Funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, RHE-MEDiation was a three-year project (2023-2026) that aims to destress the Mediterranean Sea from chemical pollution, by testing and validating an innovative remediation technology: microalgae-based photobioreactors. These photobioreactors were integrated within existing water/wastewater treatment systems to enhance the removal of nutrients, heavy metals and forever chemicals. The system also includes mobile and fixed sensing systems to identify and measure chemical substances in fresh, sewage and marine waters. The data from these sensors are uploaded to the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) data portal to contribute to the Digital Twin of the Ocean.
The microalgae-based wastewater treatment system tested in the framework of the RHE-MEDiation project offers a scalable, modular alternative capable of removing nutrients and emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, while producing biomass that can be reused as biofertilizer or bioenergy, supporting both pollution reduction and circular economy goals.
The RHE-MEDiation Policy Brief was launched on 23 April 2026 during the Marine Shield Cluster Webinar titled “From Monitoring to Remediation”. The webinar showcased how Marine Shield Cluster projects address the full cycle of marine pollution challenges, from environmental monitoring and data collection, to mitigation strategies and remediation approaches. The European Marine Board, as partner of the RHE-MEDiation project and lead author of the publication, presented the Policy Brief highlighting the main outcomes from this project and providing recommendations to help modernise wastewater treatment.
The document is available for download in English, Italian, Greek and Turkish.
You can find out more about the RHE-MEDiation project here and EMB’s involvement here, and read the news article about the publication launch here.