NORMAN Network
NORMAN is the Association-Network of reference laboratories, research centres and related organisations for monitoring of emerging environmental substances. It enhances the exchange of information on emerging environmental substances, and encourages the validation and harmonisation of common measurement methods and monitoring tools so that the requirements of risk assessors and risk managers can be better met. It specifically seeks both to promote and to benefit from the synergies between research teams from different countries in the field of emerging substances.
NORMAN organises a range of activities, including expert group meetings, workshops, databases and methods validation exercises, all of which are included in its Annual Joint Programme of Activities. NORMAN runs 5 Working Groups dealing with various issues related to emerging substances: WG 1: Prioritisation of emerging substances; WG 2: Bioassays & biomarkers in water quality monitoring; WG 3: Effect-directed analysis for hazardous pollutants identification; WG 4: Engineered nanomaterials; and WG 5: Wastewater reuse. PiE-UPV/EHU hosted the annual general assembly of the Norman network in October 2013. As a result of this contact, our team (coordinated by N. Etxebarria) started participating actively (WPs 1-3) and incorporated as full members during 2016.