Plant-mediated resource recovery-towards closing the waste water loop

该催化剂提案旨在评估利用生物能源作物(即为生产能源而种植的作物，而不是粮食)回收和净化受污染的水的可行性。生物能源作物可能是改善水质的一种有价值的方法，因为它们可以承担或协助几个生态系统过程，例如：1)从受污染的水(和土壤)中去除有毒化学物质；2)用完废水中存在的养分；3)稳定废物，改善废弃土地的面貌；4)为野生动物提供一个地方；5)通过提供燃料产生低碳足迹。我们建议指导研究，以评估生物质作物在废物排放管理中的潜在作用，这是因为气候变化和人口转移正在增加对世界水资源的压力。这意味着未来我们需要重新考虑如何处理家庭和工业废水。特别是，我们需要将这些污水视为一种资源，而不是仅仅将它们视为一个问题，因为它们可能含有过量的营养物质、药物、“微量”金属、纳米颗粒和微生物。在这一初始阶段，我们将结成一个伙伴关系，研究利用生物能源作物作为一种机制的适宜性：1)收获养分；2)分解污染物；3)降低抗药性基因的丰度；以及4)减少废水中人类病原体的数量。生物能源作物的选择将不仅基于最大限度地提高生物质产量的需要，还将基于它们对改善水质的潜在适宜性，以及它们可以提供的额外生态系统服务。我们将与学术界、产业界、非政府组织和政府的专家合作，全面审查与技术发展相关的问题。我们会举办两个工作坊，详细讨论建议的目的。其中第一个将包括来自不同领域的一系列组织，这些组织在该领域拥有利益相关者或受益者的利益。研讨会参与者将被要求考虑两种可能截然不同的应对资源回收挑战的战略：1)注重创新如何补充现有技术的务实方法；2)旨在更根本地改变我们处理废物流出物的方式的有远见的方法。将对有关植物修复的广泛文献进行全面审查，以帮助确定最可行的方法(例如，物种的选择、生长条件、污染物的有效性和病原体的清除)。这些结果将发表在一篇关于利用生物能源作物回收和修复来自农场、家庭和工业的废水(例如页岩气压裂液)的证据基础的综述文章中。第二次研讨会将由最初研讨会的一部分与会者参加，任务是向NERC提出面向解决方案的研究补助金申请。

This Catalyst proposal aims to assess the feasibility of using bioenergy crops (i.e. crops grown for energy production, rather than food) for the recovery and decontamination of polluted water. Bioenergy crops could be a valuable way forward for improving water quality, as they can undertake or assist in several ecosystem processes such as: 1) removal of toxic chemicals from contaminated water (and soil); 2) using up the nutrient present in waste waters; 3) stabilising wastes and improving the look of derelict land; 4) providing a place for wildlife; 5) generating a low carbon footprint, through the provision of fuel. Our proposal to direct research to assess the potential role for biomass crop in waste effluent management is driven by the fact that climate change and population shifts are increasing pressure on the world water resources. This means that in the future we will need to reconsider how we deal with domestic and industrial waste waters. In particular, we will need to think of these effluents as a resource, rather than just seeing them as a problem due to the excess nutrients, pharmaceuticals, 'trace' metals, nanoparticles, microorganisms they can contain. During this initial phase, we will bring together a partnership that will examine the suitability of using bioenergy crops as a mechanism for: 1) harvesting nutrients; 2) breaking down pollutants; 3) lowering the abundance of antibiotics resistance genes; and 4) decrease the number of human pathogens in waste water effluents. The selection of bioenergy crops will be based not only on the need to maximise biomass production, but also their potential suitability for water quality improvement and also the additional ecosystem service they can provide. We will work with experts from academia, industry, NGOs and government to comprehensively review issues relevant to the development of the technology. We will organise two workshops to discuss the proposal aims in detail. The first of these will include a range of organisations from different fields with a stakeholder or beneficiary interest in the area. The workshop participants will be asked to consider two potentially contrasting strategies for tackling the resource recovery challenge: 1) a pragmatic approach that will focus on how innovation can complement existing technology; and 2) a visionary approach that would aim to more radically change the way we deal with waste effluents. Comprehensive reviews of the extensive literature on phytoremediation will be conducted that will help to identify the most feasible may forward (e.g. choice of species, growing conditions, effectiveness of pollutant and pathogen removal). These results will be published in a review article on the evidence base for using bioenergy crops for the recovery and remediation of waste water originating from farms, households and industry (e.g., shale gas fracking fluid). A second workshop will be attended by a subset of the initial workshop attendees with the remit to produce a solutions-oriented Research Grant application to NERC.