Project
CityPoll
Defining the impact of urban runoffs on the biodiversity and functions of natural ecosystems.
City runoff pollution impacts on river biodiversity under extreme climatic events (CityPoll) is under the “Transición Ecológica y Transición Digital (TED)” projects. Its main objective is to define the impact of urban runoff on natural ecosystems and its association with climate change. CityPoll will assess the chemical and hydrological impact of urban runoff on the biodiversity and functions of river ecosystems.
Will construct a unified strategy for the sampling design and instrumentation, data analysis, data management, and hydrological modelling in the two case studies. This WP will coordinate the timing, frequency, and data obtention in the case studies. WP1 will use the collected data to simulate (i) the transport of runoff and associated contaminants in the system made up by the urban drainage and (ii) to the receiving water body, by using models on hydraulics and hydrology tailored to the two urban-natural system.
/01
Will advance existing knowledge and methods for screening and discovering chemical contaminants conveyed by urban runoffs by using advanced analytical techniques. Special attention will be paid to unravel poorly studied emerging contaminants by reporting the concentrations needed for their environmental risk assessment. WP2 will provide comprehensive screening data and identification of relevant sources aimed to broaden the database of urban runoff contaminants and fill in the knowledge gap on their potential relation with new materials in buildings and city infrastructures, as well as to other anthropogenic activities.
/02
Will evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of urban runoff on individuals and communities in biofilms and invertebrates, using a set of biomarkers. Ecotoxicity will be evaluated on urban effluents as well as on prioritized contaminants, to provide a sensitive-based response for urban runoff.
/03
Will evaluate the effects of urban runoff on the structure and functioning of the receiving ecosystems. Changes in biodiversity and in the ecological status will be evaluated and impacts at ecosystem level will be assessed by monitoring ecosystem functions.
/04
Will provide science-based policy tools and recommendations addressing the environmental impact of urban runoff and its solutions. To produce dissemination of the main outputs of the project.
/05
Will ensure effective coordination of individual projects and overall management encompassing all organizational and administrative tasks required for a successful project realization.
/06
Isabel Cadena’s Poster Presentation at the 28th International Symposium on Separation Sciences (ISSS 2024) on Urban Runoff Pollutants
Postdoctoral researcher Isabel Cadena recently attended the 28th International Symposium on Separation Sciences (ISSS 2024), where she presented her latest findings on urban runoff and its impact on freshwater ecosystems, as part of the CityPoll Project.
You can now watch the full CityPoll Project Video!
We are pleased to announce that you can now access the full video explaining the CityPoll project! To make it easier for everyone to understand, we have made the video available in four languages: English, Spanish, Catalan, and Basque.
Neus Besolí Mestres from ICRA presented the experimental results for the CityPoll project at the XXII AIL Meeting
Urban runoff carries contaminants from roofs, roads, and soils into streams, affecting ecosystem biodiversity and functioning, particularly during rainfall and after dry periods. To examine these effects, urban first flush samples were collected during rainfall and tested on freshwater biofilms.
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