General

Dr Fabio Bacci is innovation manager at engineering company Glan Agua. Multiple solutions to the challenge on emerging contaminants were under discussion at British Water’s recent micropollutants conference. Here, Dr Fabio Bacci reflects on key learnings, and makes a plea for enhanced cross-sectoral synergies. Trace contaminants in both drinking water and wastewater pose significant challenges […]

For the first time in history, serious and immediate human-made health risks are unfolding on a planetary scale. Water pollution by microplastics and micropollutants is a serious emerging health hazard. Here we set out the extent of the problem and possible solutions to reduce the tide of pollution. Despite limited evidence on the adverse impacts

Imagine millions of soapy sponges the size of human cells that can clean water by soaking up contaminants. This simplistic model is used to describe technology that MIT chemical engineers have recently developed to remove micropollutants from water —a concerning, worldwide problem. Patrick S. Doyle, the Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical Engineering, Ph.D. student

Micropollutant is the term used to refer to contaminants which are released into the natural environment in low concentrations as a by-product of household, industrial and natural processes. Despite their low levels at the point of entry into soil and water sources, many of them do not readily break down or biodegrade, meaning they can

Multiple solutions to the challenge on emerging contaminants were under discussion at British Water ’s recent micropollutants conference. Here, Dr Fabio Bacci, innovation manager at engineering company Glan Agua Ltd , reflects on key learnings, and makes a plea for enhanced cross-sectoral synergies. Trace contaminants in both drinking water and wastewater pose significant challenges to

Die Konflikte um den Zugang zu Wasser nehmen überall auf der Welt zu. Auch die Schweiz, in der das blaue Gold seit jeher in Hülle und Fülle fliesst, bleibt davon nicht verschont. Wurde jahrelang nicht einmal der Verbrauch erfasst, braucht es heute dringend neue Lösungen. Ob Seen, Flüsse oder Bäche: An Wasser mangelte es der

Vom Kachowka-Stausee hängt die Bewässerung Hunderttausender Hektar Agrarfläche ab. Die Systeme zu reparieren, könnte Jahre dauern. Die Folgen des Dammbruchs für die Landwirtschaft könnten verheerend sein. Mehr als 10.000 Hektar landwirtschaftliche Fläche sind als Folge des Dammbruchs in der Ukraine überflutet worden. Nach ukrainischen Angaben wurden 150 Tonnen Maschinenöl in den Fluss Dnipro gespült. Ob

 ETH spin-​off BluAct has developed a new kind of filter membrane. Made of whey proteins and activated carbon, it removes almost all contaminants from water – including lead, mercury, arsenic and even radioactive elements. The company’s innovative filtration devices are suitable not only for industrial wastewater treatment, but also for purifying drinking water in people’s

The water crisis has been cited by the World Economic Forum as one of the main threats to the planet. We cannot afford to lose up to 350 billion liters of freshwater per day solely through leaks in supply networks. The pressure on this resource is mounting constantly with the UN reporting that water demand

Environmental Governance is a continuing challenge for the water industry as water and wastewater utilities around the world focus on their strategies and actions to support the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and work to maintain their social licence to operate. In terms of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) obligations, water utilities are frequently less likely