The background to MORPHEUS is the constant release of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants via wastewater treatment plants to the South Baltic Sea.

Objectives

The project will combine information on upstream pharmaceuticals consumption patterns with estimates of the downstream discharge of pharmaceuticals from a few selected wastewater treatment plants located in the coastal regions Skåne (Sweden), Mecklenburg (Germany), Klaipeda (Lithuania) and Pomerania (Poland). Additionally an inventory of the status of existing treatment technologies will be made available. This information will be gathered in collaboration with personnel at wastewater treatment plants and regional as well as national authorities, which are the key target groups of the project.

MORPHEUS will integrate information on pharmaceutical consumption, existing technologies, release rates and environmental occurrence in coastal regions in the South Baltic. This information will aid wastewater treatment plants and authorities in a future implementation of the most suitable advanced treatment technology.

Outputs

The main outputs of MORPHEUS are recommendations for actions on how to reduce chemical burden and Roadmaps for investment in advanced treatment technologies at selected regional wastewater treatment plants as well as training courses on basic pharmaceutical analysis and advanced treatment technologies for target groups. The expected change is increased knowledge among target groups on pharmaceuticals released to the South Baltic Sea and improved likelihood of them making wise investments in updating wastewater treatment plants in coastal regions the coming decade, thereby improving the water quality of the South Baltic Sea.

Key facts

Duration: January 2017 – December 2019
Total budget: EUR 1.6 million, European Regional Development Fund: EUR 1.3 million