Approximately 13% of groundwater monitoring stations in Europe exceed the limit of 50 mg NO3/L, while 7% of them have excessive levels of one or more pesticides (> 0.1 μg / L). This is particularly problematic in rural areas of Catalonia or the Valencian Country, where there are between 30-50% of wells contaminated by nitrates, and where in addition the underground water is used for human and livestock consumption.
The Life-Spot project (https://lifespotproject.eu/) aims to promote the sustainability and resilience of livestock farming and tourism in rural areas through nature-based solutions.
The project will demonstrate the use of the combination of different groundwater treatment technologies, combining the growth of microalgae with a biofiltration process with cork and wood, applied to sites affected by agricultural pollution, mainly by nitrates and micropollutants.