Deaf communication without a shared language investigated the ease with which deaf people are known to communicate across sign language boundaries. It studied both first-time dialogues of Dutch deaf signers with people from Belgium and China, as well as the performance and comprehension of sign language interpreters working for mixed international audiences. In addition, the degree of lexical overlap between sign languages was studied. Findings show that although there is some overlap between the lexicon of sign languages, this is not enough to explain the ease with which cross-linguistic communication takes place.

Drinking water production is challenged by organic micropollutants (OMPs), including pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals, like PFAS. Existing OMP removal technologies are energy, chemical, and cost intensive. Water SMART co-creates a new toolbox of green approaches to sustainably remove OMPs. This toolbox includes nature-based technologies, optimized treatments to reduce energy and chemical use and costs, and efficient steering by novel screening of OMP transformation products. Water SMART’s research outputs are integrated into decision support models developed in close collaboration with the drinking water sector, leading to direct uptake of knowledge, technologies and tools to sustainably and robustly treat OMPs.

Wastewater from human and livestock sources can harm health, ecosystems, and the economy. Current wastewater management (WWM) uses energy and chemicals inefficiently, is insufficiently flexible to adjust to uncertain climate change impacts, and can be too expensive for less affluent places. Furthermore, existing models used to assess WWM options tend to focus on specific areas and regulations, making it hard to unlock WWM’s full environmental and social benefits. The FOREWARD project will co-create with various stakeholders new models and technologies that are better for the water environment and climate, are more cost-effective, and work well in different places.