Project Coordinator:

Project Partners: 

National Funding Agencies

Unitatea executiva pentru finantarea invatamantului superior, a cercetarii, dezvoltarii  si inovarii UEFISCDI

UEFISCDI and CE: 180.000 € (ICECHIM) + 70.000 € (EDAS-EXIM)  

Co-financing amount from EDAS-EXIM: 33.500 €

Agence Nationale de la Recherche – ANR

ANR and CE: 60149 € (Marine Tech) + 202496 € (MAPIEM)

Co-financing amount from Marine Tech 73516 € and 89727 € from MAPIEM

Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju – NCBR

NCBR and CE: 63750 € (PRESSEKO) + 125750 € (AMU)

Co-financing amount from PRESSEKO 15937,5 €.

Duration of project: 36 months (start date: 01 April 2024)

Project Summary

Water is the most abundant and indispensable resource of our planet. However, freshwater distribution is very different from region to region, which brings with it a very problematic scenario for drinking water availability, especially following hydro-climatic extreme events. One viable and low-cost solution to provide direct access to drinking water, refers to implementing Point-Of-Use (POU) systems for water purification and desalination. Yet, before doing so, the issues identified by

end-users/ consumers regarding filters disposal and recycling should be properly addressed. Thereby, the aim of the WATER-BIOFIL project proposal is to design & assemble & test next generation compostable filters, prepared from biodegradable polymers and/or bio-sourced polymers, which can be thereafter integrated in regular POU systems, and further serve their purpose as first-aid tools to cope with hydro-climatic extreme events, while diminishing the environmental impact of hazardous materials. Considering the proposed aim of the project and the transdisciplinary character of the foreseen activities, the project consortium is joining three renowned RDI entities, from Romania, France and Poland, with expertise in materials science and functional biomaterials (as technology developers), and other three SMEs from Romania, France and Poland (as technology integrators), with expertise on water purification and waste management. The six Partners are developing complementary activities according to their expertise and skills to ensure

further development and/or build-up a multidisciplinary knowledge in a long-term perspective innovation, value creation and assistance in solving societal challenges. The project proposal addresses the required Polish, French, Romanian and EU impacts, with respect to the objectives of WATER4ALL, on ensuring water security for all and reducing environmental hazards.

Project aim

The aim of WATER-BIOFIL refers to design & assembly & testing of next generation filters, prepared from biodegradable polymers and/or bio-sourced polymers, which can be thereafter integrated in regular POU systems, and further serve their purpose as first-aid tools to cope with hydro-climatic extreme events, while diminishing the environmental impact of hazardous materials.

Estimated Results of the Consortium:

R1. Biodegradable filler materials, for retaining metal ion traces, dyes, organic residues, and salt ions as carried out by the RDI Partners of the project.

R2. Biodegradable cartridge prototypes that are easy to integrate in the production line of filters manufacturers for water purification, as carried out by the RDI Partners of the project with the guidance of SME Partners and External Advisors.

R3. End-of-use strategies applicable to the next generation filters, with the help and support of Polish SME Partner in the field of waste management.

R4. Feasibility study for the potential/ future market release of the next generation filters, with the help and support of the Romanian and French SME Partners in the field of water desalination and wastewater management.

R5. Short-term scenario of outcomes: (i) 7 ISI Open Access publications (at least two in collaboration) in journals of prestige from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), Wiley, MDPI, Springer and Elsevier; (ii) 7 International communications to specific Symposia & Conferences, (iii) participation to 1 Invention Salon, and (iv) 3 Round Tables and/or Workshops with the organizer/ participant status.

Acknowledgement:

Project Partners would like to thank the European Commission and [UEFISCDI, ANR and NCBR] for funding in the frame of the collaborative international consortium [WATER-BIOFIL] financed under the 2022 Joint call of the European Partnership 101060874 — Water4All.