Project description
A novel microfluidic enzymatic process removes endocrine disruptors from drinking water
As the chemicals used in industrial and everyday products evolve, wastewater treatment facilities must continuously update technologies to remove harmful substances from wastewater before returning it to the environment. Among the pollutants gaining increasing interest are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), natural or man-made chemicals that mimic or interfere with the actions of the body's hormones. They are found in everyday products including some plastics, detergents, flame retardants, toys, cosmetics and pesticides. EDCs are linked to developmental, reproductive, immune and nervous system problems and can be slow to break down, increasing their impact over time. The EU-funded M3R project is exploiting the most promising enzymatic treatment in a microfluidic system that could enable high-volume, cost-effective and sustainable removal of three important EDCs from drinking water.
Objective
The rapidly growing impact of xenobiotic chemicals (Endocrine disrupting compounds) on the environment has prompted the development of new processes for the treatment of wastewaters produced by industries and municipalities. Recently, European Commission voted to re-examine its drinking water and commission decided to include three Endocrine disrupting compounds (Bisphenol A, Nonylphenol, and 17β-Estradiol) in the list of benchmark parameters for drinking-water monitoring, in line with latest recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Recently, the capability of lignin-modifying enzymes for degradation of xenobiotics and recalcitrant pollutants has generated a considerable research interest in this area of industrial/environmental microbiology. Lignin-modifying enzymes can be also used to break down and reduce the harmful activity of hazardous substances, due to the similarity of their chemical structure with that of lignin. The goal of this innovative project is to relate the expertise of the ER in ligninolytic enzymes with the expertise of a start-up in microfluidics and microfluidic systems. By combining these two technologies, we aim at creating a superior, more efficient system able to rapidly perform the treatment of wastewaters. The resulting system should be small, energy-efficient (involving low pressures, typically below 200 Pa), and made of a high number of microfluidic layers to allow for a high wastewater volume treatment (typically up to 50 m3/day). The high-volume high-efficiency target will be made possible using a microfluidic technology developed and patented by the host company. The resulting technology is foreseen to address the current challenge of increasing water pollution and bring affordable, sustainable solutions for all communities, large and urban or small and rural alike.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsmicrofluidics
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processesdrinking water treatment processes
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
75015 Paris
France
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.