Biocatalytic membranes for micro/nano plastic degradation within waste water effluents (BMRex)

20世纪全球对塑料的高需求给环境和我们的健康带来了重大问题。目前，所有产生的塑料垃圾中有三分之一最终出现在陆地或淡水中。事实上，我们的海洋已经含有数百万吨塑料，随着时间的推移，这些塑料会分解成微塑料（尺寸小于1毫米的颗粒），而这些微塑料会进一步分解成纳米塑料（尺寸小于0.2微米的颗粒）。这些微塑料和产生的纳米颗粒对这个星球上的生命构成了巨大的威胁，从植物、动物到人类，因为它们最终会进入我们的食物链，从而进入我们的生物体。改变所谓的塑料经济是必要的，它必须演变成一个保护塑料的价值和好处的系统，消除塑料的浪费和它们产生的问题。为此目的，人们正在研究使用能够降解微塑料和纳米塑料并防止它们逃逸到环境中的酶。然而，塑料的复杂性和广度对开发真正的解决方案构成了重大挑战，这些解决方案将导致该领域的真正进步。在此背景下，BMRex项目旨在通过部署一种新型生物催化反应器设计，能够以环境和经济可持续的方式降解微塑料污染物，从而取得重大进展。此外，BMRex项目预计将为去除其他关键污染物（如重金属、消毒剂、药物或其他激素活性化学品）提供新的动力，但也会对能源（催化剂、烟气净化等）和可持续生物制造（制药和食品工业）相关的应用产生潜在影响。

The impact of the high global demand for plastics in the 20th century is causing major problems for the environment and our health. Currently, one third of all plastic waste generated ends up on land or in freshwater. In fact, our seas and oceans already contain millions of tonnes of plastic which, over time, disintegrate into microplastics (particles smaller than 1 millimetre in size), and these break down further into nanoplastics (particles smaller than 0.2 micrometres in size). These microplastics and the nanoparticles generated pose a great threat to life on this planet, from plants and animals to humans, as they end up entering our food chains and therefore our organisms.?A change in the so-called plastic economy is essential, which must evolve into a system that preserves the value and benefits of plastics, eliminating their waste and the problems they generate. To this end, work is being done on the use of enzymes capable of degrading micro- and nanoplastics and preventing them from escaping into the environment. However, the complexity and breadth of plastics pose a major challenge for the development of real solutions that will lead to real progress in this field. In this context, the BMRex project aims to achieve significant progress by deploying a novel biocatalytic reactor design capable of degrading microplastic pollutants in environmentally and economically sustainable way. In addition, the BMRex project is expected to provide a new impetus for the removal of other critical pollutants (such as heavy metals, disinfectants, pharmaceuticals or other hormonally active chemicals), but also to have a potential impact on applications related to energy (catalysts, flue gas purification, etc.) and sustainable bio-manufacturing (pharmaceutical and food industries).?