Project ELEM

Project SS06020091 Development of advanced technology for the removal of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants from wastewater produced by medical facilities is co-financed from the state budget by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of the Environment within the "Prostředí pro život" Programme. This project is funded under the National Recovery Plan from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Brief description of the project

The principal of the proposed project is the development of an effective technology for the treatment of wastewater produced by medical facilities, which will lead to the removal of problematic drugs and their metabolites (e.g. parabens, cotinine, caffeine, salbutamol, mefenamic acid, cimetidine, sulfamethoxazole, propranolol, metoprolol, clenbuterol, diclofenac, ibuprofen , bezafibrate, carbamazepine, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil) and other micropollutants causing environmental contamination. For this purpose, heterogeneous catalysis and the subsequent purification of decomposed products in the biofilm system will be primarily tested. Furthermore, natural sorbents capable of capturing selected micropollutants will be developed, which will serve primarily as an safety component of the complete technology.

Project objectives

The goal is to develop an effective hybrid wastewater treatment technology (physical-chemical; biological separation) that will lead to the removal of drugs, their metabolites and other micropollutants causing environmental contamination from concentrated wastewater produced by medical facilities. For this purpose, heterogeneous catalysis and the subsequent purification of decomposed products in the biofilm system will be primarily tested. Attention will also be focused on the sorption system, which should primarily serve as a safety element of the complete technology. The goal is to create such a hybrid solution that, with its design and concept, becomes easily accessible and applicable to a wide range of operators of sewage treatment infrastructure, without representing an extreme economic costs.

Project results

SS06020091-V1 Hybrid technology for the removal of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants from wastewater produced by medical facilities