Scientists from the Institute of Geotechnics SAS are part of the cleanwater project for the development of adsorbents for safe drinking water
From January 1, 2024, scientists from the Institute of Geotechnics SAS are working on implementing the CLEANWATER project called Multifunctional sustainable adsorbents for water treatment assisted with plasma technologies and for health protection from xenobiotics. This project is financed by the European Commission within the Horizon Europe program in the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions / Staff Exchanges call.
"The idea of the CLEANWATER project was born out of the growing urgency of solving this global problem, especially because currently more than three-quarters of a billion people still do not have access to drinking water. The importance of this project underlines the disproportionate impact of water pollution on vulnerable groups living in areas with insufficient hygienic conditions. Waterborne diseases caused by biological pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa are a major threat. At the same time, an even more urgent problem is the constant exposure of the population to chemical contaminants, xenobiotics. These pollutants, which are widespread in areas with intensive industrial and agricultural activity, contaminate water and food sources, which leads to serious health problems, including damage to the gastrointestinal, neurological and immune systems," explained the director of the Institute of Geotechnics SAS, Dr. Slavomír Hredzák.
The urgent need for innovative solutions to remove a wide range of pollutants – from heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury to persistent organic pollutants such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals – prompted the development of the CLEANWATER project. The originality of this project lies in the advanced methods of developing and modifying new types of adsorbents to increase their ability to capture pollutants such as heavy metals, radionuclides and persistent organic substances.
One of the main goals of the project is the use of an innovative method, low-temperature plasma (LTP). LTP creates a highly reactive environment with reactive oxygen forms and UV radiation that can break down organic pollutants and eliminate biological contaminants such as bacteria and viruses. Unlike traditional methods, LTP works at room temperature without adding chemicals, making it an attractive eco-friendly alternative. This project aims to combine LTP with adsorbents to increase the efficiency of pollutant removal with lower energy consumption. The project also focuses on developing new enterosorbent and composite materials, which are aimed at a wide range of contaminants. The goal is for these new materials to retain at least 80% of the adsorption capacity of their individual components and meet biocompatibility standards in clinical tests.
"Enterosorbents and adsorbents in this project will be made of various materials, including activated carbon, biochar, pectin and composite hydrogels. These materials will come from agricultural and industrial waste such as rice husks, fruit pits, nut shells, lignin and coffee waste. In addition, materials based on polymers and silicates obtained from rice husks and pectin will be used. The combination of these components aims to maximize the efficiency of adsorption of heavy metals and organic pollutants while maintaining biocompatibility," explained Dr. Hredzák.
The CleanWater project consortium includes 9 scientific institutes and 4 companies: University of Alicante (Spain), Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary), Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (Poland), Institute of Geotechnics SAS (Slovakia), Environcentrum s.r.o. (Slovakia), Institute of Environmental Geochemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine), Vedecko-výrobný podnik Technologika LLC (Ukraine), Scientific Engineering Group Pulsar LLC (Ukraine), ANAMAD Ltd (United Kingdom), Kingston University (United Kingdom), Moldova State University (Moldova), Satbayev University (Kazakhstan), National Technological Institute of Mexico (Mexico). The project is scheduled to be completed in December 2027.
Edited by: Lenka Hagarová, Institute of Geotechnics SAS
Ilustration photo: Katarína Gáliková