Descripción del proyecto
Una herramienta avanzada para supervisar la toxicidad de las aguas residuales
El desarrollo urbano, agrícola e industrial está asociado con el incremento de la contaminación de las aguas residuales en todo el mundo. Las aguas residuales contienen una amplia gama de contaminantes biológicos y químicos que son perjudiciales para la salud pública, por lo que deben tratarse de forma adecuada antes de liberarlos al medio ambiente. Sin embargo, la calidad del agua varía tras el tratamiento, mientras que los actuales métodos basados en la detección de muestra no ofrecen información sobre la variabilidad temporal y no son adecuados para realizar un control fiable. El proyecto ToxMate, financiado con fondos europeos, es un instrumento desarrollado para el seguimiento automático, en tiempo real, en línea e «in situ» de la toxicidad de las aguas residuales. Se basa en análisis simultáneos y en el registro de la activad motriz de varias especies de invertebrados acuáticos, mediante la aplicación de luz infrarroja y cámaras de precisión. El método es rápido, lo que permite intervenir de inmediato para optimizar la purificación del agua.
Objetivo
Urban centres, industries and agriculture produce large volumes of wastewater; in addition, the current population growth, accelerated urbanization and economic development are increasing the quantity and pollution of wastewater globally. Being a by-product of human activities, wastewater contains chemical, biological and physical pollutants, so it must be treated to remove all contaminants before it is released in the environment. Releasing untreated or inadequately treated wastewater is dangerous and has harmful effects on human health, the environment, and economic activities.
Water quality after wastewater purification varies over time, even and especially during one single day, but managers do not have the necessary tools to monitor these variations. Currently available methods based on bioassays or physical and chemical parameters require sampling, conservation and transport, and are based on spot-sampling (1-2 times/year). These methods are not able to provide information on temporal variability and have low efficiency, durability, and specificity; they are also slow in providing results (at least 72 hours) and can’t allow real time monitoring. To overcome these limitations, ViewPoint has developed ToxMate: a tool for the automated real-time, on-site and on-line monitoring of wastewater toxicity. It is based on the simultaneous analysis of the locomotor behaviour of 3 different species of aquatic invertebrates and it uses infrared light and powerful and precise cameras to record continuously the activity of the animals. The system is composed of 3 panels, each containing 16 animals, so 48 animals can be analysed at the same time and for up to 30 days. ToxMate is fast: it can provide a result on water toxicity in just one hour, so it allows public authorities and water managers to measure the variation in wastewater and identify abnormal episodes, thus allowing quick interventions to optimize water purification and control treatment plants more efficiently.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensors
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrology
- engineering and technologychemical engineeringseparation technologiesdesalinationreverse osmosis
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyinvertebrate zoology
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2
Régimen de financiación
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinador
01390 Civrieux
Francia
Organización definida por ella misma como pequeña y mediana empresa (pyme) en el momento de la firma del acuerdo de subvención.