ProWsper

ProWsper How to PROtect Water, Soil and Plants production all togethER
Project Website
			Coordinator: Dr.eng. Tanţa-Verona Iordache
			Projects Partner and Institution: CO-P1-National Research & Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry-ICECHIM, Bucharest, Romania P2-National Research & Development Institute for Soil Sciences, Agrochemistry and Environment - ICPA, Bucharest, Romania P3-University of Toulon-MAPIEM Laboratory, Toulon, France P4-University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Key words:
Abstract: The need for innovative strategies for water and soil protection that substitute the time-, energy- and resource-consuming remediation processes with other more efficient and environmentally-friendly is becoming urgent. In this respect, the interest of this project was to promote such solutions for public and private practitioners and to up-rise industrial competitiveness through economically sustainable technologies/products, in the Agriculture Field and indirectly in the Water Management aria. Therefore, this project practically developed protective composite layers (as end-products) with high efficiency towards pollution of underground water and soil, but without affecting the plants growth. ProWsper was an experimental and demonstrative research project conducted in partnership with four prestigious Institutions from three European countries (ICECHIM and ICPA from Romania, University of Toulon-Lab. MAPIEM from France and University of Coimbra from Portugal) that face these common problems. The main objective of the project referred to developing original, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions/products for protecting underground water and soil against nutrient and pesticide pollution while ensuring the well-balanced growth of plants (particularly, for greenhouses and small crop cultures). Applying such solutions/products during the fruit/vegetable growth cycles, reduces pollution and provides humid- and nutrient-stable environment for plant growth. In order to succeed, the implementation gap from Prototyping to Marketing and thereafter to practitioners will be narrowed by social/industrial awareness campaigns using various channels (short interview-radio; workshops and public reports on the project website http://icechim-rezultate.ro/proiect.php?id=23&lang=en). All partners have performed complementary activities appropriate to their expertise and skills to ensure the implementation of the project and to build-up multidisciplinary knowledge in a long-term perspective innovation, value creation and assistance in solving societal challenges. Activities implied the expertise of researchers from various domains like organic and polymer chemistry, chemical engineering, physical chemistry, analytic chemistry and agronomy. Each partner was given the role of coordinator, of at least a work package that refers to their main abilities/expertise, to successfully accomplish the proposed results in the given timescale but in an originally manner, namely using the innovative methodologies described in the workplan. Although during project implementation some delays have emerged, the four involved partners were able to unite their expertise and worktime to accomplished all the proposed specific objectives of the project and by doing so the project was finalize with the aimed results and the consortium members gain new knowledge and strengthened their collaboration. The main results achieved during project implementation refer to: 8 ISI Peer-reviewed Published Papers and 2 conference proceedings; other 7 manuscripts in preparation; 15 communications at international conference or symposia and 3 communications at national conferences; 2 Romanian Patent applications; 5 Dissertations (4 MSc affiliated); organisation of 4 workshops/round tables for knowledge exchange and awareness about the issues regarding water and soil pollution; together with the workshops, the project meetings/ work visits, i.e. project kick-off, two intermediate work meetings and the final project meeting (held in Bucharest-Romania; Coimbra-Portugal; Toulon-France; and Bucharest-Romania, respectively) were also grouped; concepts established for 4 materials types (hydrogels and clay-based materials for inorganic/organic nutrients retention and for pesticide retention) (Products, Laboratory Methodologies, DEMO in laboratory on leaching columns); concepts established for 4 types of composite layers (Prototypes, DEMO in greenhouses on tomatoes crops and Reusability Report);
Project structure: Project Management Committee (PMC) consisting of the Principal Investigators of each partner (CO-P1, P2, P3 and P4). The PMC will be the main communication and decision making platform of the project. Project Scientific Committee (PSC) consisting of the Principal Investigator from CO-P1 and Key Persons of each partner (CO-P1, P2, P3 and P4). The PSC will supervise the research and technical inputs, and control over the tasks and results dissemination. Project Financial Assistance (PFA) will involve the Economy Offices/Accounting Departments of each partner (CO-P1, P2, P3 and P4) to oversee and review the economical arrangements for the project.
Implementation: The Work Plan is composed of 5 overlapping tasks having different WP coordinators package description: WP1: Preparation of the hydrogel-silicate hybrid fillings for pesticide retention (TRL 1-3; Coordinated by CO-P1). Period: Months 1-20. WP2: Preparation of the hydrogel-clay hybrid fillings for nutrient retention (TRL 1-3; Coordinated by P3). Period: Months 1-22. WP3. Designs of the protective composite layers (TRL 3-4; Coordinated by P4). Period: Months 9-24. WP4. Validation of technologies and demonstration (TRL 5; Coordinated by P2). Period: Months 21-36. WP5. Management, dissemination and property rights. Coordinated by CO-P1. Period: Months 1-36.
Outcome/deliverables: 6 ISI Peer-reviewed OA Papers in prestigious journals, 2 international conference or symposia papers per calendar year, (iii) two national Patent applications and one European Patent application; participation to seminars and innovation salons; organisation of workshops and construction of the ProWsper website dedicated to rising awareness of the project scope, objective and results.
Main outputs: Zaharia, A., Radu, A.L., Iancu, S., Florea, A.M., Sandu, T., Minca, I., Fruth-Oprisan, V., Teodorescu, M., Sarbu, A., Iordache, T.V., RSC Advances 8 (32) 17635-17644, 2018. Ionescu, T.V. Iordache, C.E. Tebrencu, R.M. Cretu, A.M, Florea, A.L. Radu, A. Zaharia, A. Sarbu, Revista de chimie 69 (8) 2018. M.C. Filho, P.V.A. Bueno, A.F.Y. Matsushita, A.F. Rubira, E.C. Muniz, L. Durães, D.M.B. Murtinho, A.J.M. Valente. RSC Advances 2018, 8, 14609-14622. F.G.G. Cova, D. Murtinho, A.A.C.C. Pais, A.J.M. Valente. Current Organic Chemistry. 2018, 22, 2150 - 2181. Review Article More results on the project: Data and resources
References coordinator and leaders of each WP: Leader of WP1 and Coordinator of WP 5, Dr.eng.Tanţa-Verona Iordache (from CO-P1); Leader of WP 2, Prof. Dr. Fraçois Xavier Perrin (from P3); Leader of WP 3, Prof. Dr. Artur José Monteiro Valente (from P4); Leader of WP 4, Dr. eng. Carmen-Eugenia Sîrbu (from P2).
Contact Point for Communication/Dissemination activities: Dr.eng. Tanţa-Verona Iordache, Prof. Dr. Fraçois Xavier Perrin, Prof. Dr. Artur José Monteiro Valente, Dr.eng. Carmen-Eugenia Sîrbu.
Contact Point for Open Data/Open Access activities: Dr.eng. Tanţa-Verona Iordache, Prof. Dr. Fraçois Xavier Perrin, Prof. Dr. Artur José Monteiro Valente, Dr.eng. Carmen-Eugenia Sîrbu.