Project description
Effectively treating and disinfecting water by combining cavitation and plasma
Increasing water pollution is a major global challenge, jeopardising the world’s supply of clean water and putting public health at risk. To address this, the ERC-funded PureWater project has previously demonstrated that mechanical forces created during water cavitation (rapid formation and collapse of vapour bubbles due to a local pressure drop) effectively destroy microorganisms. It has also shown that non-thermal plasma can successfully disinfect water when ignited in a low-pressure cavitation region. Building on its previous outcomes, PureWater now aims to develop, test and optimise a compact device that combines cavitation and plasma for safe and energy-efficient water disinfection in public and industrial settings, and on-site drinking water treatment in vulnerable regions.
Objective
Escalating water pollution is one of the most critical global crises, jeopardizing the global supply of clean water and threatening public health on an unprecedented scale. Contaminated water, together with poor sanitation can be directly linked to transmission of various diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and hepatitis A. Our successfully completed ERC project (CoG CABUM) has shown that cavitation (almost instantaneous growth and collapse of vapor bubbles due to a local pressure drop) destroys microorganisms by mechanical forces (shear and shockwaves) and that these effects can be enhanced by an elegant manipulation of cavitation conditions. CABUM has also revealed, that low-pressure cavitation region can be used to ignite non-thermal plasma, leading to successful disinfection.
To further evolve the technology, PureWater will develop a compact, pilot-scale device that innovatively couples cavitation and plasma (CAP) and builds on the established lab-scale prototype. The novel CAP device will have a dual purpose:
• a safe and energy efficient alternative to established disinfection technologies in public and industrial facilities that have problems with Legionella pneumophila outbursts;
• a royalty free technology for on-site drinking water treatment in most vulnerable regions of the world.
Firstly, the small-scale device will be fine-tuned and scaled up and then tested in a relevant setting, where CAP will be optimized for reliable long-term operation and high efficacy.
As access to clean water is a basic human right and a critical component of public health, economic development and environmental sustainability, PureWater will pay particular attention to CAP design so that it could be easily replicated in other settings. By tackling the challenge of providing potable water in developing regions, CAP has the potential to make a significant breakthrough in water treatment and make an important contribution to global water security.
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.
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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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) ERC-2025-POC
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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.
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
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.