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.

OBJECTIVES

Activity 1.1 Preparation of the biopolymer, for its use by the Project Partners, as a raw material for obtaining functional hybrid biomaterials of TYPE I and TYPE II

Activity 1.2 Establishment of procedures for collecting drinking water for testing biomaterials

Activity 1.3 Development of experimental formulations based on PLA that are suitable for melt processing

Activity 1.4 Establishment of the filter cartridge model compatible with POU systems and the specific design characteristics

Activity 1.5 Dissemination and communication of the results

 SUMMARY

In the first stage of the project, a chitosan type was obtained from commercial chitin with reproducible properties (degree of deacetylation and molecular weight). This chitosan type was transmitted to the project partners for obtaining functional hybrid biomaterials of TYPE I and TYPE II. Also within this activity, the ability of the chitosan to be used in various formulations of hybrid materials, with zeolite content, for the retention of metal ions, nitrites, nitrates, etc., from drinking water was tested. The testing of biomaterials for the retention of contaminants in drinking water was carried out by the SME partner and resulted in a major decrease in the concentration of iron and aluminum ions. For these determinations, the SME partner of the project proposed a water sampling procedure, as well as specific methods for the determination of pollutants of interest. In parallel, activities were carried out to obtain composite samples based on PLA, formulations that will be optimized for the development of the filter cartridge. In order to adjust the properties of interest, the PLA-based composites were analyzed from a thermal, mechanical, morphological and structural point of view. Also during this stage, a filter cartridge model compatible with POU systems was established, together with the IMM partner. Based on the dimensional and functional characteristics of the commercial cartridges used in POU systems, the specific design characteristics of the new PLA-based filter cartridge were established – design made in a CAD software.

Results: Synthesis and analysis report of chitosan from commercial chitin; Synthesis and analysis report of biopolymer composites based on chitosan; Drinking water collection procedures; Experimental formulations based on PLA, Preparation and analysis report of experimental formulations based on PLA; Technological design proposal; Dissemination and travel report;

During phase 1/2024, a project kick-off meeting was organized with the online participation of the project partners (in May) and a follow-up meeting with the partial, physical participation of the partners from France (Univ. Toulon MAPIEM) and Poland (Univ Adam Mickiewicz), in October in Bucharest, Romania, with the ocazion of PRIOCHEM XX Symposium.

The WATER-BIOFIL project website was built and updated, both in English (https://icechim.ro/project/waterbiofil-en/) and in Romanian language (https://icechim.ro/project/waterbiofil-ro/).

The Project Director participated in the WATER4ALL project kick-off meeting (kick-off of the cofunded call 2022, April 2024 in Madrid, Spain), organized by the coordinator of this call (AEI, Spain).

An original article and a review were published (both in WoS indexed journals) and 5 scientific communications were held (of which 3 oral presentations), as follows:

1.     Sandu, T.; Olaru, E.A.; Mitran, R.-A.; Miron, A.; Dolana, S.-V.; Zaharia, A.; Gavrilă, A.-M.; Dumitru, M.-V.; Chiriac, A.-L.; Sârbu, A.; Iordache, T.-V. Composite Copolymer Beads Incorporating Red Mud for Water Amendment by Adsorption—Oxidation Processes. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 6386. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14146386 

2.     Gavrila, A.-M.; Diacon, A.; Iordache, T.-V.; Rotariu, T.; Ionita, M.; Toader, G. Hazardous Materials from Threats to Safety: Molecularly Imprinted Polymers as Versatile Safeguarding Platforms. Polymers 2024, 16, 2699. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16192699

Ø 23rd Romanian International Conference on Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Constanța – Mamaia, ROMANIA – September 4 – 7, 2024. Chitosan-Based Composite Polymeric Beads: An Innovative Approach for Copper Ion Retention, Andreea Miron, Iulia-Elena Neblea, Sorin-Viorel Doalana, Marinela Dumitru, Andrei Sarbu, Horia Iovu, Ana-Mihaela Gavrila, Anamaria Zaharia, Sandu Teodor, Tanta-Verona Iordache, Anita-Laura Chiriac (oral)

Ø 23rd Romanian International Conference on Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Constanța – Mamaia, ROMANIA – September 4 – 7, 2024. Retention of Ciprofloxacin and Carbamazepine from Aqueous Solutions using Chitosan-Based Composite Cryostructures, Marinela-Victoria Dumitru, Andreea Miron, Iulia-Elena Neblea, Sorin-Viorel Dolana, Anamaria Zaharia, Ana Mihaela Gavrila, Andrei Sarbu, Horia Iovu, Sandu Teodor, Anita-Laura Chiriac, Tanta-Verona Iordache (oral)

Ø National Conference of Chemistry, XXXVII Edition, 24-27 Septembrie, Targoviste, Romania, Carbon Electrodes Modified With Molecularly Imprinted Polymers For Lipopolysaccharides Sensing, Ana Lorena Neagu, Ana-Mihaela Gavrilă, Andreea Miron, Iulia Elena Neblea, Cătălin Zaharia, Petru Epure, Hugues Brisset, Horia Iovu, Andrei Sârbu, Tanța-Verona Iordache (P)

Ø 20th International Symposium “Priorities of Chemistry for a Sustainable Development” PRIOCHEM, Bucharest, Romania, 16-18 Oct-2024, Cryostructures As Potential Agricultural Fertilizers With Controlled Release Properties, Marinela-Victoria DUMITRU, Alin Cristian Nicolae VINTILA, Grigore PSENOVSKI, Ana-Lorena NEAGU, Sorin DOLANA, Andreea MIRON, Iulia Elena NEBLEA, Ana Mihaela GAVRILA, Cristina Emanuela ENASCUTA, Tanta-Verona IORDACHE (oral)

Ø 20th International Symposium “Priorities of Chemistry for a Sustainable Development” PRIOCHEM, Bucharest, Romania, 16-18 Oct-2024, Advanced Hybrid Materials Based On Natural Polymers: A New Remediation Strategy For Water Contaminated With Heavy Metals, Andreea MIRON , Ana-Lorena NEAGU , Sorin DOLANA, Iulia-Elena NEBLEA, Marinela Victoria DUMITRU, Anamaria ZAHARIA, Sandu TEODOR, Ana-Mihaela GAVRILĂ, Andrei SÂRBU, Anita-Laura CHIRIAC, Tanța-Verona IORDACHE (P)