Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SusWater (Sustainable integrated approach to achieve CECs and PTEs removal from contaminated waters. The aquaculture as case study)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-04-01 do 2024-03-31
A critical challenge for the 21st is the resolution of water crisis coupled with the increased food demand. Access to water is recognized as a fundamental human right by the United Nations General Assembly, whereas the achievement of clean water and sanitation is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Contamination of water resources has not only resulted in the shortage of water supplies but also affects food production.
Within this scenario, SusWater aims to develop new environmentally sustainable tools for eliminating pollutants and treating contaminated water to make it available for aquaculture or reuse, coupled with a monitoring process to guarantee low cost and microbiologically safe water.
Aquaculture is the ideal case study for contaminated water management as it is currently the fastest-growing food-producing industry worldwide. Furthermore, reuse of treated wastewater can be considered a reliable water supply, independent from seasonal drought and weather variability. This can be beneficial to farming activities that can rely on reliable continuity of water supply during the irrigation period, reducing the risk of crop failure and income losses.
SusWater project aims to develop novel strategy to improve the efficiency of the treatment plants that will permit the reuse of wastewater by implementing a set of novel sustainable methods through the integration of adsorption, biotic and abiotic processes for the elimination of contaminants of emerging concern and the capture of potentially toxic elements.
Within this scenario, SusWater aims to develop new environmentally sustainable tools for eliminating pollutants and treating contaminated water to make it available for aquaculture or reuse, coupled with a monitoring process to guarantee low cost and microbiologically safe water.
Aquaculture is the ideal case study for contaminated water management as it is currently the fastest-growing food-producing industry worldwide. Furthermore, reuse of treated wastewater can be considered a reliable water supply, independent from seasonal drought and weather variability. This can be beneficial to farming activities that can rely on reliable continuity of water supply during the irrigation period, reducing the risk of crop failure and income losses.
SusWater project aims to develop novel strategy to improve the efficiency of the treatment plants that will permit the reuse of wastewater by implementing a set of novel sustainable methods through the integration of adsorption, biotic and abiotic processes for the elimination of contaminants of emerging concern and the capture of potentially toxic elements.
As a first step, we developed and/or adapted green and low-cost materials to be exploited in pollutants removal.
Adsorbent materials were successfully produced from exhausted biomass and low-cost supplies. Lignocellulosic polymers, coming from different residues as agricultural or pulp, have been modified through oxidation and chemical functionalization to produce derivatives with carboxyl, hydroxyl, organic nitrogen, and sulphur groups, functionalized with acrylated and methacrylated groups and exploited for Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) removal.
Soybean hulls have been used for extracting peroxidase enzyme to be coupled with adsorbent or photoactive materials; furthermore, the residual cellulosic structure has been successfully used to produce functionalized materials capable of adsorbing pollutants.
Several photocatalysts with enhanced absorption on the visible region and enhanced capability to produce hydrogen peroxide have been developed. They allow, on one side, the exploitation of sunlight to achieve abiotic transformation of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) and PTEs and, on the other side, the employment of the so-produced hydrogen peroxide for the activation of peroxidase enzyme. Up to now, these materials have been successfully dispersed in hydrogels to create a self-standing and self-maintaining enzymatic system, capable to act in synergy with the oxidative action of radical species induced by the presence of the photocatalyst. We are now exploring other forms of supporting materials.
Lastly, enhanced nanofiltration membranes, i.e. sol-gel derived ceramics and graphene oxide (GO), for the retention of target pollutants have been developed and integrated with advanced oxidation steps.
As a second step, we applied the developed methodologies to some case studies. The performance of the materials developed was evaluated on selected key pollutants (PTEs, CECs), by analysing waters before and after treatment with the materials, and on the removal of taste and odour components; the obtained results are promising.
In parallel, the monitoring of water quality in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP), and in several aquaculture sites located in Italy, Denmark and Thailand have been performed by using a target and untarget approach. It has been accomplished by using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), gas and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-MS) and by employing new methods based on green analytical approaches, such as the development of portable instrumentation for on-site analysis. Electrochemical methods using portable device have been developed for the on-site detection of PTEs and CECs and the performance of voltammetry and its applicability for determination of inorganic and organic contaminants in water has been assessed. A portable procedure for the determination of mercury and methylmercury has been developed, and a procedure for the determination of organic UV filters has been performed for their determination in water samples.
Adsorbent materials were successfully produced from exhausted biomass and low-cost supplies. Lignocellulosic polymers, coming from different residues as agricultural or pulp, have been modified through oxidation and chemical functionalization to produce derivatives with carboxyl, hydroxyl, organic nitrogen, and sulphur groups, functionalized with acrylated and methacrylated groups and exploited for Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) removal.
Soybean hulls have been used for extracting peroxidase enzyme to be coupled with adsorbent or photoactive materials; furthermore, the residual cellulosic structure has been successfully used to produce functionalized materials capable of adsorbing pollutants.
Several photocatalysts with enhanced absorption on the visible region and enhanced capability to produce hydrogen peroxide have been developed. They allow, on one side, the exploitation of sunlight to achieve abiotic transformation of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) and PTEs and, on the other side, the employment of the so-produced hydrogen peroxide for the activation of peroxidase enzyme. Up to now, these materials have been successfully dispersed in hydrogels to create a self-standing and self-maintaining enzymatic system, capable to act in synergy with the oxidative action of radical species induced by the presence of the photocatalyst. We are now exploring other forms of supporting materials.
Lastly, enhanced nanofiltration membranes, i.e. sol-gel derived ceramics and graphene oxide (GO), for the retention of target pollutants have been developed and integrated with advanced oxidation steps.
As a second step, we applied the developed methodologies to some case studies. The performance of the materials developed was evaluated on selected key pollutants (PTEs, CECs), by analysing waters before and after treatment with the materials, and on the removal of taste and odour components; the obtained results are promising.
In parallel, the monitoring of water quality in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP), and in several aquaculture sites located in Italy, Denmark and Thailand have been performed by using a target and untarget approach. It has been accomplished by using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), gas and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-MS) and by employing new methods based on green analytical approaches, such as the development of portable instrumentation for on-site analysis. Electrochemical methods using portable device have been developed for the on-site detection of PTEs and CECs and the performance of voltammetry and its applicability for determination of inorganic and organic contaminants in water has been assessed. A portable procedure for the determination of mercury and methylmercury has been developed, and a procedure for the determination of organic UV filters has been performed for their determination in water samples.
Monitoring the water quality before and after the treatment by means of an effect-based approach is in progress and we will also compare the results obtained in laboratory, using hyphenated techniques with onsite monitoring. Rapid, and reliable methods for the determination of PTEs and CECs are required to monitor their fate in the environment and to increase the number of controls. For this reason, some teams deal the development of portable procedures for the determination of considered contaminants. Traditional techniques are often expensive, require specialized personnel, the use of organic solvent and do not allow on-site analysis. Voltammetry could be a good alternative, due to its sensitivity, simplicity and portability and it can be applied for different organic and inorganic electroactive compounds. Despite many CECs are electroactive, only few articles have been published about their determination by electrochemical techniques.
An advancement of knowledge on the distribution and fate of CECs in the ecosystems could help to improve the effectiveness of current water treatment systems and may lead to better-performing plants.
Fungal strains that populate wastewater have been currently isolated and identified, and their effectiveness as biocatalysts for pollutants degradation or adsorption will be assessed.
Considering that high water recycling rate is one of the major challenges for the application of nanofiltration to aquaculture, we will face the challenge of using nanofiltration membranes with enhanced water permeability in real scenarios.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies will be combined with the data obtained so far with chemometric tools, so that we will be able to unravel the pollutants fate, to optimize process parameters and to investigate industrial feasibility of the new technologies.
The societal awareness on CECs and the protection of the environment was accomplished from a wider point of view, through dissemination activities as the participation to 3 editions of the European Researcher Night, preparation of videos and several laboratory practices on environment protection addressed to students aimed to inspire young people to pursue a career in Science.
An advancement of knowledge on the distribution and fate of CECs in the ecosystems could help to improve the effectiveness of current water treatment systems and may lead to better-performing plants.
Fungal strains that populate wastewater have been currently isolated and identified, and their effectiveness as biocatalysts for pollutants degradation or adsorption will be assessed.
Considering that high water recycling rate is one of the major challenges for the application of nanofiltration to aquaculture, we will face the challenge of using nanofiltration membranes with enhanced water permeability in real scenarios.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies will be combined with the data obtained so far with chemometric tools, so that we will be able to unravel the pollutants fate, to optimize process parameters and to investigate industrial feasibility of the new technologies.
The societal awareness on CECs and the protection of the environment was accomplished from a wider point of view, through dissemination activities as the participation to 3 editions of the European Researcher Night, preparation of videos and several laboratory practices on environment protection addressed to students aimed to inspire young people to pursue a career in Science.