EPrints IMDEA Water Institute
Not a member yet
1133 research outputs found
Sort by
Innovación electroquímica para el tratamiento del agua residual cervecera
No full textEl proyecto Life-ANSWER (soluciones avanzadas de nutrientes con recuperación electroquímica) tiene como objetivo proporcionar una tecnología innovadora que integre la electrocoagulación y la electroquímica microbiana para el tratamiento de aguas residuales de la industria agroalimentaria. El sistema ANSWER permite reutilizar el agua tratada, produciendo biogás enriquecido (CH4 + H2) y fertilizante a partir del agua residual
Landscape Dynamics in Mediterranean Coastal Areas: Castelló de la Plana in the Last Hundred Years
No full textThe littoral areas of the Mediterranean coastline have undergone a significant transformation due to their historical and intense human occupation. The result has been an evolution of different cultural landscape configurations, ranging from those with a marked agrarian character to artificial ones derived from the process of urbanisation and metropolitan growth. The objective of this paper is to define a model to characterise landscape types and units that explains the landscape dynamics (1910-2015) in Mediterranean coastal spaces at local scale, taking as study area the municipality and surroundings of Castelló de la Plana, in Spain. The aim is to identify the way in which society has appropriated and occupied this space. This research seeks to analyse landscape metrics that link dynamics in both space and time to provide a comprehensive image of landscape dynamics. The methodological procedure is based on the diachronic study of the landscape to discern a pattern of change in the cultural landscape over time and space that allows us to explain the current situation of the landscape and its relationship with urbanisation and urban planning
The problem of drinking water access: A review of disinfection technologies with an emphasis on solar treatment methods
No full textThe lack of access to safe drinking water is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity in the 21th century. Despite the collective global effort that has been made, the drinking water sources of at least 2 billion people are faecally contaminated, resulting in more than half a million diarrhoeal deaths each year, with the majority occurring in developing countries. Technologies for the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in water are therefore of great significance for human health and well-being. However, conventional technologies to provide drinking water, although effective, present limitations that impede their global application. These treatment methods often have high energy and chemical demands, which limits their application for the prevention of waterborne diseases in the most vulnerable regions. These shortcomings have led to rapid research and development of advanced alternative technologies. One of these alternative methods is solar disinfection, which is recognised by the World Health Organization as one of the most appropriate methods for producing drinkable water in developing countries. This study reviews conventional technologies that are being applied at medium to large scales to purify water and emerging technologies currently in development. In addition, this paper describes the merits, demerits, and limitations of these technologies. Finally, the review focuses on solar disinfection, including a novel technology recently developed in this field
The role of freshwater copepods in the environmental risk assessment of caffeine and propranolol mixtures in the surface water bodies of Spain
No full textIn this study we aimed at assessing: (i) the environmental risk posed by mixtures of caffeine and propranolol to the freshwater ecosystems of Spain; (ii) the sensitivity of freshwater copepod species to the two compounds; (iii) if the toxicity of caffeine and propranolol to freshwater copepods contributes to the environmental risk posed by the two compounds in the freshwater bodies of Spain. The environmental risk was computed as the ratio of MECs (i.e. the measured environmental concentrations) to PNECs (i.e. the respective predicted no-effect concentrations). The effects of caffeine and propranolol on the freshwater cyclopoid Diacyclops crassicaudis crassicaudis were tested both individually and in binary mixtures. Propranolol posed an environmental risk in some but not in all the surface water ecosystems of Spain investigated in this study, while caffeine posed an environmental risk to all the investigated freshwater bodies, both as single compound and in the mixture with propranolol. Propranolol was the most toxic compound to D.crassicaudis crassicaudis, while caffeine was non-toxic to this species. The CA model predicted the toxicity of the propranolol and caffeine mixture for this species. D.crassicaudis crassicaudis was much less sensitive than several other aquatic species to both compounds. The sensitivity of D.crassicaudis crassicaudis does not increase the environmental risk posed by the two compounds in the freshwater bodies of Spain, however, further testing is recommended since the effect of toxicants on freshwater copepods can be more pronounced under multiple stressors and temperature increasing due to climate change
Electroactive Biofilm-based Constructed Wetland (EABB-CW): a mesocosm-scale test of an innovative setup for wastewater treatment
No full textConstructed wetlands (CWs) performance enhancement can be done with intensification strategies. A recent strategy still in study is the coupling with Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (MET). An alternative system using electro-conductive biofilters instead of electrodes and circuits used in MET, resulted in the development of a Microbial Electrochemical-based CW (METland). This system relies on electroactive bacteria (EAB) metabolism to transfer electrons to an electro-conductive material, thus boosting substrate consumption, and diminishing electron availability for biomass build-up and methane generation. In previous studies this biofilters have shown an improvement in biodegradation rates in comparison with subsurface flow CW. However, this set-up is still in development, hence there are uncertainties regarding the dynamics involve in the removal of pollutants. Considering that, this work aimed at establishing the capacity and removal kinetics of organic matter and nutrients in an Electroactive Biofilm-Based CW (EABB-CW). Two electro-conductive materials were tested (PK-A and PK-LSN) in planted and non-planted mesocosms and compared with sand. The systems were operated in a continuous upflow mode for 32 weeks and fed with real wastewater. The electro-conductive systems reached removal efficiencies up to 88% for BOD5, 90% for COD, 46% for NH4-N, and 86% for PO4-P. Organic matter removal in electro-conductive systems was possible even at loading rates 10-fold higher than recommended for horizontal flow CWs. First-order area-based removal constants (k), calculated for organic matter and nutrients are higher than values typically reported for saturated CW and in certain cases comparable with vertical flow CW. The organic removal was correlated with electron current densities measures, as indicator of the presence of EAB. The tested EABB-CW profiles as a promising CW type for the removal of organic matter and PO4-P with margin for modifications to improve nitrogen removal. Future studies with pilot/real scale systems are proposed to validate the findings of this study
Avances en la aplicación de principios económicos en los impuestos sobre el agua en España
No full textEconomía Circular e innovación en el tratamiento de aguas residuales de la industria cervecera
No full textLa industria alimentaria española es el primer sector industrial del país experimentando una expansión progresiva por quinto año consecutivo, según los datos de la Federación Española de Industrias de Alimentación y Bebidas (FIAB). En concreto, el sector cervecero tiene un papel clave en el panorama agroalimentario, con una facturación cercana al sector del vino y del aceite de oliva. Para llevar a cabo su actividad, este tipo de industria requiere grandes volúmenes de agua, que al final de proceso se transforman en agua residual que debe ser convenientemente tratada para cumplir con las normativas legales europeas y españolas
Use of models for the environmental risk assessment of veterinary medicines in European aquaculture: current situation and future perspectives
No full textVeterinary Medicinal Products (VMPs) are used in intensive aquaculture production to treat a wide range of bacterial and parasitic infestations. Their release into the environment poses concerns regarding their potential ecotoxicological risks to aquatic ecosystems, which need to be evaluated making use of appropriate Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) schemes and models. This study presents an overview of the major aquaculture production systems in Europe, the VMPs most commonly used, and the environmental quality standards and regulatory procedures available for their ERA. Furthermore, it describes the state‐of‐the‐art on the development of environmental models capable of assessing the fate, exposure, ecotoxicological effects and risks of VMPs in aquaculture production systems, and discusses their level of development and implementation within European aquaculture. This study shows that the use of environmental models in regulatory ERA is somewhat limited in many European countries. Major efforts have been dedicated to assess the fate and exposure of antiparasitic compounds in salmonid cage systems, particularly in Scotland, while models and scenarios for assessing dispersal of antimicrobials, in general, and antiparasitic compounds in the Mediterranean as well as in Scandinavian regions are less available. On the other hand, the use of ecological models for assessing the effects and risks of VMPs is almost absent. Recommendations are provided to improve the chemical exposure and effect assessments and the ecological realism of the modelling outcomes, paying special attention to the protection goals set for the regulatory ERA of VMPs in Europe
