Invitation 20.10.2025: Visible Solutions for Invisible Threats
Researchers, policymakers, and public health authorities are increasingly focusing their examination on Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs). While not (yet) fully regulated, CECs might be candidates for future regulation, depending on their potential ecological and health impacts.
What contaminants are we dealing with specifically? What do we already know about their harmful effects? And what are the expectations in terms of regulation over time? But at the same time, what can we do about them now? What technologies are already available or currently being developed? And how can you make sure to be prepared for future regulation?
This event on October 20, 2025 at the Science Park University of Antwerp, Niel brings together academic experts, industry frontrunners, policymakers and innovators to address these invisible threats. Discover existing technologies, engage with ongoing research, and help shape future policy and innovation.
WHO BENEFITS FROM ATTENDING THIS AFTERNOON:
Anyone being confronted with contamination, including industrial players, study and engineering offices, remediation consultants and contractors, local authorities etc.
Companies and academics working on soil and water pollution challenge, to represent the current and future monitoring and remediation technologies.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
• Timing: October 20th, 2025 - 13h30 – 19h30
• Venue: Isala Building, Science Park University of Antwerp, Niel, Belgium
• Price: € 90 (VAT excl.) - This fee includes access to all speeches, keynotes, the panel debate, breakout session, site visit, networking opportunities, poster presentations and a catered network reception with food & drinks.
LATEST PROGRAMME UPDATE:
Host of the event - Nathalie De Schepper, founder Seymore
13:30 Registration
14:00 Welcome – Miranda Coppens, Managing Director of POM Antwerp
14:10 Keynote – Prof. Dr. Ronny Blust of the University of Antwerp
14:40 Panel Debate: Impact of CECs on Society, Health and Economy
Moderated by Christian Montag, Managing Director of iFLUX
Bringing together the perspectives from the industry, research, technology development and policy.
- • Maarten De Jonge, Head of the Lab Department at the Flemish Environment Agency of VMM
- • Prof. Dr. Ronny Blust of the University of Antwerp
- • Koen Rummens, R&D Engineer of Aquafin
- • Michel Caluwé, Research & Development Director of Waterleau
- • Hugo Waeterschoot, Advisor to Eurometaux and Board member of Natuurpunt
15:40 Break
16:10 Thematic Breakout Sessions
• “Help! I failed my environmental permit. What does it entail and what next?” – Hosted by ARCHE Consulting
In this breakout session several advanced tools will be presented that allow companies to evaluate the potential risks of their discharges to the local environment in a more realistic way. This approach entails the use of bioassays, bioavailability models and innovative techniques such as eDNA etc.
• “Removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) with Ozone and Activated Carbon" – Hosted by the ‘Schone Waterlopen door O3G’ consortium
How can we effectively remove pharmaceutical residues and other persistent micropollutants from treated domestic wastewater? In this workshop, you'll explore how the combination of ozonation and activated carbon offers an innovative and practical solution. Within the project, this technology has been tested at laboratory, pilot, and full scale, providing valuable insights into its effectiveness, scalability and implementation. We’ll delve into the technical principles behind the process but also address the challenges and responsibilities within an increasingly strict regulatory framework (such as ERSA). In addition, we will discuss how smart monitoring techniques, like surrogate measurements (e.g., UV254), can support real-time monitoring and process control and have attention for the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). This paves the way for more efficient and environmentally friendly water treatment ready for the future.
- • "Aim before you shoot – selecting the right solution for CECs in industrial wastewater. " – Hosted by Inopsys:
Emerging contaminants in industrial wastewater pose diverse challenges. While broad-range solutions exist, they may not always be the best fit for a specific situation. In this session, we explore how to match the right technology to the problem by screening relevant options against the full water matrix and identifying the most effective treatment location in the process. By linking water characterization to tailored treatment strategies, we show how informed decision-making can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure effective micropollutant removal.
17:00 Closing Remarks – Prof. Dr. Steven Van Passel, vice-rector Valorisation and Sustainability of the University of Antwerp
17:15 Site visits & demo’s
- • Experience Water Innovation Firsthand: Blueprint for Resilient Business Parks by VITO:
Step into VITO’s water experience container and explore how smart water solutions can future-proof business parks. Through interactive setups, you’ll hear, see, and feel the tangible impact of innovation when facing emerging challenges. Join us to exchange ideas with VITO’s water experts and discover how your actions can shape a next generation of water-smart industrial sites.
- • PFAS water treatment demo by Sodecon:
At the demonstration, we will showcase an innovative mobile water treatment unit designed specifically for PFAS removal. This compact system can purify up to 10 m³ of water per hour and is engineered for rapid deployment on-site. By combining different high-performance adsorbents, the unit ensures efficient and reliable PFAS elimination.
- • From lab to underground with iFLUX:
Visit our sensor labs and discover behind-the-scenes how the iFLUX solutions deliver reliable data for effective groundwater management to contaminated site owners, remediation consultants, water utilities, and municipalities. See how our sensors come to life and become part of monitoring networks that provide accurate insights into (emerging) contaminant spread risks and groundwater dynamics.
18:05 Academic Poster Presentations & Networking Reception
Poster Presentations:
- • "Catching Highs and Lows: An Active-Passive Sampling Approach to Psychoactive Drug Trends in Wastewater" by Allen Anies
- • "Impact of industrial wastewater on metal concentration and conductivity of the Kleine Nete river gradient." by Iris Balthazar
- • "Ozone Enhanced – Biological Activated Carbon Wastewater Treatment: Impact of treating municipal effluent wastewater with ozone on the development of activated carbon biofilm and organic carbon and micropollutant removal" by Daniel Modrall Sperling
- • "Effects of trace metal emissions from offshore wind farms on Blue Mussels Mytilus edulis." by Moses Ndugwa
- • "Environmental Transformation of Plastic Pellets" by Hanne Diels
- •“PFAS Bioaccumulation in the Scheldt River: Monitoring Practices.” by Cara Byns
ORGANISED BY:
The Science Park University of Antwerp, POM Antwerp and University of Antwerp
WITH THE SUPPORT OF:
iFLUX, Sodecon, Inopsys, ARCHE Consulting, INTERREG Schone Waterlopen door O3G consortium and Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Interested in becoming a sponsor as well? Contact us via e-mail.
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