Project description
A safer and more efficient way to recycle wastewater
The presence of micro- and nano-plastics in our ecosystems is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. With the widespread use of plastic-based materials, these harmful particles are now found in marine and freshwater environments as well as terrestrial ecosystems. Despite their small size, they pose a growing threat to human health and ecosystem services. The EU-funded BMRex project will develop a biocatalyst-based membrane reactor technology to remove micro/nano-plastics from household and industrial wastewater effluents using a combination of enzymes and porous inorganic scaffolds. The technology will be designed to resist biofouling and maximise biocatalytic activity, making it more efficient and safer for in situ wastewater recycling. BMRex aims to transform how society uses plastic, promoting a more sustainable future.
Objective
The universal use of different types of plastic-based materials as new products to meet the insatiable global demands of the 20th century has had an unprecedented impact on our evolution as a society. Unfortunately, micro- and nano-plastics are now ubiquitous in marine and freshwater environments, as well as terrestrial ecosystems, where they act as a source of highly detrimental toxic chemicals that negatively affect the environment and human health by interacting with terrestrial organisms that mediate ecosystem services and functions, such as soil dwelling invertebrates, terrestrial fungi and plant pollinators. It is our duty as scientists to provide immediate and appropriate solutions to control the fate and reduce the effects of micro/nano-plastics on our planet.
BMRex will develop entirely new concepts for micro/nano-plastic removal from household and industrial waste water effluents by validating a novel biocatalyst-based membrane reactor technology to degrade plastic waste avoiding further damage. The consortium will produce, test & optimize biocatalytic membrane reactors based on porous inorganic scaffolds functionalized with ionic liquid materials modified for biofouling resistance, plastic affinity and controlled attachment of plastic-degrading enzymes. Interchangeable enzyme species will permit a precise control of stepwise catalytic processes enhanced with artificial cytosis, maximizing activity and stability of the biocatalytic reactions. BMRex will also evaluate the economic and technological viability of this novel technology. With its unique integration of scientific approaches, competences and resources, BMRex has the potential to open up an entirely new technological field.
In the long term, this project aims to enable an in situ, more efficient and safer recycling of waste waters with transformative effects on a society that is currently in the very early phases of transitioning toward an environmentally sustainable use of plastic.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- engineering and technology environmental engineering water treatment processes wastewater treatment processes
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology invertebrate zoology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
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Topic(s)
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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.
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.
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2022-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
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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.
28006 Madrid
Spain
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.