The pollution of our water sources – including rivers, estuaries and coastal ecosystems – by anthropogenic activities is one of the biggest concerns facing the world today. This pollution includes contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and chemicals like antibiotics, as well as microorganisms, such as antibiotic resistant bacteria and their antibiotic resistance genes.

Over 80% of the world's wastewater is discharged into the environment without proper treatment, posing significant risks to human health and the environment. Water contamination not only comes from wastewater treatment plants but also from sources like agriculture, animal husbandry farms, industries, and maritime activities. Finding ways to monitor water sources, addressing risk assessment and management of polluted water, and developing strategies to efficiently reduce polluted water are crucial. Aquatic Pollutants Projects are working towards solutions.

The three European Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) on Water, Oceans, and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) set up the ERA-Net Cofund AquaticPollutants, operating under Horizon 2020, which facilitates collaboration among countries to tackle pressing challenges related to aquatic pollutants in European water sources. By funding joint projects, it encourages European cooperation and innovation in vital research areas, contributing to the protection of global water resources. The AquaticPollutants ERA-NET Cofund consists of 18 research projects and a transfer project.