New Member Announcement – Benaki Phytopathological Institute
We are delighted to welcome The Benaki Phytopathological Institute as a new member of Water Reuse Europe.
The Benaki Phytopathological Institute (BPI, Athens, Greece) is a non-profit research Institute operating under the auspice of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food (MRDF). Founded in 1929, the BPI is the first Greek research institute to have a broad scientific basis in crop protection. Since then, the Institute has earned itself a reputation as a guardian of quality, safety and sustainable development in agriculture. Alongside many other roles and tasks, BPI researchers specialize in risk assessment and advice on the safe use of pesticides and biocides for both health and environmental protection. BPI also acts as the National Competent Authority for the evaluation and risk assessment of plant protection products (PPPs) and biocides at both national and European level. As such, it performs analytical work and mandated checks to ensure the safety of foodstuffs and other agricultural products. Due to the wealth of general and specialized knowledge retained, the modern infrastructure and range of professional connections, BPI is uniquely well-positioned to offer a range of services to partners from both state and private sectors; national, international and multi-national.
Within the institute, the Department of Pesticides Control & Phytopharmacy (DPC&P) is a reservoir of knowledge and expertise across all subjects and scientific issues related to the use of pesticides and Biocidal Products (BPs). Its main objective is the control, research and evaluation of these substances in terms of their efficacy, physicochemical properties and safety for humans, animals and the environment. The scientific activities of the DPC&P extend well beyond the walls of the Institute, thanks to the active participation of BPI experts in scientific groups of international bodies (e.g. EFSA, ECHA, CIPAC-FAO, WHO, EPPO) and partnerships with research and academic institutes in other countries.
The DPC&P is involved in several national and European research projects related mainly to human, environmental and food safety, maintaining the quality of the natural environment, and the sustainable and safe use of PPPs and biocides. In that context, the BPI, along with NCSR “Demokritos”, leads the LIFE PureAgroH2O project aiming to optimise the design of an innovative Water Treatment/Re-use Technology and achieve the demonstration, in a relevant environment (Agro-industry), of a novel Photocatalytic Nanofiltration Reactor (PNFR) having the capacity to effectively reject and degrade pesticides, biocides and other micro-pollutants in Agro-industrial effluents, thus allowing for the re-use of the recovered water. For more information on theLIFE PureAgroH2O Project, visit: https://www.lifepureagroh2o.com
