HORIZON - NIAGARA
Project full name: Understanding, monitoring, and remediating the spread of chemical, microbiological and plastic pollution in drinking water treatment plants
Project Acronym: NIAGARA
Programme/Call: HORIZON-CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01
Goals:
NIAGARA compiles all the necessary approaches to provide a comprehensive response to the phenomenon of spread of pollution (chemical, microbiological and plastic) from drinking water sources to human exposure, through the Driking Water Treatment Plants. These approaches and their solutions are:
(1) Real-time monitoring. NIAGARA will develop multi-analyte biosensors able to quantify simultaneously 4 highly concerning pollutants of very different chemical nature: BPA, imazalil, H. pylori and paracetamol/ibuprofen. Using pre-concentration units, detection limits will reach pg/mL for chemicals and 10-100 viable cells for H. pylori, which are below harmful levels for human exposure.
(2) Remediation. A removal and disinfection system based on a tandem formed by two IEDS biofilters (immobilized-enzymes degradation systems) and a UV/TiO2 photoreactor. With this solution, we will achieve total removal of the 4 analytes (concentrations below detection limits of water laboratory techniques) and a Total Organic Carbon removal of >70%, exceeding current State of Art. The DBPs formed will be identified, and their appearance mechanisms and toxicity will be predicted.
(3) A fast and cost-effective method for real-time monitoring of the propagation of these 4 contaminants using a hydraulic model that exceeds the performance of current methods (seconds vs weeks, > 60% accuracy). These solutions will be validated up to a pilot scale (TRL=5) in a case study in the city of Valencia, in a DWTP, and using the drinking water supply system of district #9 (Jesús), with the participation of the Municipal Drinking Water Company, and accomplishing safety and sustainability-by-design. Finally, the Communication and Exploitation plan has been specially designed to have an clear projection ouside EU to enhance its competitiveness in the water sector and to foster its position and role in the global water scene, with the participation of previously established EU and non-EU networks.
Partners:
- INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DEL EMBALAJE, TRANSPORTE Y LOGISTICA (ES) Coordinator;
- FUNDACIO INSTITUT CATALA DE NANOCIENCIA I NANOTECNOLOGIA (ES) Partner;
- CY.R.I.C CYPRUS RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTER LTD (CY) Partner;
- AEGIR SAS (FR) Partner;
- KNEIA SL (ES) Partner;
- UNITE TECHNIQUE DU SEMIDE GEIE (FR) Partner;
- ZEMEDELSKY VYZKUM, SPOL SRO CZ) Partner;
- EMPRESA MIXTA VALENCIANA DE AGUAS SA (ES) Partner;
- AGUAS DE VALENCIA SA (ES) Affiliated;
- GENERAL DE ANÁLISIS MATERIALES Y SERVICIOS S.L. (ES) Affiliated;
- FACULTY OF POLYMER TECHNOLOGY (SI) Partner
Project Coordinator: INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DEL EMBALAJE, TRANSPORTE Y LOGISTICA (ITENE)
Project leader at FTPO: doc. dr. Klementina Pušnik Črešnar
Trajanje projekta: od 1. 11. 2023 - 31. 10. 2027