Making access to fresh water possible for everyone

Purification of contaminated water will give millions of people access to safe water for drinking and irrigation. EU-funded scientists are developing simple and inexpensive technology to facilitate this.

Water is necessary for life, yet access to clean water is often limited in developing countries or remote and dry areas as a result of population growth, over-use and contamination. Furthermore, water purification infrastructure costs can be prohibitive. EU-funded scientists seek to develop simple and inexpensive water purification and reclamation technology to alleviate this important problem. For this purpose, they initiated the EU-funded project ''Nano-structured TiON photocatalytic membranes for water treatment'' (NATIOMEM).

Membranes functionalised with photocatalytic material do not require electrical power, chemicals or expensive infrastructure to filter large particles, kill microorganisms, mineralise organic pollutants and oxidise dissolved metals. N-doped titanium dioxide (TiON) is a photocatalytic material suitable for environmental applications.

Several coating techniques were used to produce TiON coatings on glass substrates resulting in significant removal of selected organic pollutants and bacteria following solar irradiation. The most promising candidates were applied to membrane substrates consisting of silicon carbide (SiC), aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and metal membranes with pore sizes suitable for microfiltration. Test units were used to evaluate photocatalytic performance, physical properties and membrane fouling. These units had full control and monitoring of flow, temperature and pressure with flow cell operation under a solar simulator. Initial permeability tests demonstrated no effect of coating on flow through the membrane.

Two of the three pilot units have been constructed and will begin operating shortly. In South Africa, the system will be used to provide potable water from rain as well as from contaminated ground and surface water. In Jordan, household wastewater (so-called greywater) will be treated for re-use in non-potable applications such as toilet flushing and irrigation. Potentially unsafe piped water will be disinfected to reduce dependence on bottled water.

NATIOMEM technology will enable point-of-use water filtration and purification with photocatalytic membranes that require no electricity or other infrastructure. It promises to provide safe and clean water to millions in under-served populations struggling for access in an economically viable manner.

Related link:
http://cordis.europa.eu