A sensor that detects PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’. A material that can selectively remove textile dyes from water. Biodegradable disinfectants. These have been identified as some of the most promising solutions for tackling water pollution, through a global challenge, run by IN-PART, and with the backing of global companies tackling water pollution and wastewater challenges.
Poor water quality remains a pervasive problem globally, causing 1.8 million deaths each year and yielding an additional critical burden of chronic diseases. Water is embedded in a whole range of industrial processes, from chemicals and materials production to consumer goods and agriculture, and the commercial sector is looking for innovative ways to monitor and treat the wastewater they produce.
As part of the Global Challenge Campaign, IN-PART invited the global research community to submit water monitoring and treatment solutions, surfacing over 100 innovations from around the world over a six-week period. All new breakthroughs submitted were then reviewed by IN-PART’s industry campaign partners - De Nora, Evoqua, Hach and Puraffinity – alongside other companies across
The top 20 water innovations – defined by those that received the most interest from the global water treatment and monitoring industry – include:
Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology are developing a portable, low-cost, reusable sensor to detect and quantify up to 10 different PFAS molecules (per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances – complex molecules known as ‘Forever Chemicals’ as they take thousands of years to break down) in a water sample in one use.
A wastewater removal treatment to dye for
Researchers at North Carolina State University have designed a material that can remove dyes selectively to overcome the damage to aquatic and public health caused by dye-contaminated water sources. This cost-effective material can be regenerated along with the dye it has removed from an aqueous solution.
Over 70% of disinfectants available on the market are based on compounds, which are corrosive and not dissolvable in water. This has a number of harmful effects including increased bacterial resistance in water. At Université de Sherbrooke, Canada, researchers are developing specialised molecules - micelles based on ionic liquids and essential oils – which are anti-bacterial, and which have custom-designed biodegradability rates.
Magnetic cell-enrichment technology: An attractive solution
For public health and safety of humans and livestock, it is important to monitor and identify pathogens in the environment and food supplies. Michigan State University researchers have developed a biosensor that uses magnetic nanoparticles (MACE). These particles can cling to and extract pathogens from chemically complex environmental samples, allowing for swift pathogen detection and high sensitivity.
The full list of Top Water Innovations received as part of the campaign are profiled on the IN-PART website here.
A breakdown of the entries reveals that nearly half (43%) relate to the treatment of water for pollutants, while one in five relate to the treatment of water for natural particulates and pathogens (20%). A further 17% are focused on the detection of pollutants in water.
When it comes to commercial applications, over a quarter of the innovations surfaced (27%) are designed for use in water treatment plants, while nearly one in five (19%) are applicable in water purification filters, 17% in water quality monitoring, and 14% for clean-up operations for water bodies.
The United States is leading the way when it comes to researching water pollution and wastewater treatment, with 67% of submissions originating from its universities. A further 15% originate from the UK, followed by 5% from Canada and 4% from Luxembourg.
The full results of the Challenge are detailed in a whit
