{"id":15870,"date":"2020-04-23T11:00:37","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T09:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.azti.es\/?p=15870"},"modified":"2020-07-31T23:41:43","modified_gmt":"2020-07-31T21:41:43","slug":"biotechnology-to-reduce-mercury-pollution-in-marine-sediments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/biotechnology-to-reduce-mercury-pollution-in-marine-sediments\/","title":{"rendered":"Biotechnology to reduce mercury pollution in marine sediments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul><li>The aim of the MER-CLUB project is to develop a technology based on the use of marine bacteria that have the capacity to degrade a toxic mercury compound that bio-accumulates in the trophic network, and thus improve the marine environment quality.<\/li><li>The initiative led by the AZTI technology centre was launched in late 2019, with the participation of seven international partners, which include three universities, another two technology centres and an SME.<\/li><li>The research is financed by the European Union EASME, European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) programme and has a budget of one million of Euros.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><img class=\"wp-image-15900\" style=\"width: 520px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/AZTI-MERCLUB-fondo-marino.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sukarrieta, on 23th April 2020.-<\/em> Sediments play a key role in marine ecosystems, as they provide nutrients that are part of the diet of aquatic species, and mineral resources that guarantee biological wealth and diversity. Unfortunately, the pollution resulting from industrial effluents and wastewater accumulates in these sediments, converting them into a pollutant reservoir.&nbsp; Until the onset of the application of the Dumping Law (in the 90s), the sediments had accumulated large quantities of metals, including mercury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To reduce the presence of mercury in\nsediments and improve the quality of the marine environment, a consortium\ncomprised of universities, technology centres and an SME, coordinated by AZTI,\nspecialised technology centre in the food and marine value chain, is developing\nthe MER-CLUB research project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Institute of Marine Sciences\n(ICM-CSIC), the Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona (UAB), the Swedish University\nof Agriculture Science (SLU), the University of Pau and Pays de l\u2019Adour (UPPA),\nthe Association for innovative Medical-, Bio-, and Environmental Technologies\n(GMBU) and the company, AFESA Medio Ambiente S.L., also participate in this\ninitiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project, which was launched in\nlate 2019, focuses on developing a biotechnological solution that will use\ndetoxifying bacteria to reduce the presence of mercury in marine sediments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMER-CLUB comprises the design of a\ntechnology for the bio-remediation of marine sediments contaminated with\nmercury by using detoxifying marine bacteria. Bio-remediation is the\nbiotechnological process that involves the use of microorganisms to restore a\npollutant-altered environment. In other words, we use nature\u2019s microbial resources\nand technological knowledge to return nature to its previous state\u201d, ensures\nDr. Laura Alonso, researcher of AZTI and coordinator of the MER-CLUB project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A proof-of-concept of the new\nbio-remediation system will be carried out at a pilot plant, within the\nframework of the initiative. Before arriving at this test, several fundamental\nresearch lines will be developed, using innovative methods such as advanced\nmicroorganism culture techniques on marine sediments, <em>Omics<\/em> techniques\nto learn about the diversity of mercury detoxifiers, and isotopic analyses of\nmercury, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project aims to provide a biotechnological\nalternative to reduce mercury levels in dredged sediments so that they can be\nsafely returned to nature and thus improve the environmental quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>A global response<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mercury pollution is a critical\nglobal problem and has a great socioeconomic and environmental impact. From the\nstart of the industrial era, mercury levels in the environment have increased\nconsiderably, until they have reached concentrations that affect organisms in\necosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Industrial pollution, harmful for\nthe marine environment at a local, regional and global level, generates serious\nconsequences for the natural environment, and above all, for human health. At a\nlocal level, some industries that have used mercury in their technological\nprocesses, have generated high pollution levels in their vicinity. But, in\naddition to this local pollution, there are forms of volatile mercury which,\nonce they reach the atmosphere, can travel large distances and settle a long\nway from their origins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Minamata Convention is an international\ntreaty designed to reduce mercury in the environment, forcing the countries\ninvolved to reduce mercury emissions, monitoring pollution and the treatment of\nthe affected places. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The MER-CLUB project is fully in\nline with the Minamata goals, designing new technologies to reduce pollution\ncaused by this metal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMercury is a pollutant that can end\nup in marine sediments and can be transferred and bio-accumulated through\ndifferent organisms in trophic networks, until it reaches us. The effects of\nmercury on human health are very important. Thus, reducing mercury levels in\nsediments through bioremediation is the basis to restore polluted environments.\nThe mercury decontamination of marine ecosystems will, undoubtedly, have a\ndirect and positive impact on human health&#8221;, ensures Dr. Andrea G. Bravo,\nyoung researcher of MER-CLUB, with an extensive research track record in\nmercury pollution in aquatic system sediments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Financed through the European\nMaritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), MER-CLUB will continue until 2021 with a\nbudget of one\nmillion euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More information available at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mer-club.eu\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"undefined (abre en una nueva pesta\u00f1a)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.mer-club.eu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The aim of the MER-CLUB project is to develop a technology based on the use of marine bacteria that have the capacity to degrade a toxic mercury compound that bio-accumulates [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":15900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":[],"_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"tax-big-challenge":[36],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.4.1 - 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