What’s land recycling? Read about this German example
The city of Flensburg got a grant from the regional government of Schleswig-Holstein so that it would avoid building on new land
Smaller settlements will benefit from the new technology
Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) have come up with a revolutionary wastewater treatment technology that can significantly improve the quality of surface water. The research was supported by the National Office for Research, Development and Innovation.
The technology, developed at the Faculty of Science of the Budapest-based university, ensures the removal and disinfection of organic micro-contaminants in wastewater that has already been biologically treated. The process is carried out in specially designed containers and is easy to operate. The innovative technology can significantly help smaller settlements in wastewater treatment.
"It is well-known that UV filtering and activated carbon treatment improve the efficiency of wastewater treatment, but there is no such combined plant based on this principle," said Bence David, a biotechnologist at M1 Blue, quoted by hirado.hu.
“Our equipment helps to remove organic and inorganic substances in wastewater. The accumulation of these in natural receptors unfortunately promotes the spread of inferior organisms that seal the water surface and the sunlight, valuable nutrients do not reach the deeper layers of the water, and we see fish dying, ” he added.
The technology can remove the most common drug contamination, including antibiotics, diabetes medicines, and pain and anti-inflammatory drugs. In Hungary, there are roughly twenty to thirty types of drug residues that are constantly being detected by researchers in wastewater treatment plants. The situation is worse in the United States and Canada where more than a hundred drug residues are spotted in various surface waters, says Gyula Záray, professor at the Department of Chemistry at Eötvös Loránd University. He explains that at the end of a long chain, treated wastewater enters surface waters. Residents of Budapest and other localities along the Danube and Tisza are fortunate because the rapid river flow dilutes the stable drug molecules, but small towns need an additional purification technique to get rid of such.
“We design mobile containers and would like to implement them together with our partner. This type of container can be placed, for example, at a well in a developing country, and this system can provide two thousand people with drinking water of adequate quality, taking into account the daily water demand of three liters per day, ” added Gyula Záray, quoted by the Hungarian news agency.
It is not only in wastewater that Hungarian researchers have discovered drug derivatives in recent years. These contaminants have been detected in Lake Balaton and its catchment areas, albeit in very low concentrations. But, since drug use is on the rise on a global scale, innovative water purification solutions like the one developed by ELTE can prove to be crucial – both for the environment and human health.
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
His name is Adrian-Dragoș Benea from Romania
Find out her vision for the next five years and what’s in store for the European Union
Gotland wants to be at the forefront of this emerging mobility technology
It’s all about preventing the habit of slowing down just for the radar
Landkreis Heilbronn will also enlist the help of sensors to identify incorrectly filled organic trash bins
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
The Old Continent gets ready for the largest festival of sports
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital