Project description
Tackling water pollution, efficiently
Water scarcity is a pressing global issue, with 47 % of the world’s population predicted to face this challenge by 2030. The culprit? Contaminated industrial wastewater, which is rife with micropollutants, such as metal ions, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. While existing water treatment methods effectively eliminate 99.96 % of contaminants, the remaining 0.04 % poses a formidable threat. In this context, the EU-funded CGM project will introduce state-of-the-art nanocellulose media that can be tailored to target and recycle specific micropollutants. Unlike its predecessors, CGM system is bioengineered with unmatched precision, efficiently capturing and removing the elusive 0.04 % of contaminants that currently evade treatment. With its low energy consumption and minimal maintenance requirements, customers can access a straightforward solution to water pollution.
Objective
Customem Ltd is a company founded with the long term vision to harness nature’s capacity to make biomaterials to promote human health in alignment with sustainable development goals. A next generation nanomedia that can be tailored to capture and recycle specific micropollutants in contaminated industrial wastewater. Lack of access to clean water is predicted to affect 47% of the world’s population by 2030. Contamination of water supplies by micropollutants such as metal ions, pesticides and pharmaceuticals is a major contributor to this water stress. These pollutants are released by industrial processes in the textile and manufacturing industries. Existing water treatment removes 99.96% of contaminants, but does not remove the 0.04% of micropollutants. Although the remaining contaminants seem small, they are a major problem as they are exceptionally difficult to capture but also highly toxic to humans and animals. CustoMem have developed a customisable selective nanocellulose media called CustoMem Granular Media (CGM) that is bioengineered to capture and remove all micropollutants including the 0.04% that cannot currently be removed. Customers benefit from a simple, low cost, low energy solution that is low maintenance. It allows removal of all micropollutants resulting in clean water supplies. The company is headquartered in the Imperial College Incubator UK and currently has 6 employees. The company is currently in talks with companies in the EU who have shown an active interest in the project. The Phase 2 project will allow CustoMem to finalise CGM development and accelerate its market introduction.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugs
- natural sciencesphysical sciencescondensed matter physicssoft matter physics
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringtextiles
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterials
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.2.1.2. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Nanotechnologies Main Programme
- H2020-EU.2.1.5. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced manufacturing and processing
- H2020-EU.2.1.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced materials
- H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
SW7 2AZ LONDON
United Kingdom
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.