Sustainable solution for water sample analysis in quality control laboratories based on biopolymer containers

Do you know how many plastic containers we generate and dispose of in our laboratories? Would it be possible to replace these plastic containers used until now with biodegradable or compostable bottles, and thus prevent the generation of microplastics, emerging pollutants potentially harmful to the environment?

As part of their commitment to innovation and the environment, Aguas de Alicante, together with AIMPLAS, the University of Alicante, Labaqua and Assur Medical, has started a research project titled: "Development of a sustainable solution based on biopolymer bottles for water sampling in quality control laboratories (B3CLab)".

 

With an overall budget of 612,139.89 euros, the project has obtained a grant of 455,940.89 euros from the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), corresponding to the call for Strategic Collaboration Projects 2023, funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2021-2027. The proposal focuses on replacing the polymers commonly used in containers employed by quality control laboratories, which come from non-biodegradable petrochemicals, with biobased and biodegradable polymers. A biobased polymer (bio origin) is one that originates, wholly or partially, from biological material; it can come from trees, crops, grasses, algae or other plant-based waste.

The importance of this initiative becomes evident when considering that just in Alicante, the number of bottles consumed by the laboratories participating in the project exceeds 82,000 units annually. The elimination of these plastics would greatly contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of quality control laboratories, in line with the principles of Green Chemistry, or environmentally friendly chemistry. This principle states that quality control laboratories cannot introduce new pollution that risks the quality of the product being analyzed; in short, we cannot be part of the same problem we are working to avoid.

To this end, the main technological objective of B3CLab is the manufacturing of biobased bottles that meet the requirements for sampling drinking water and its subsequent analysis in quality control laboratories. To achieve this, the characteristics of different plastic polymers commonly used in analysis laboratories for sampling will be studied and compared under the same working conditions with the chosen biopolymers. In addition, their suitability will be verified by studying their quality from an analytical point of view, conducting migration studies and checking the results obtained in real samples, to ensure that there are no adsorption or desorption problems in these containers.

The data will be collected in a computer system that will allow statistical analysis, graphing, and detailing of data in the manufacturing process, as well as the analysis of organic and inorganic compounds, both for the bottles manufactured with the currently used polymers and for the bottles manufactured with the chosen biopolymer. Once the suitability study is completed, the sustainability, safety, and functionality of the chosen containers will be assessed, as well as the completion of their life cycle.

The data will be collected in a computer system that will allow statistical analysis, graphing, and detailing of the data in the manufacturing process, as well as the analysis of organic and inorganic compounds, both for bottles manufactured with the polymers currently used and for bottles manufactured with the chosen biopolymer. Once the suitability study is completed, the sustainability, safety, and functionality of the chosen containers will be analyzed throughout their entire life cycle.

 

 

Aguas de Alicante has initiated the procedure for a Partnership for Innovation in circular economy and sustainability, in order to design an advanced control system for industrial discharges into the sewerage system (water quality sensors and data monitoring platform). The ultimate aim of discharge control is to enable the reuse of treated wastewater for the sustainability of water resources, or if this is not possible, its return to the environment in the best possible conditions.

An "Innovation Partnership" is an award procedure aimed at promoting Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI). 

PPI is a formal tool that allows public purchasers to tender for the procurement of a good or service that does not exist as such on the market, for which it is necessary to develop R&D&I activities. For its part, the Innovation Partnership is a particular case of this Public Procurement, in which the required developments start from a basic degree of technological maturity (R&D), going through the whole process until reaching the deployment tests of the solution in a real environment.

Aguas de Alicante has had the collaboration of the University Institute of Water and Environmental Sciences of the University of Alicante (IUACA) and the University Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia for the definition of the Association's requirements.

The project has been co-financed in 2021 by the Valencian Agency for Innovation and the European Union through the Operational Programme of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the Valencian Community.

One of the key strategies to ensure sustainable water supply in a context of increasing pressure on resources is the promotion of water reuse, which is fundamental in our region. In order to ensure the safe use of recycled water, it is a key requirement that the treatments it undergoes certify the removal of potentially dangerous pollutants (biotic and abiotic) for humans, animals and the environment. It is therefore important to provide access to technologies that can monitor the quality parameters of reclaimed water in a simple and effective way.

 

The MICROMANAGE project, partially subsidised by the Valencian Agency for Innovation (AVI) and the European Union through the ERDF programme, and in which LABAQUA, the University of Alicante and the company iGLS S.L. have participated, takes advantage of new technologies to improve water safety control plans that will help to comply with the new European reuse regulations. The implementation of innovative tools for the rapid microbiological assessment of reclaimed water brings together two cutting-edge technologies:

 1) massive nucleic acid sequencing (metagenomics) to unveil the microbial composition and genetic content of environmental samples.

 2) microfluidic qPCR that allows the simultaneous screening of up to 192 marker genes in several water samples. 

In short, these are two technologies that, in combination, allow the identification of a much wider range of viruses and bacteria than is possible with traditional solutions, with greater sensitivity and speed.

These genetic analysis techniques will provide valuable information on water quality and advanced identification of potential biocontaminants, with a pioneering preventive approach.

In this project, AMAEM explored opportunities offered by augmented reality technologies in our field. As a result, AMAEM obtained a study of solutions and proposals for the near future that define the areas of work of most interest. On a more tangible scale, two applications have been developed that use this technology in different aspects of our activity:

• Internal application to locate and consult customer meters in a rural setting.
• Application open to the public to communicate and follow the evolution of the main works planned or under way in the city.

With over 2,000 km of water distribution pipes, one priority is to optimise decisions on which networks to renew and how much to invest. Metrawa is a decision support system for renewal of distribution networks that analyses all aspects relevant to the replacement of drinking water pipes and the impact on the required level of service. The multi-parameter analysis of Metrawa includes aspects such as:

• Structural analysis: based on a model of pipe ageing.
• Water analysis: suitability of the behaviour of water in the network.
• Economic analysis: optimal renewal time considering repair costs.
• Risk analysis: considering aspects such as traffic effects, impact on service users and the existence of sensitive areas.

Metrawa is integrated with the geographic information system so that GIS data can be incorporated to provide results that consider renewal priorities, expected costs and future evolution of the structural state of the network.

If solar panels are installed in manhole covers, the electricity that is generated can be used to supply measurement devices in the covers. The installation of measurement and communication systems in water supply and sewer networks is increasingly complex due to cost and difficulty. Considering these factors and the restrictions to installing elements in streets, it is a major challenge to collect the information we need to manage water and sewer networks. Aguas de Alicante, in collaboration with Bareslan, has tested and validated a solution for the integration of solar panels in some manhole covers. The panels are strong enough to withstand being walked on and are almost indistinguishable from standard metal covers. In addition, they can be used to standardise the design of manhole covers, which facilitates maintenance.

DAIAD (http://daiad.eu/)is an initiative supported by the EU's 7th Framework Programme, undertaken with research centres, NGOs and Greek, Swiss, German and British companies. One result of the project is the development of the Amphiro b1 device, which was given the Innovation Radar Prize by the European Commission in the 'Tech for Society' category. The shower monitor Amphiro, together with the smart meter, help people to develop an awareness of their water consumption. The devices are connected to smartphones and keep a record of the user's consumption, which helps to identify trends and make comparisons. Together with the meter, an app and web platform were created to monitor (hot) water and energy consumption in the home. In addition and no less importantly, a study was undertaken on how information strategies and awareness raising via the app affect consumption. This project is supported by the voluntary participation of over a hundred homes in Alicante, which tested the system for a year with the collaboration of various NGOs in the city.

In open-air stores of reused water, stagnation and anaerobiosis may occur, associated with natural processes in this kind of reservoir. In the summer, fish may die suddenly due to high temperatures and the existence of organic matter, among other factors. To prevent these situations, a simple aeration device has been developed that is effective, energy efficient, and helps to maintain the right healthy conditions in this water.