Water Quality Research
The aim of the Teagasc Water Quality Research Programme is to understand the hydrological and biogeochemical processes that govern the transport of pollutants to water. This understanding underpins the development of new technologies to reduce losses.
Teagasc work with a wide range of organisations both within and outside Ireland on researching water quality issues.
Water Quality Research Projects
WaterMARKE
Mitigating Agricultural impacts through Research and Knowledge Exchange
The project connects the areas of biophysical science, socio-economics, behavioural psychology and implementation science in a unique and novel framework. Find out more about the WaterMARKE project
D-TECT
Geospatial drainage status detection mapping of organic rich soils for NIR and policy support needs
D-TECT will study drained grassland peat soils, a major greenhouse gas source, currently estimated at 8-9 million tonnes CO₂ per year. By testing assumptions about soil extent, nutrients, and drainage, D-TECT could refine these estimates, potentially reducing them significantly and informing better soil management policies. Find out more about the D-TECT project
Road-Ready
Design and Implementation of Mitigation Measure Toolbox to Disconnect Farm Roadway Runoff Nutrient Losses from Waters
The Road-Ready project aims to identify critical farm roadway sections that contribute disproportionately to nutrient runoff, particularly phosphorus, and to develop targeted mitigation strategies to reduce nutrient transport to receiving waters, supporting EU Water Framework Directive goals. Find out more about the Road-Ready project
Completed Water Quality Research Projects
- Roadrunner - Roadway Runoff and Nutrient-loss Reduction
- Specific Management and Robust Targeting of Riparian Buffer Zones
- Cattle exclusion from watercourses: Environmental and socio-economic implications
- The Harmony Project - a catchment based project that integrates research on soils and hydrology with socio-economic factors
- WaterProtect: towards sustainable herbicide use (PDF)
Water Quality Research Highlights
- Investigating Microbial Risks in Water Used in Food Production and Preparation
- Assessing the risk of phosphorus transfer in high ecological status rivers (PDF)
- Emerging Organic Contaminants Arising in Rural Environments Investigations in Karst and Fractured Bedrock Aquifers (PDF)
- Marie Curie ITN - INSPIRATION (PDF)
- Nutrient mobilisation and transfer pathways(PDF)
- Sustainable land use management for the conservation of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel - sediment flux and provenance (PDF)
- The impact of acute and chroic hydrochemical disturbances on stream ecology (PDF)
T-Research Water Quality Articles
- Practice change and water quality response (PDF) Autumn 2018
- WaterProtect: owards sustainable pesticide use (PDF) Summer 2018