MERcury CLean-Up system based on Bioremediation by marine bacteria

ended

Mercury (Hg) pollution is a critical problem worldwide, with large socio-economic, environmental and health impacts. Industrial pollution, particularly from chloralkali plants, is destructive to the marine environment at local, regional and global scales, raising serious concerns for ecosystems and human health. The international Minamata Convention seeks to reduce Hg in the environment, forcing engaged parties to reduce emissions and remediate contaminated sites. In support to this international initiative, MER-CLUB aims at delivering a Hg clean-up system based on microbial bioremediation. Marine microorganisms hold the genetic potential for Hg detoxification and represent an economical and highly efficient alternative for decontamination, not yet exploited to its full potential. Using recent advances in environmental genomics, cell sorting and Hg Stable Isotope tracing, we will identify strains and consortia with potential for Hg bioremediation in sediments from the Baltic, Mediterranean and the Atlantic. MER-CLUB will target the largely unexplored diversity of marine Hg detoxifiers, the isolation of novel detoxifying marine strains, and their application in a clean-up system based on immobilized bacteria able to operate in dredged marine sediments. Combined bioaugmentation and biostimulation strategies will be evaluated and scaled up, from experimental microcosms to a bioreactor pilot study. The clean-up system will serve as a proof of concept for further development and commercial implementation facilitated by strong stakeholder involvement. MER-CLUB will enhance the cooperation of six international high-level research groups and an SME to build a multidisciplinary partnership towards the objective of designing a novel, pre-marketable Hg clean-up system for restoring Hg-impacted marine environments. Up to 6 jobs will be created for specialization in Hg bioremediation, and stakeholders and the general public will be engaged by active strategies of dissemination.