested.      
A target compound database for environmental degradation behaviour, inhibiting and stimulating effects will provide a basis for signal assessment and 
decision/early warning concepts.      
The sensor and early warning system will be installed and tested at sites of the involved end users .      
At the end of the project the following will be available:      
An integrated early warning tool, including a risk management and reduction strategy, for contaminated sites and catchment areas.      
In-situ sensors and rapid in field immunoassay testkits for target analytes.
Project Summary: 
In situ on-line sensors for general hydrocarbon pollution (including BTEX, MTBE and  ETBE) in soil and groundwater will be deployed at contaminated sites owned 
by end  users within the  consortium. Robust immunoassay kits for the target analytes will  be designed and tested on-site. A target compound database for environmental 
 degradation behaviour, inhibiting and  stimulating effects and ecotoxicological  assessment will provide a basis for signal assessment and decision/management 
 support. The sensor and management system will be  installed and tested at three  sites of two end users in order to prove the early warning and management system. 
 Deliverables will include (1), an integrated management tool for  catchment areas  with contaminant sources, including a risk management and reduction strategy; 
 environmental impacts, economical and socio-economical effects and (2), in-situ   sensors and rapid in field immunoassay kits for target analytes.
Achieved Objectives: 
* Sub-surface near infrared reflectometer  
sensor with associated data collection and  
transmission capabilities for the online remote  
identification of free-phase hydrocarbons  
* Fully automated P&T-GC/MS method for the trace  
analysis (ng/l-μg/l levels in water, μg/kg in  
sediments) of MTBE, main degradation products  
(TBA, TBF) and other oxygenated additives (ETBE,  
TAME, DIPE)  
* A competitive MTBE-enzyme linked immunoassay  
testkit (ELISA) with a sensitivity of standards  
down to 0.5-0.05 μg/l, and an application range  
down to 500-50 μg/l  
* An immuno-flow through and a magnetic bead  
format assay with application ranges < 50 μg/l  
are under development  
* Elaboration of MTBE degradation pathways  
including inhibiting and stimulating effects  
* Integrated management protocol including a  
conceptual model protocol and a remedial action  
protocol  
* Demonstration of project developments in two  
case studies help to protect and sustain ground  
water quantity and quality in Europe.
Product Descriptions: 
A range of downloadable reports
Additional Information:
Project Resources:

Water Catchment Areas: Tools for Management and Control of Hazardous Compounds

Occurrence of the gasoline oxygenate MTBE and BTEX compounds in groundwater in Catalonia (NE Spain)
Weblink:
http://www.watch-eu.org/
Funding Programme(s): 
EC Framework Programme 5
Link to Organisations:
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Prof Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/07/2003 17:48:00
Updated by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  17/03/2010 08:56:00