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A cost-effective and energy-efficient water treatment technology to remove pharmaceutical pollutants from urban wastewater

Objective

Widespread contamination from pharmaceuticals (synthetic or natural chemicals found in prescription medicines, over-the-counter therapeutic drugs & veterinary drugs) are finding their way into the drinking water supply, posing serious threats to public health. Pharmaceutical compounds such as hormones and endocrine disrupters are already responsible of major health problems, but modern wastewater treatment systems are not designed for effective removal of pharmaceuticals.
Pharem Biotech brings to market the first enzyme-carrying filtration system able to remove a large range of organic pollutants (pharmaceuticals and other biological active compounds such as Bisphenol A, PFOS, antibiotics, hormone disruptors, etc.) in wastewater treatment plants, without additional energy requirement. By combining the enzymes with biotechnological techniques and a process for applying the enzymes onto a physical filter, the solution provides a wastewater treatment process step that can be added onto the existing water treatment processes at sewage treatment plants and work without external energy. The solution is based on modified enzymes which are 200 times more effective than native enzymes, resistant to low temperature, resistant to low pH and with high levels of stability and activity.
The solution was successfully demonstrated in an industrial environment (Hammarby Sjöstadsverk in Stockholm, Sweden, a test and demonstration facility for innovative waste water purification run by the Swedish Environmental Institute) where it effectively removed the pharmaceutical and other organic pollutants from urban wastewater at a price that is 10X lower than alternative solutions. Pharem aims to equip 50 WWTPs by 2020, for a turnover of €30M+.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-SMEInst-2016-2017

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Coordinator

PHAREM BIOTECH AB
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 50 000,00
Address
LEVERTINSGATAN 30-1202
754 30 UPPSALA
Sweden

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Östra Sverige Östra Mellansverige Uppsala län
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 71 429,00
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