SMS

Sensing toxicants in Marine waters makes Sense using biosensors

The increasing demand by citizens and environmental organizations for the protection, preservation and possible restoration of the marine environment has made seawater protection one of the urgent priorities of the EU. At the same time, the Blue Growth Strategy aims to support the growth of maritime activities in a way that is compatible with environmental sustainability. The SMS project will promote the development of novel sensing devices for marine environmental protection. SMS is expected to have a major impact on marine water end-users and relevant stakeholders.
Coordinator:
Giuseppe PALLESCHI
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA TOR VERGATA, IT
Email: palleschi[a]uniroma2.it
Project Topic EU contribution Duration From
N° 613844 FP7-OCEAN-2013-1
Biosensors for real time monitoring		 €4,144,263 45 months December 2013
Partners:
Italy (Coordinator), Spain, Sweden, Slovenia, Morocco, Greece, France, Belgium
SMS will deliver a novel automated networked system that will enable real-time in-situ monitoring of marine water chemical and ecological status in coastal areas by the detection of a series of contaminants. The pollutants specifically targeted by the project have been indicated as having priority for quality control of seawater. They cover a wide spectrum of regulated chemicals that have detrimental effects on the marine environment such as the algal toxins, the antifouling pesticides, flame retardants and pharmaceuticals that will be measured using innovative probes.
Commercially available sensors for measurement of temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients and turbidity, will also be employed. They will contribute to gaining a better picture of the chemical and environmental status of the water tested and to draw conclusions about the environment in which algal species, or target analyses tend to thrive.

SMS will design a multi-modular miniaturized apparatus that will host both a Sampling Module and an Analysis Module in a single unit, namely the Main Box.
This apparatus will be located in buoys already existing in marine areas of Europe for continuous monitoring of the selected pollutants.

With the wireless transmission capability for real-time data, as well as remote access to collected data and remote management of biosensors, it will be possible to realize an automated water quality monitoring and alarm system that will be fairly easy to deploy. A major target of SMS is also to develop smart devices that can be produced at a lower-cost and are suitable for future industrial exploitation and manufacturing.
The consortium consists of six research institutions and four SMEs covering all the expertise and all the disciplines to reach the specific objectives. The methodology, reported in ten Work Packages, goes from the construction and assembling of the analytical devices, to their validation using reference procedures. It also comprises the sampling and preconcentration procedures as well as assembling the sensors in a compact instrument that can be easily located in the marine environment for direct insitu measurements. Analytical techniques such as optical, electrochemical and separation science as well as remote control of the data will be optimised and then recommended to public institutions and stakeholders to be used for monitoring seawater quality.
SMS European Added Value:
The SMS project consortium brings together key skills from industry and academia. The partners, the technology development and test cases create a multi-sectorial team of experts interacting with end-users and marine water stakeholders, demonstrating that ICT, biotechnology and nanotechnology can increase the potential of biosensors for marine applications. SMS will positively affect socio-economic aspects related to maritime activities and will enable early detection and more effective monitoring of the marine environment. Also, the project will bring a valuable input for the implementation of appropriate management actions relevant in the framework of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). It will provide competitive advantage and leadership to Europe and industry within the fields of biotechnology, sensor development, diagnostic technologies and nanotechnology.

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