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H2020Doctoral network2015–2018

HypoTRAIN · Hyporheic Zone Processes – A training network for enhancing the understanding of complex physical, chemical and biological process interactions

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2015-01-01 → 2018-12-31
EU contribution
€3,090,952
Participants
15
Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Hyporheic Zone Processes – A training network for enhancing the understanding of complex physical, chemical and biological process interactions

Rivers are important ecosystems under various anthropogenic pressures. One of them is contaminants that enter streams on different routes, e.g. by (treated) wastewater. Especially organic micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals and their daughter products are often neither degraded by the human metabolism nor the treatment processes in the wastewater treatment plant. Being discharged into rivers they might even be transported to the groundwater. Rivers and groundwater are important drinking water resources which is why attenuation or degradation of pollutants is relevant not only for ecosystems but also for human health. Rivers have some self-purification capacity which is assumed to result from the degradation of pollutants by (micro-) organisms and retention by sorption in the hyporheic zone (HZ). HZs, i.e. the sediments in the river bed, are highly dynamic and productive river compartments. Surface water enters the river bed and travels through the sediment matrix. On its way it might mix with groundwater since HZs are often interconnected with adjacent aquifers (Fig. 1 and 2). Physical, biological and chemical processes occurring simultaneously in HZs are assumed to stimulate retention and/or degradation of pollutants. HypoTRAIN gathered a multi-disciplinary team from hydrology, ecology, microbiology, engineering, environmental physics, contaminant science, and modelling to generate new mechanistic insights into the functioning of HZs and enable a more holistic design of river management and restoration.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Hyporheic zones (HZs) are key compartments for the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. As dynamic and complex transition regions between rivers and aquifers, they are characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of multiple physical, biological and chemical processes. Turnover and degradation of nutrients and pollutants figure among the prominent ecological services the HZ provides. We are facing a significant knowledge gap in the understanding of how hyporheic processes are linked and how they impact on each other. This can be attributed to a lack of truly supra-disciplinary research and harmonized and innovative investigation methods.The concept of HypoTRAIN has been tailored to fill this gap. Collaborative research with state-of-the art technologies from multiple disciplines (hydrology, ecology, microbiology, engineering, environmental physics, contaminant science, modelling) will generate new mechanistic insights into the functioning of HZs. A group of ESRs will be educated using the multi-faceted nature of HZs as the central theme of the training programme. The supra-disciplinary expertise within the network and the high-level training program will generate scientific knowledge that will set the ground for a more holistic design of river management plans and restoration measures. Research excellence as well as scientific and technological innovation is ensured as all partners have world-leading reputations and work at the forefront of their respective discipline areas.Participating in HypoTRAIN will make ESRs highly attractive for employers and open up doors for their successful careers in research, regulation, consulting, and industry. They will be experts for the better assessment of the ecological and chemical status of surface waters and for providing successful river restoration and management strategies. The strong involvement of the non-academic sector will provide the ESRs with a holistic perspective on career opportunities.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • FORSCHUNGSVERBUND BERLIN EV · BerlinCoordinatorGermany
  • BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV · Beer ShevaIsrael
  • CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY · Cranfield - BedfordshireUnited Kingdom
  • EIDGENOESSISCHE ANSTALT FUER WASSERVERSORGUNG ABWASSERREINIGUNG UND GEWAESSERSCHUTZ · DubendorfSwitzerland
  • IWW ANALYTIK UND SERVICE GMBH · Mulheim an der RuhrGermany
  • KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN · StockholmSweden
  • NATURALEA CONSERVACIO, SL · Castellar Del VallesSpain
  • ROEHAMPTON UNIVERSITY LBG · LondonUnited Kingdom
  • SILIXA LTD · Elstree HertfordshireUnited Kingdom
  • STIFTELSEN THE STOCKHOLM ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE · STOCKHOLMSweden
  • STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITET · StockholmSweden
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM · BirminghamUnited Kingdom
  • The Flinders University of South Australia · AdelaideAustralia
  • UNIVERSITAT BAYREUTH · BayreuthGermany
  • UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA · BarcelonaSpain

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union