Use sunlight to remove emerging contaminants in wastewater

solar energy

Group researchers advanced oxidation processes of the Polytechnic School of Alcoy (EPSA), coordinated by Ana Maria Amat, have developed a new system that gets rid of emerging contaminants, including remnants of drugs, pesticides, etc. – outgoing water from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) conventional. The system is based on the use of sunlight for water purification, a process known as solar photocatalysis and noted for its profitability and its reduced energy expenditure.

Explains Professor Ana M Amat, in most cases, treatments applied at present, the sewage conventional wastewater treatment plants, urban and industrial are not able to remove the remains – “the amount thereof is below 1 microgram / liter, “he qualifies, analgesics, antibiotics, pesticides and other emerging contaminants present in the receiving waters. “All these compounds have in common that have little or no biodegradable and therefore refractory to conventional biological treatments,” he says.

The first tests with the technology developed from the laboratories of the EPSA-treatments based on the application of solar photo-Fenton process very smooth, no change in pH, have been highly positive results, bringing the concentration in water of these substances below the detection limit, “in amounts no longer apply to ecosystems.”

“The system can significantly improve the quality of the outgoing water treatment plants. Furthermore, unlike other existing systems to remove emerging contaminants, such as those based on the use of membranes or ozone, the application of photocatalysis provides a fundamentally economic advantage and simplicity of the system. With this system, the only cost of energy is generated by pumping water inside the plant, plus its maintenance is very simple, “says Professor Antonio Arques, a researcher at the Group of Advanced Oxidation Processes

This research is funded by a project of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, a project of the Generalitat Valenciana IMPIVA, which the company also participates Network Control, and a European Union project. “The interest that exists in these studies is explained in the imminence of that legislation is implemented to control these emerging compounds in the water out of the EDAR” adds Ana M Amat.

The work developed by researchers at the EPSA was published last June, in its Internet edition of the journal, Catalysis Today, one of the most international impact publications in this sector.

The Group of Advanced Oxidation Processes of the EPSA is still working on this line of research. To do this, it also has a pilot plant for small scale solar photocatalysis to experiment with industrial water and predict the effectiveness of the technique on an industrial scale.

more search terms:

• animated solar energy
• solar energy drawings
• solar power
• animated solar panels
• animated solar panel
• solar energy
• solar panels animation
• drawings of solar energy
• animation of solar energy
• Solar energy animation

Posted by admin on July 12, 2011. Filed under solar energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.