Drinking water quality is potentially threatened by the release of chemicals that we are producing and using. If these chemicals are water soluble and poorly degradable or if poorly degradable and polar transformation products are formed from them, then these chemicals may specifically be of concern.

PROMOTE focuses on persistent, mobile organic contaminants (PMOC). PMOC are highly polar compounds and as such likely to occur in the water cycle and in raw waters used for drinking water production. At the same time their physicochemical properties make them very challenging to analyze. Consequently, analytical methods are insufficiently developed and little is known upon their occurrence in environmental and drinking waters. PROMOTE follows two strategies to identify and monitor PMOC: (a) developing and applying analytical methods for screening of water samples for PMOC and (b) selection and prioritization of candidate substances based on REACH data and developing analytical methods for their quantitative analysis.

The developed analytical methods will be applied to representative samples from five European river basins, to WWTP effluents, to groundwater samples and to raw waters used for drinking water production. For PMOC occurring in raw waters or likely to occur in such waters PROMOTE will study the potential of different drinking water treatment strategies to remove PMOC. PMOC will be prioritized in terms of their emission sources and removal options and adequate mitigation methods at reasonable effort will be proposed. This will include improved treatment processes for compounds emitted only locally, changes in the use profile and regulation within the REACH legislation. Widely distributed PMOC of environmental or health concern may also be candidates for the watch list of the WFD.