Cyanotoxins in european waterbodies
In September 2002, with the support of the European Commission of the Fifth Framework Program started an international European project „Barriers against cyanotoxins in drinking water” (TOXIC).
The aim of the project is to bring together the research results of ten European institutions dealing with questions about occurring and eliminating of toxic algae metabolites.
This knowledge transfer will issue important assumptions relevant to European as well as to the global drinking water treatment progress.
Within TOXIC consortium TZW is the co-ordinator and project manager partner. Under its patronage on the 25th October in Dresden took place the first project Kick-off meeting.
Project partners of TZW are the following institutions: University of Dundee (Great Britain), Eidgenössische Anstalt für Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz (EAWAG, Switzerland), Institute of Water & Environment (DHI, Denmark), Universidad de Extremadura (Spain), Water Research Centre (WRc, Great Britain), Kiwa NV - Keuringsinstituut voor Waterleidingartikelen (Netherlands), Aabo Akademi University (Finnland), Universidade do Algarve (Portugal) and University of Lodz (Poland). The consortium unites the institutions with their aquatic research- as well as water technology compartments.
During its progress the project can win more than 30 end users, including public authorities and water supply companies. Disseminating the information to the partners, the end users and of course to the broad public is an important goal, which will be achieved via internet. There are constructed two websites, claiming to reach the public and keep the partners in constant online connection.
The first website is the basic one: http://www.cyanotoxic.com.There are given the project structure, the main project aims and the work scheme. Available, in the form of reports, are also the results obtained till the last update of the site. The recent situation, concerning the cyanotoxic contamination of European waterbodies (especially drinking water reservoirs), will be presented in the second website : http://www.cyanobacteria-platform.com.
Thus the information will be updated, extended and distributed to the public and scientific society not only in Europe, but world-wide as well.
