An industrial sources-based methodology for the prioritization of site-specific emerging contaminants in water resources.

Global population growth, industrialization, urbanization, and climate change have been shown to be major drivers leading to degradation of water resources, especially those designed for human and animal consumption. In this context, Water Safety Plans (WSPs) have been introduced to identify and assess potential site-specific risks as well as to develop mitigation strategies aimed at preventing and minimizing impacts. One of the crucial steps in the application of the WSP approach is to assess the risk posed by potential sources of contamination and to identify which chemicals may be of concern for a specific drinking water supply area.

A Decision Support System for preclinical assessment of nanomaterials in medical products: the REFINE DSS.

The application of nanomaterials in medicine has led to novel pharmaceuticals and medical devices that have demonstrated a strong potential for increasing the efficacy/performance and safety of therapeutic and diagnostic procedures to address a wide range of diseases. However, the successful translation of these technologies from their inception (proof-of-concept) to clinical practice has been challenged by substantial gaps in the scientific and technical capacity of R&D companies, especially SMEs, to keep up with the ever-evolving regulatory expectations in the emerging area of nanomedicine. To address these challenges, the EU Horizon 2020 project REFINE has developed a Decision Support System (DSS) to support developers of nanotechnology-enabled health products in bringing their products to the clinic.