Ecosafefarming

The aim of ECOSAFEFARMING (www.ecosafefarming.com) was to develop and implement a novel and energy efficient tertiary treatment technology enabling reuse of urban wastewater (UWW) for agricultural irrigation. The project also addressed issues related to safe food production, e.g. fate and transport of emerging contaminants and cross-contamination with pathogens. In more detail, the specific objectives of this project and achievements are listed as follows:

• Design and analysis of a solar-driven photocatalytic-electrodialysis (PCED) reactor for wastewater treatment and reuse while producing Lab-scale PCED and PEC reactors were tested for main variable such as temperature, irradiation, electrical current, voltage, pH, desalination efficiency, and wastewater treatment efficiency. Hydrogen gas production was monitored for PEC reactor and required modelling studies were conducted for the scaled-up prototype.
• Investigation of disinfection\ detoxification performance of the PCED reactor and solar driven processes fate and transport of CECs,          formation, identification and quantification of by-products
• Modification of PCED reactors with membrane photoelectrode assemblies (MPEAs) in order to optimize hydrogen production.
• Investigation of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for wastewater treatment processes at anode chamber. In this context, multiple designs of reactor configurations were developed and analysed in order to optimize the reactor for the treatment of secondary treated UWW.
• A comprehensive thermodynamic and hydrodynamic modelling for the proposed system and complete the performance assessment, energy and exergy analyses of the system thermodynamically.
• Investigation and development of strategies for scaling and biofouling issues regarding membranes by simulating the reactor conditions.
• Field applications in Turkey (MIR), Spain (CIEMAT-PSA) and Canada (UOIT).
• Cultivation in greenhouse and hydroponic systems and plant growth using PCED-treated water.
• Reduction of water pathogens and CECs from UWW and crops.
• Health Risk Assessment of the entire UWW treatment & irrigation reuse approach
• Successful dissemination of project results.

The main expected output of this study was to getting one step closer to bringing solutions to water supply issues in especially in rural and agricultural areas. In this context, PCED and PEC reactors, which had the features mentioned above, were successfully designed, built and implemented by ECOSAFEFARMING consortium. Utilization of the treated wastewater with PCED reactor in agriculture will help to reduce water consumption, decrease environmental impacts of wastewater discharge, and protect public health for all applications and especially for fruit and vegetable production to ensure food safety in the local and international markets. Moreover, by producing H2 gas which was considered as clean energy carrier, it was expected to reduce carbon emissions and impacts of global warming.

The project lasts 36 months (3 years) and is organised into seven key work packages (WPs); 
WP1: Project Management and Coordination, 
WP2: Lab-Scale Development, Optimization and Implementation of the Reactor; 
WP3: Prototype Design and Production of Novel Reactor, 
WP4: Case Studies for Agricultural Reuse; 
WP5: Monitoring and Evaluation of Wastewater Reuse, Impact on Plant and Soil; 
WP6: Risk Assessments of Solar Reuse System and 
WP7: Dissemination of findings.

WP1, 0-36 months, IU, UOIT, BUT, CIEMAT-PSA, MIR., 
WP2, 3-19 months, IU, UOIT, CIEMAT-PSA, BUT, 
WP3, 12-22 months, IU, UOIT, CIEMAT-PSA, 
WP4, 20-33 months, IU, CIEMAT-PSA, MIR, 
WP5, 20-33 months, IU, CIEMAT-PSA, MIR, 
WP6, 25-36 months, IU, UOIT, BUT, CIEMAT-PSA, MIR, 
WP7, 30-36 months, IU, UOIT, BUT, CIEMAT-PSA, MIR.

 This project aims to develop novel solar (UV) PCED reactor systems for the disinfection and desalination of urban wastewater for agricultural reuse.