Biocatalytic membranes for micro/nano plastic degradation within waste water effluents

Project Information

BMRex

Grant agreement ID: 101099528

DOI

10.3030/101099528

EC signature date 20 December 2022

Start date 1 April 2023

End date 31 March 2027

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 3 638 501,25

EU contribution

€ 3 638 501,00

Coordinated by

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BMRex (Biocatalytic membranes for micro/nano plastic degradation within waste water effluents)

Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

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 reduce the detrimental effects of micro-/nano-plastics on our planet. To this end, the BMRex consortium is working on development of entirely new concept for micro-/nano-plastic contaminant removal from household and industrial wastewater effluents by validating a novel biocatalyst-based membrane reactor technology to capture and degrade plastic waste. The consortium will produce, test, and optimize innovative biocatalytic membrane reactors based on porous inorganic scaffolds functionalized with biocatalysts. BMRex will also evaluate the economic, technological, and environmental viability of this novel technology. With its unique integration of scientific approaches, competences, and resources, BMRex has the potential to open an entirely new heterogeneous catalysis field. In the long term, this project aims to enable a more efficient and safer recycling of wastewaters by trapping and degrading micro-/nano-plastics in situ, with the grand aim of initiating transformative effects on our society, which is currently in the early phases of transitioning toward a more environmentally sustainable use of plastic.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the first year of BMRex project, numerous activities have been carried out to achieve the proposed objectives. Laboratory experiments were initiated to identify novel enzyme candidates for plastic degradation, addressing the objective on screening and discovery of new biocatalysts. Bioassays for monitoring microbial growth and bioactivity related to plastic degradation were carefully evaluated and selected. Additionally, known plastic-degrading enzymes have been successfully produced and delivered to BMRex partners for use as standards in bioassays. A variety of inorganic materials were successfully synthesized, processed, and deployed for manufacturing the BMRex reactor. In addition, the surface-active antimicrobial activity of inorganic component was studied to select the most active variants for preventing biofilm formation and thus avoid potential biofouling of the BMRex reactor.
As part of BMRex reactor inorganic component manufacturing activities, a numerical simulation of inorganic scaffold structures was performed to enhance the preparation of a highly robust inorganic scaffold structures with hierarchical porosity features and high micro-/nano-plastics (MNPs) accumulation functionalities. Initial preliminary results have shown promising results in accordance with the proposed hypothesis of the BMRex project, creating an optimistic perspective for the future of the project.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

BMRex consortium is manufacturing and validating a first-of-its-kind procedure for the elimination of micro-/nano-plastics from the water cycle through their capture and enzymatic degradation, delivering a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution. The innovative approach is targeting the direct release of micro- nanoplastics from industrial and household wate water treatment plants or even their accumulation within generated sludge. Apart from direct environmental impact on wastewater quality, the later one will open the possibility to reuse decontaminated sludge, providing new market opportunities. The technological potential of the BMRex concept at different scales and in a variety of allocations opens a potential worldwide market under these scenarios. Nevertheless, due to the early phase of the BMRex project, the technology under development has not yet resulted in any accountable economic impacts. Moreover, the envisaged technology could not only be extrapolated to combat other critical contaminants (such as heavy metals, disinfectants, pharmaceuticals or other hormonally active chemicals), but also potentially impact on energy-related applications (catalysts, flue gas purification, etc.) and sustainable biomanufacturing (pharma and food industries).
On the other hand, during the first year of activity the BMRex consortium has hired several young researchers and actively performed communication and dissemination activities targeting scientific community and the general public. This includes conference presentations, lectures, public talks, participation in TV and radio programs and etc.

BMRex reactor conceptual image

BMRex reactor prototype image