Launch of a new project to remove arsenic from groundwater

The kick-off meeting for the European project NANOREMOVAS (RISE programme), coordinated by Manuel Valiente, of the Department of Chemistry at the UAB, was held on 20 and 21 July. At this meeting the heads of the various institutions taking part in the project presented the main lines of action.

16/07/2015

The heads of the various institutions taking part in the European project NANOREMOVAS (Advanced Multifunctional Nanostructured Materials Applied to Remove Arsenic in Argentinian Groundwater) presented the project's main lines of action on Monday and Tuesday, 20 and 21 July.

The project aims to develop and implement a pilot plant to treat arsenic-contaminated water, based on the application of multifunctional nanostructured materials that have been tested in the laboratory. It is a cooperative endeavour between industries and academic institutions in Europe and Argentina.

In the case of Argentina, where the pilot plant will be based, the consumption of arsenic-contaminated water by livestock is a growing problem, especially when considering the country's high volumes of meat consumption and exportation.

It is a problem that affects many parts of the world, however. Given the high toxicity of arsenic and the large numbers of people who are exposed to this hazard, researchers see a need to provide farms with a low-cost, sustainable system for producing safe drinking-water for consumption by humans and livestock.

NANOREMOVAS makes a notable contribution, both to knowledge and to technology transfer from academic institutions to industry. On this point, the project coordinator, Manuel Valiente, of the Department of Chemistry at the UAB, stresses that "once we have the scientific data on arsenic removal through separation processes without reagents, the project will facilitate the rapid design of models, processes and industrial equipment for commercial exploitation."

Along with the UAB, the project involves the Royal Institute of Technology of Sweden, Aeris Tecnologías Ambientales SL (Spain), Innovabic (Italy), the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (Argentina) and the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales of the Universidad Nacional de Mar de Plata (Argentina).

The opening session of the kick-off meeting was attended by the Vice-Rector for Research, Pilar Dellunde, the Vice-Rector for Projects and Planning, Lluís Tort, and the Head of the Department of Chemistry, Rosa Maria Ortuño.

Meeting schedule:
http://www.uab.cat/uabdivulga/img/NANOREMOVASBCN.pdf