Periodic Reporting for period 2 - H2OforAll (Innovative Integrated Tools and Technologies to Protect and Treat Drinking Water from Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs))
Période du rapport: 2024-05-01 au 2025-10-31
Contamination and extreme weather events create favorable conditions for eutrophication and pathogen development in water sources. Lower quality water at the source implies harsher disinfection conditions to achieve the regulatory requirements of free chlorine and microbial parameters, leading to the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs).
H2OforAll aimed to understand the impact of DBPs through a robust knowledge of their sources, pathways, occurrence, persistence, and degradability, monitoring their incidence through innovative and robust systems, implementing advanced preventive and mitigating strategies and measures to avoid their formation, remediating water containing DBPs through advanced and cost-effective drinking water treatment processes and technologies and globally protecting the entire water chain while increasing EU guidance on measures to manage drinking water quality.
H2OforAll aimed to understand the impact of DBPs through a robust knowledge of their sources, pathways, occurrence, persistence, and degradability, monitoring their incidence through innovative and robust systems, implementing advanced preventive and mitigating strategies and measures to avoid their formation, remediating water containing DBPs through advanced and cost-effective drinking water treatment processes and technologies and globally protecting the entire water chain while increasing EU guidance on measures to manage drinking water quality.
An optical sensing technology utilizing mid-infrared sensors to detect DBPs in water was developed and optimized. A review identified key water quality parameters (WQPs) influencing DBP generation. A tailored sensing device was assembled to measure these WQPs, and probabilistic models were applied to correlate them with DBP formation, leading to a predictive sensing infrastructure. The relationship between DBPs and NOM is particularly important. A web-based platform (DBPFinder) was developed. This tool helps with the optimization of the sensing infrastructure placement along the drinking water distribution system (DWDS).
Advances were made in developing a Digital Central Knowledge Base (CKB) focused on user-friendly interfaces and adherence to FAIR data principles. The CKB is tailored to operators, researchers, and regulators, incorporating feedback from stakeholders. CKB is crucial for results exploitation and public engagement. Moreover, it was connected to the sensing devices that were deployed in the Águas de Coimbra DWDS.
A review and survey ranked DBPs by hazard potential using TOPSIS. The top-ranked DBPS ecotoxicity and cytotoxicity were assessed, filling the gap in the lack of toxicity profiling of DBPs in the literature. International drinking water practices and EU directives were compared, and the impact of climate change on drinking water quality was discussed. Several workshops with key stakeholders and water sector experts addressed unregulated DBP families, monitoring methods, risk management, and legislative gaps. The data gathered outlined a list of prevention and correction measures to ensure drinking water quality. This list is highly relevant for the different stakeholders operating in the drinking water sector. Hydraulic modelling, including chlorine decay kinetics, was performed. The model developed can help the water utility to optimize the rechlorination strategy along the DWDS, reducing the amount of chlorine used and the DBPs formed.
Intermittent chlorine dosing was studied to reduce chlorine usage and prevent DBPs production. The use of UV was crucial to ensure a correct disinfection while reducing the amount of DBPs formed. Parallelly, advanced remediation technologies evaluated for DBP precursors and DBPs removal include aerogels, activated carbon, magnetic bio-activated carbon, and advanced oxidation processes involving several catalysts. Batch tests identified promising materials that were tested in continuous operation at lab scale. A pilot-unit was designed, assembled, and operated, validating the interesting results obtained at the lab-scale.
The LCA and LCC results show that the new water treatment and disinfection technologies developed within H2OforAll framework had no negative impact on the sustainability performance of the water treatment plant. Moreover, when a new functionality including the water quality was applied, it is seen that the sustainability performance of the plant increases 23 to 30% for some impact categories.
A social study was performed to engage citizens and create awareness regarding water quality and prevention measures. An app was developed to help people understand the DBPs problems and the behaviours that prevent water contamination. Activities for children were also developed, leading to an educational kit. The results of H2OforAll led to 3 policy-briefs including recommendations on prevention measures to tackle the DBPs problem and improve drinking water quality. The project key exploitable results description and technical briefs on the technologies developed are available in h2oforal.eu.
Advances were made in developing a Digital Central Knowledge Base (CKB) focused on user-friendly interfaces and adherence to FAIR data principles. The CKB is tailored to operators, researchers, and regulators, incorporating feedback from stakeholders. CKB is crucial for results exploitation and public engagement. Moreover, it was connected to the sensing devices that were deployed in the Águas de Coimbra DWDS.
A review and survey ranked DBPs by hazard potential using TOPSIS. The top-ranked DBPS ecotoxicity and cytotoxicity were assessed, filling the gap in the lack of toxicity profiling of DBPs in the literature. International drinking water practices and EU directives were compared, and the impact of climate change on drinking water quality was discussed. Several workshops with key stakeholders and water sector experts addressed unregulated DBP families, monitoring methods, risk management, and legislative gaps. The data gathered outlined a list of prevention and correction measures to ensure drinking water quality. This list is highly relevant for the different stakeholders operating in the drinking water sector. Hydraulic modelling, including chlorine decay kinetics, was performed. The model developed can help the water utility to optimize the rechlorination strategy along the DWDS, reducing the amount of chlorine used and the DBPs formed.
Intermittent chlorine dosing was studied to reduce chlorine usage and prevent DBPs production. The use of UV was crucial to ensure a correct disinfection while reducing the amount of DBPs formed. Parallelly, advanced remediation technologies evaluated for DBP precursors and DBPs removal include aerogels, activated carbon, magnetic bio-activated carbon, and advanced oxidation processes involving several catalysts. Batch tests identified promising materials that were tested in continuous operation at lab scale. A pilot-unit was designed, assembled, and operated, validating the interesting results obtained at the lab-scale.
The LCA and LCC results show that the new water treatment and disinfection technologies developed within H2OforAll framework had no negative impact on the sustainability performance of the water treatment plant. Moreover, when a new functionality including the water quality was applied, it is seen that the sustainability performance of the plant increases 23 to 30% for some impact categories.
A social study was performed to engage citizens and create awareness regarding water quality and prevention measures. An app was developed to help people understand the DBPs problems and the behaviours that prevent water contamination. Activities for children were also developed, leading to an educational kit. The results of H2OforAll led to 3 policy-briefs including recommendations on prevention measures to tackle the DBPs problem and improve drinking water quality. The project key exploitable results description and technical briefs on the technologies developed are available in h2oforal.eu.
Several groundbreaking results were achieved, such as infrared spectroscopic sensors for monitoring DBPs in drinking water. This device, coupled with auxiliary sensing systems, allowed to identify the most relevant WQPs related to DBP formation, leading to predictive models able to identify DBP hotspots within the DWDS. Based on this and on the DWDS digital-twin, including hydraulic models and chlorine decay kinetics, a web-designed tool (DBPFinder) was developed to optimize the monitoring infrastructures placement within the DWDS. MCMD allowed to rank DBP based on prevalence and toxicity with available data. This ranking was validated by ecotoxicity and cytotoxicity tests, filling the gap in the lack of toxicity data on DBPs. A novel procedure for Allivibrio fischeri toxicity tests was developed. A list of preventive measures to protect drinking water was established based on the practices of drinking water management for countries like Israel, Portugal, the Netherlands, USA, and Australia.
Novel adsorbents and catalysts were developed and screened for effective removal of DBP precursors and DBPs from water and were validated in a pilot-unit.
An intermittent chlorination system, including UV radiation was developed to safely disinfect water, minimizing the production of DBPs.
A social study was performed on the public perception and availability to act on the protection of water and a new app and educational kit to engage the general public of all ages on the problem of water quality and on how to prevent water contamination.
Three policy briefs were produced based on the know-how acquired with the project.
Novel adsorbents and catalysts were developed and screened for effective removal of DBP precursors and DBPs from water and were validated in a pilot-unit.
An intermittent chlorination system, including UV radiation was developed to safely disinfect water, minimizing the production of DBPs.
A social study was performed on the public perception and availability to act on the protection of water and a new app and educational kit to engage the general public of all ages on the problem of water quality and on how to prevent water contamination.
Three policy briefs were produced based on the know-how acquired with the project.