VALORBIO
POCI-01-0145-FEDER-023314
Valorização de resíduos através de zonas húmidas modulares usadas para tratamento de águas residuais.
Wastes valorisation through modular constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment.
The project aims to meet the need for treating and reusing wastewater and solid wastes from industries in the region, particularly from small and medium-sized industrial and agricultural activities. To this end, developing modular systems based on Constructed Wetlands (CW) technology capable of adapting to the size of the region’s industries, is proposed. CW are a biological, eco-efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment technology. The project goals promote the involvement of industries in the social objective of protecting the environment and improving the quality of life of populations, in this case through a sustainable management of wastes and water resources. The project entails the concept of circular economy and the logic of using “waste to treat waste” because it will explore the possibility of treatment systems being composed of waste and by-products of many important sectors in Central Portugal (forestry, food, livestock, rocks extraction and processing, among others).
Domínio Científico Principal: Ciências da Engenharia e Tecnologias.
Área Científica Principal: Biotecnologia Ambiental.
PARCERIA:
INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO DE TOMAR
INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO DE COIMBRA
INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO DE PORTALEGRE
INVESTIGADOR RESPONSÁVEL IPC:
PAULO JORGE RODRIGUES ISABEL (ESTeSC)
FINANCIAMENTO
Investimento Elegível: €
Investimento Elegível IPC: 11.138,36 €
DESCRIÇÃO SUMÁRIA:
There is a significant number of industrial units and holdings of the agroindustry, livestock and food processing sectors in Central Portugal with specific needs in terms of wastewater treatment, namely poultry farms, slaughterhouses, meat products industries, fruits and vegetables industries, distilleries, olive oil mills, among others. Although many industries in these sectors already have at least pre-treatment systems, the wastewaters are generally transferred to municipal WWTPs, overloading and hampering their operation.
The work to be undertaken is based on the knowledge available about the implementation and operation of Constructed Wetlands (CW, commonly called Macrophyte-planted WWTPs). The aim is to design a modular system that is easily adaptable to the specifics of each industrial unit and can be expanded according to their future needs.
CW are a more eco-friendly and sustainable wastewater treatment technology. They are designed to take advantage, in a controlled and optimised manner, of the processes taking place in natural wetlands. Wastewater is purified as it passes through a bed planted with macrophytes. Contaminants are assimilated by plants and by physical and chemical processes, namely precipitation and adsorption, that occur in the material that makes up the bed. The main focus of the project is to design, build and test a modular CW system using forestry-based materials and involving an enterprise engaged in the exploration of wood products and by-products, as a partner. There are three other equally important objectives: (1) To test as CW filling waste materials and by-products generated in the region, such as fragments of stone and other materials used in construction, slag from burning coal in the thermoelectric plant of the region, waste from forestry, agricultural and food industry activities, among others, potentially enhancing the market value of those materials; (2) To evaluate the quality of the treated waters and define the conditions underwhich they can be reused or valorised, for example for irrigation or for washing floors, which would reduce water consumption and protect water resources; (3) To assess the potential and conditions for the recovery of plant biomass produced in CW, particularly as a source of renewable energy.
Período de execução:
Data de início: 01/05/2017
Data de termo: 31/10/2018
Localização:
Centro: 93,56%
Norte: 6, 44%
