Green Ultrafiltration Water Cleaning Technologies

Clean water is a key challenge in the 21th century, identified in the UN sustainable development goals (6). In close collaboration withindustry and stakeholders, this project aims at developing new types of sustainable water treatment techniques that is, cheap, easy tomaintain and can be applied in settings/countries where clean water is a challenge. By using non-critical and non-toxic materials to mitigatecontaminants of emerging concern and pathogens, including antibiotic resistant bacteria, it helps avoid their further spread, thus targetingTheme 3 in the call. We will develop a potentially cost-effective water cleaning concept, amenable for decentralized use, that will bevalidated on a small pilot scale comprising a series of modules: 1) An enzymatic step including nanoporous materials bearing enzymes andchelating functions to retain hazardous metals, 2) enzyme-mimetic nanomaterials, 3) nanoporous adsorbents, and finally 4) a photocatalyticstep that ensures zero-discharge of contaminants. Laboratory scale research will be implemented in reactor modules in collaboration withindustrial partners. The evaluation of different combinations of modules will be an integral part of the project. Industrial partners will provideengineering solutions that allow testing of new materials/technologies. Associated partners will evaluate the technology and spread rresults, to various industries as well as stakeholders in the developing world.