The key objective of the LIFE PureAgroH2O project is to develop and demonstrate a novel purification system for the sustainable management of the end-of-the-pipe wastewater effluents generated in fruit-industry, the prevention of losses of various inorganic and organic contaminants to the environment and the recycle/reuse of the purified water. To achieve the objective, a close-to- market, patented water purification system with the ability to effectively recycle 15 m³ /day of real agro-wastewater will be developed and commercialised. The novel Photo-NF reactor (PNFR) system integrates synergistically state-of-the-art technologies such as nanofiltration (NF) with photocatalysis, resulting in applicability extension, minimisation of the operational cost and limitation of the carbon and environmental footprint. Innovative single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNTs) photocatalytic membranes and vis-light active TiO2 nanostructures (VLA-TiO2) integrated in PNFR are expected to bring:
- 60% reduction in the transmembrane pressure (energy efficiency)
- significant extension of the process life time (2-fold)
- enhanced rejection performance (+99.5%) and 95% waste reduction
The system will be operated at ZAGORIN as an autonomous-PV powered process and benchmarked against conventional processes with data available from literature and past or ongoing projects, in parallel, a pre-industrial scale demonstration unit will be installed by UAL-CIESOL in CITRICOS del Andarax SA industry in Spain, to reinforce the transferability of the project. The consortium strives to alter existing regulatory barriers towards investments by the Water and Wastewater Treatment industry (W&WWT), following the paradigm of “Sustainable WW Treatment Combining Anaerobic Membrane Technology (AnMbR) and Water Reuse” and achieve an Innovation Deal on “PNF membranes and reactors for Water Reuse”.
To develop, standardize and disseminate a management plan for the adaptation of the PNFR system to various conditions, common practices and the specific requirements of the Mediterranean fruit industry.
To raise awareness of all interrelated stakeholders (e.g. agro-industry head managers) on the implementation of the best practices in WW management and water reclaim, in line with the EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC and the EU Water REUSE Directive.
To set an action plan for the integration of the project outcomes to European and National environmental policy in close collaboration with policy makers.