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The Molecular Recognition and Encapsulation Research Group (REM) of UCAM, together with Hidrogea, Hidrotec, Regenera Levante, National Technological Center for Food and Canning, the University of Bari "Aldo Moro" and the research center Consiglio Nazionale delle RicercheIstituto Per i Processi Chimico Fisici, will work on the development of a method to eliminate product residues such as pesticides, drugs or detergents, which escape conventional wastewater treatment.
This morning, the Ministry of Employment, Universities and Enterprise has welcomed the presentation to the media of the European project LIFE CLEAN UP that will be led by the Catholic University San Antonio de Murcia.
The research vice-rector of the UCAM, Estrella Núñez together with the Minister of Employment, Universities and Enterprise, Juan Hernández, explained the importance of this research in which 1,492,512 euros will be allocated to optimize wastewater cleaning.
Both have highlighted the value of such projects that highlight the importance of the connection between universities and companies, as well as the search for international collaboration to carry out large projects that benefit society.
The list of pollutants that can be found in the environment (waters or soils) is increasing.
Many of them are derived from everyday products, such as antibiotics, hormones or personal care and hygiene treatments, whose presence may cause adverse effects on human health, even at low concentrations.
To date, different treatments have been used to eliminate these pollutants, but there are several limitations, such as high cost, poor performance, or the transformation of some compounds into other potentially more dangerous ones.
The European Union, through the call LIFE cofinanciará, with 1.5 million euros, the development of a research project, led by the Catholic University of Murcia, which will develop an efficient and sustainable technology that allows obtain purified water from this type of contaminants.
The research group that will develop the project, will be directed by Dr. José Antonio Gabaldón Hernández, Estrella Núñez Delicado, Vicente Manuel Gómez López and María Isabel Fortea Gorbe, from the UCAM.
For 36 months, the Catholic University of Murcia, Hidrogea, Hidrotec Water Treatment, Regenera Levante, the National Technological Center for Canning and Food, as well as researchers from the University of Bari "Aldo Moro" (Italy) and the research center Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Instituto Chimico Fisici (Italy), will work on the development of a new method to treat water obtained from sewage treatment plants to eliminate these emerging pollutants, which are resistant to conventional treatments.
The new system to be developed in this project, managed by the Office of International Projects of the UCAM (OPRI will include the filtration of the water through a polymer of cyclodextrins, where they will be retained the remains of the toxic substances, which will later be treated with an advanced oxidation process, all done without generating residues and applying the principle of "eco energy efficiency", since the energy needed to run the process will be obtained from renewable energy sources.
José Antonio Gabaldón, principal investigator of the project, believes that "this project is of great interest to the scientific and technical community, since it allows the development of a very innovative technology, which will allow the removal of emerging pollutants from purified water, with a clear benefit on health and the environment ".
In addition, the researcher believes that at the enterprise level this project provides new and innovative water treatment technologies with a multitude of business possibilities so that companies can increase their market strategy at national and international level.
Estrella Núñez, Vice Chancellor of the UCAM, believes that leading a project of this magnitude is a great opportunity for the university, which will contribute to develop strong ties of collaboration between the participating institutions, thus strengthening the university-business relationship.
On the other hand, the achievement of European funds for the development of this project not only contributes to regional development but also allows participating in addressing the major challenges of today's society, such as caring for health and the environment, reinforcing responsibility of the university.
Javier Ybarra, CEO of Hidrogea, says that within the process of continuous improvement of the management of the integral water cycle, "the company aims to anticipate possible future situations to avoid risks and meet the highest quality standards. In this way, Hidrogea's participation as a partner in the LIFE Clean Up Project is vital, contributing the Know How of our employees in the development of a new technology that reduces the concentration of emerging pollutants in purified water, will be beneficial for the Region of Murcia, taking into account that there is a high percentage of reuse of purified water for agriculture and this is one of the most important growth sectors of the territory.
For the correct development of the project, the company Hidrotec and Regenera assume the industrial role, taking care of the design and construction of the machinery that will integrate the necessary equipment to properly remove the toxic compounds from the water.
Hidrogea for its part, will make available to the partners the sewage treatment plant so that the pilot plant can be implemented with the new technology developed in the project, as well as the expert staff.
Likewise, the research part will be jointly run by the Catholic University San Antonio de Murcia, the University of Bari and the National Technological Center of the Conserva, who already collaborate in other projects of similar actions.
Source: UCAM
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