Daphne water solutions for the removal of emerging pollutants from wastewater: market assessment and technical feasibility

化学品造成的环境污染已被欧盟委员会认定为一个环境问题。限制药品对人类和环境健康影响的立法措施将于2018年下半年实施（第2013/39/EU号指令），而新的农药使用法规将根据2020年《水框架指令》的结果确定。现有的药物去除技术（臭氧化、氯化和紫外线处理）效率低下，需要专门的基础设施和持续的能源供应。从废水中去除农药的技术在某种程度上更为有效。然而，就药品而言，消除农药需要特殊的基础设施和/或过滤系统，而且需要能源。Orsini博士测试并优化了一种环境友好且具有成本效益的生物解决方案，用于在实验室环境中从废水中去除药物和农药。与人类工程结构相比，这种解决方案非常有效，只需要最少的基础设施，并且能源需求最少。该解决方案使用天然存在的活性滤料水蚤作为去除剂，利用其在周围介质的主动过滤后代谢化学物质的能力。实验室实验表明，水蚤的效率是细菌或藻类的两倍，可以在几天内完全清除。该探路者计划的目的是通过市场评估、确定支持可行性研究的工业合作伙伴以及确定在现有污水处理厂工作流程中实施DWS的实际解决方案，来规划DWS的全面市场开发。探路者有以下四个目标：1。委托进行独立的市场评估确认目标终端用户并确保早期采用者的安全。3. 与早期采用者合作，确定将DWS引入污水处理厂典型工作流程所需的基础设施调整。了解终端用户对早期采用的需求，将澄清提供专家知识和实现支持的咨询服务是否是DWS.4进入市场的首选途径。为了在最终用户中找到一个愿意提供实物支持的工业合作伙伴，并为可行性研究提供实地场地。随着废水中药物的监管即将到位，政府、地方当局和行业将需要实施从废水中去除化学物质的解决方案。目前用于去除药物的解决方案的去除效率约为50%，保留时间为数周，能耗高于1.2 kw /m。此外，它们需要安装中型到大型基础设施并产生废物，其处置会增加费用并对人类和环境健康产生影响。与工程解决方案相比，DWS利用自然生物资源，所需的基础设施最少，包括由细网包围的密封笼，并且不产生二次废物。定期从笼中取出的水蚤将以肥料和/或鱼食的形式产生能量。因此，DWS在解决发达国家和发展中国家的水卫生和水质问题方面具有很大的潜力。利益相关者：大华银行、生物科学学院、伯明翰水务委员会、水务公司、技术和创新咨询机构、政策制定者、非政府组织、欧洲食品安全局、DEFRA、欧盟委员会、美国环保署

Environmental pollution caused by chemicals is acknowledged by the European Commission as an environmental problem. Legislative measures to limit the impact of pharmaceuticals on human and environmental health will take place in the second half of 2018 (Directive 2013/39/EU), whereas new regulations for pesticide use will be determined by the outcome of the Water Framework Directive in 2020. Existing technologies for the removal of pharmaceuticals (ozonation, chlorination and UV treatment) are inefficient, require specialized infrastructures, and a constant energy supply. Technologies for the removal of pesticides from wastewater are somewhat more effective. However, as for pharmaceuticals, the elimination of pesticides requires special infrastructures and/or filtration systems and it is energy demanding.Dr Orsini has tested and optimized an environmentally friendly and cost-effective biological solution for the removal of pharmaceuticals and pesticides from wastewaters in laboratory environments. As compared to human-engineered structures, this solution is highly effective, requires minimal infrastructures, and has minimal energy demand. The solution uses the naturally occurring, active filter feeder Daphnia as a removal agent, capitalizing on its ability to metabolize chemicals following the active filtering of the surrounding medium. Laboratory experiments show that Daphnia is twice as efficient as bacteria or algae, reaching complete removal within a few days. The purpose of this Pathfinder is to plan the full development to market of DWS through a market assessment, the identification of an industrial partner supporting a feasibility study and the identification of practical solutions for the implementation of DWS in existing wastewater plant workflows. The pathfinder has the following four objectives:1. To commission an independent market assessment2. To confirm target end-users and secure early-adopters. 3. To engage with early adopters to identify infrastructure adjustments needed to introduce DWS into a typical workflow of wastewater treatment plants. Understanding the end user needs for early adoption will clarify whether a consultancy service that provides expert known how and implementation support is the preferred pathway to market for DWS.4. To identify an industrial partner among the end users that is ready to provide in-kind support and a field site for a feasibility studyWith the regulation of pharmaceuticals in wastewater soon in place, the government, local authorities and industry will be required to implement solutions for the removal of chemicals from wastewater. Current solutions for the removal of pharmaceuticals have an efficiency removal of about 50%, a retention time of weeks, and energy consumption above 1.2.kW/m. Moreover, they require the installation of medium to large infrastructures and produce waste, which disposal imposes additional costs and impacts on human and environmental health. As compared to engineered solutions, DWS uses natural biological resources, requires minimal infrastructures consisting of a containment cage surrounded by a fine mesh, and does not produce secondary waste. Daphnia removed periodically from the cages will generate energy in the form of fertilizers and/or fish food. Therefore, DWS has high potential for solving the problems of water sanitation and water quality in both developed and developing countries.Keywords: pharmaceutical removal, wastewater, surface water, bioremediation, water utilities, technology consultancy Stakeholders: UoB, School of Biosciences, Birmingham Water Council, water utilities, technology and innovation consultancy agencies, policy makers, NGOs, EFSA, DEFRA, European Commission, USEPA