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Making water drinkable with nanotechnology: it’s now a reality!

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Making water drinkable with nanotechnology: now we can!

Discover the project for “removing and capturing” microcontaminants with recycled materials

Micropollutants, or microcontaminants, are chemicals such as pesticides, drugs, medicines and other organic substances that are present in water in very low concentrations. These are substances that are hazardous to human health and the environment, which we constantly monitor and research in order to identify effective removal mechanisms and abatement technologies.

“Removing and capturing” microcontaminants

The project involves the use of materials recovered from the production of hollow fibres for membranes, such as scaffolds used in the medical field which, combined with graphene, can be used as filter material in the water purification process.

In this way, a valuable material, which would otherwise be lost as process waste, is put back into circulation and given new life.

Laboratory tests were performed comparing conventional materials, such as activated carbon and innovative materials (PSU-GO, RGO, GNP, etc.) for the treatment of water resources at the Pontelagoscuro (Ferrara) power plant.
The objective of the test was to verify the effectiveness of these materials in removing various micropollutants, such as: EMPs (Emerging MicroPollutants), EPs (Emerging Pollutants) and possible by-products of ozonation, such as bromates.

The results highlighted the effectiveness of certain filtering materials and the next step will be the construction of a pilot plant within the Pontelagoscuro power plant, to further study and perform further tests on a larger scale.

Laboratory results have highlighted the effectiveness of some filter materials, and the inauguration of the pilot plant at the Pontelagoscuro drinking water treatment plant in February 2024 allows the working group to implement full-scale application tests with varying concentrations of graphene oxide.
In addition to Hera, CNR and Medica are also taking part in the project. They have built the plant thanks to an EU LIFE project.

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