The Research Council of Finland Is Providing Funding for GTK for Groundwater and Surface Water Research
The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) succeeded in the Research Council of Finland’s funding calls, obtaining total funding of roughly EUR 1.2 million. This includes funding for an academy researcher to study transport and fate of emerging contaminants (PFAS) in water supplies. In addition, GTK will be a leader of an academy project: nano-/microplastic mobility and contaminant co-transport in groundwater. Starting in 2024, the projects have a four-year funding period.
The Research Council of Finland will provide roughly EUR 690,000 in funding for an academy researcher to study the transport and fate of emerging contaminants (PFAS) in Finnish groundwaters and their implications on drinking water supplies and the Baltic Sea. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic and ubiquitous in the Finnish aquatic environment. Marie-Amélie Pétré, Senior Researcher at GTK, will provide fundamental new understanding about the mechanisms and rates of PFAS transfer in groundwater and surface water, retention in aquifers and ultimate delivery to the Baltic Sea. This in-depth PFAS study takes place in the Vantaa River watershed (Southern Finland), where the highest PFAS concentrations in Finland have been observed. The project results will guide decision-making regarding mitigation actions and drinking water treatment.
In addition, GTK leads a funded academy project on nano-/microplastic mobility and contaminant co-transport in groundwater. Nano- and microplastics pollution has emerged as a global concern and a critical environmental challenge of our time, because of their adverse environmental and health effects. The NOMAD project, a cooperation between GTK and University of Eastern Finland, will investigate the nano-/microplastic transport and their interactions with different pollutants by performing laboratory and field experiments, and computer simulations. The aim is to quantify the plastic contents in Finnish groundwaters. The results will help to gain a better understanding of plastics movement in the subsurface and will provide modeling tools to quantify groundwater pollution risks. GTK will cover approximately EUR 517,000 of total project funding. Muhammad Muniruzzaman, Senior Scientist, will act as the responsible researcher.
Further information
Aku Heinonen, Director, Science and Innovations
Geological Survey of Finland GTK
aku.heinonen@gtk.fi
tel. +358 29 503 0109
