IIT Kharagpur and Cardiff University have jointly bagged the Global Challenges Research Fund – Impact Acceleration Account (GCRF-IAA) Project 2020 and they are set to jointly develop a wastewater treatment solution.
Researchers from IIT Kharagpur and Cardiff University have jointly bagged the Global Challenges Research Fund Impact Acceleration Account (GCRF-IAA) Project 2020 towards the development of a photo-electro-catalytic (PEC) reactor for wastewater treatment.
Wastewater is increasingly becoming a global ‘health and livelihood challenge’, especially in developing countries.
According to UN-Water, globally, 80% of wastewater re-enters the ecosystem without any treatment affecting the health and livelihood of around 1.8 billion people.
However, this wastewater can play a significant role in addressing urban water challenges, production of bioenergy, and even serve as a resource in sustainable agriculture and industries.
Over the years, researchers at IIT Kharagpur have developed innovative solutions for recycling and reusing wastewater and wet-waste.
What is the main problem with wastewater treatment?
A key issue in wastewater treatment is the removal of recalcitrant organic pollutants. Photo-electro-catalysis is an effective and sustainable mechanism that employs photocatalysts to degrade the polluting particles
A Rajakumar
At IIT Kharagpur we will initiate catalytic development, characterization, design of the PEC plant, and optimizing the technology to make a proof of concept for end-users/industries
he added.
How are the top institutes preparing for their wastewater solution research?
The scientists at the School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, UK will conduct sophisticated studies on the catalytic materials using technical tools and high-end computational calculations.
“We are planning to do testing of the pilot-plant operation in the field after initial lab-based experiments and demonstrate the outcome for the benefit of industries by offering a reliable solution of water treatment technology,”
remarked Prof. MM Ghangrekar. Further explaining the functioning of the PEC reactor, he said that it would be very effective in removing emerging contaminants, which are not getting removed in the conventional treatment to make the water safe for any reuse after suitable disinfection as per the need.
The GCRF grant, which part of the £1.5 billion funds coordinated by UK Research and Innovation, will ensure the maximization of collaborative opportunities between the two institutions as part of its mandate to address the challenges faced by developing countries in agreement with the UN sustainable development goals.
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