Lead Partner: Kristianstad University (SE), Project Partners: EUCC – The Coastal Union Germany (DE), University of Rostock (DE), Gdansk Water Foundation (PL), Gdansk University of Technology (PL), Environmental Protection Agency (LT), Klaipeda University (LT).

Contact:  Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Jens Tränckner, M.Sc. Alena Kaiser

Funding: European Regional Development Fund
Duration: 01.01.2017 bis 31.12.2019

Project website:   www.morpheus-project.eu

The background to this project is the constant release of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to the South Baltic Sea (SBS).

The project will combine information on upstream pharmaceuticals consumption patterns with estimates of the downstream discharge of pharmaceuticals from a few selected WWTPs 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 aid WWTPs and authorities in a future implementation of the most suitable advanced treatment technology.

The main outputs are

• recommendations for actions on how to reduce chemical burden,
• roadmaps for investment in advanced treatment technologies at selected regional WWTPs,
• training courses on basic pharmaceutical analysis and advanced treatment technologies,
• awareness raising among consumers.

The expected change is increased knowledge among WWTPs staff and regional/national authorities on pharmaceuticals released to the SBS and improved likelihood of them making wise investments in updating WWTPs in coastal regions the coming decade, thereby improving the water quality of the SBS.