successful
The range of factors involved in ensuring sand filtration is one of
the
reasons diagnosing problems is so difficult. The project is fortunate to have a very strong group at the university with a wide range of specialist interests covering modelling, engineering, and chemistry, as well as a significant amount of microbiology, a field in which Professor Albrechtsen has been active for over 20 years. The range of disciplines within the group is important.
and try to figure out what tools we need,” he smiles. The researchers go to the water companies to talk to them directly about the problems. “In that way I see good potential for innovation in new knowledge, creative commons and a service to the community,” he adds. The project has four years’ worth of
funding and is currently around halfway through. “It’s always the way with projects like this that you spend a lot of time at the
Project Information AT A GLANCE
Project Title: DWBIOFILTERS: Sustainable drinking water treatment–biological filters
Project Objective: Biological (rapid sand) filters are a widespread technology, but the underlyingmicrobial processes are poorly understood. The project will improve themanagement and performance of biofilters by investigations of themicroorganisms responsible for the individual processes, and provide insight in the processmechanisms kinetics and effects of environmental factors.
Project Duration and Timing: 4 years,March 2010 to February 2014
Rapid sand filters in drinking water production
“You have to have a kind of ecological approach to really understand the environments for these microorganisms,” he explains. “Back washing, the whole construction of the filter, hydraulic aspects — how fast the water comes through the filters, and so on — all these conditions are crucial for the bacteria.” Most of the core research activity for the
project is taken on by the group at DTU, which comprises two of Prof Albrechtsen’s close colleagues Prof. Barth F. Smets and Prof Philip J. Binning, four PhD students and two postdoctoral
researchers. “It’s a little
unusual compared with many of the other projects that I’ve been involved in,” says Professor Albrechtsen. Often the researchers in a project are dispersed among a number of institutions and countries. Naturally, there are still links with international partners within the project. In addition, the students in the group are from different countries across the world, so further international collaborations in the future are likely. However having such a strong group of researchers within the university is a great advantage. One of the other key strengths of the project
are the close connections between the university and the water companies, as well as the companies that supply the raw materials to the water companies. “It is not just a matter of me sitting in an ivory tower
www.projectsmagazine.eu.com
beginning figuring out what methods are relevant for analysis and for making the experimental set up , as well as training people to use them and so on,” says Professor Albrechtsen. However the team are now at a stage where they can study the sand filtration processes in detail. This includes a number of scales, from the use of molecular modelling tools to study the composition and diversity of the microorganism community at the level of one grain of sand, to studies at a full scale plant where they can study the filtration profile of compounds throughout the filter. For studies at intermediate scales, small portions of materials are taken from water works to study different processes under very controlled conditions. The researchers also use a small as well as full scale laboratory column where they can study the system with a high level of control over the flow, pH, temperature, chemicals such as ammonia, and other physical conditions. “The goal,” says Professor Albrechtsen,
“would be to have a toolbox so that we can strategically diagnose problems.” The range of parameters to juggle in order to achieve this aim is quite awesome. Yet with the mounting interest in sustainable alternatives to the more chemically and energetically intensive membrane treatments, the benefits of developing a more strategic approach to sand filtration merit the challenge.
★ 121
Project Funding: 11.0mio DKK (1.5mio Euro) fromDanish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation. 6.4mio DKK (0.8mio Euro) self-financing from partners.
Main Contact:
Hans-Jørgen Albrechtsen Professor in Public Health Engineering and Head of Section, UrbanWater Engineering, DTU Environment. Over 200 international publications and leader of several national and international research projects. The major focus of the ongoing research is onwater treatment andmicrobial and safety aspects of drinkingwater - from the catchments to the consumers tap.
Contact: Tel: +45 4525 1586 Email:
hana@env.dtu.dk Web: www.
env.dtu.dk
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