Pilot 2.1 | EO-based surveillance of mercury pollution

Pilot 2.1 | EO-based surveillance of mercury pollution

Mercury is a pollutant of global concern. Released to the atmosphere from several anthropogenic and natural sources, it deposits to oceans and terrestrial ecosystems affecting the food chain and ultimately human health. Its effects potentially impact on both human health and the environment, so it is necessary to take into consideration the pathways of exposure for people, and to implement a surveillance for the protection of human beings and of the environment.

Efforts at European level have been aimed to develop a Transnational Environmental Observation System in Support of European & International Policies through the Integration of real-time monitoring data from various platforms, modelling tools and an advanced global cyber-infrastructure for data sharing and interoperability. EC has also been supporting the activity of the Expert Group on Effectiveness Evaluation of the Minamata Convention, for which the Showcase Coordinator has been nominated as European Representative.

/ Objectives
  • To link and benefit from the activity of two ERA-PLANET projects, namely iGOSP (www.igosp.eu) and iCUPE (www.atm.helsinki.fi/icupe/index.php).
  • To develop new web services for reporting information, as for example atmospheric Hg concentrations in different World regions, mercury exchange fluxes between different environmental compartments (e.g., soil, oceans), as well as Hg bioaccumulation in biota.
  • To make use of advanced technologies in the field of EO as demonstrator on how massive datasets could be translated into knowledge and actions.
  • To provide advanced tools to assess the effectiveness evaluation of measures undertaken by nations to achieve the targets set by the COP (Conference of Parties) of the Minamata Convention on mercury.
/ Partners

CNR, HZG, UNICAL, PLANETEK

/ Key Users

Farmers, Agri-consultants, Policy Makers, Agricultural Cooperatives (Green farm), Industry, Interested citizens

/ Key Datasets

GOS4M databases (AWSB), multispectral high-resolution images (A), Sentinels satellite imagery (A)

/ ID Card
Expected outcome of the pilot

Two kinds of product are being delivered: data catalog and services.

Produced data are catalogued in a framework linked to GEOSS.  Data are related to mercury deposition scenarios (model run outputs) and to parameters defined for a statistical emulator.

A Knowledge Hub has been developed and constantly updated to provide knowledge on mercury fate at global scale. Services provided by the Knowledge Hub are catalogued and shared.

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