With about 250 subscribers, mostly present for the entire duration of the event, the webinar "PFAS and emerging contaminants: experiences and analytical methods compared", organized on October 6 as part of the LIFE PHOENIX Project, received an extremely positive feedback and proved to be a profitable opportunity for deepening the complex issue of emerging contaminants.

After the introductory greetings, the speakers took turns throughout the mid-morning, with interventions of about 20 minutes each, in order to bring their experience in dealing with particularly relevant and current issues. The introduction by Stefano Polesello, senior researcher at IRSA-CNR (partner of the PHOENIX project), showed which characteristics make these substances a priority problem for the protection of the environment and human health: from global vision to specific case, from emerging pollutants in the world to PFAS contamination in Veneto.

And it is precisely here that the action area of the PHOENIX project arises, a project co-financed by the EU LIFE Programme and coordinated by the Veneto Region (Health and Social Area). In fact, by learning to deal with this delicate situation, a new awareness is being achieved that leads to an innovative approach for a timely and effective management of the risks deriving from water pollution by emerging contaminants.

As explained by Roberto Lava, technical expert of Arpa Veneto (project partner), the development of forecasting systems and mitigation strategies has gone through the development of effective methods of analysis for the determination of PFAS in the various environmental matrices. These subjects, together with those suggested by the other presentations of the day, told through the speakers direct experience, raised specific issues that led to short live debates and several questions asked via chat.

The event agenda, the webinar video recordings, as well as the speakers presentations and the transcripts of Q&A sessions (in PDF format), are now available for consultation below.