Scientists from Gdańsk and Wrocław have obtained a patent for an invenion aimed at removing hormone-disrupting pollutants from water. The innovative method reduces the cost of purifying surface waters from biologically active compounds, including pharmaceutical residues.
Developed by researchers from University of Gdańsk and the Medical University of Gdańsk, the Faculty of Chemistry at UG, and Wrocław University of Science and Technology, the patented method offers a safe and cost-effective solution for degrading harmful substances without the use of additional chemicals or high temperatures. It holds great potential for use in industries such as pharmaceuticals and agriculture, reducing their environmental impact.
The technology is based on the use of non-thermal atmospheric plasma. The process takes place using a specially designed system, in which a flowing aqueous solution is exposed to cold plasma generated in air at atmospheric pressure through the initiation of a glow discharge. The innovativeness of the method lies, among other things, in the continuous and flow-through nature of the reaction-discharge system, the ability to simultaneously and effectively remove at least seven different biologically active contaminants, and the fact that no noble gases are required for plasma generation — significantly reducing the overall operating costs.
In a specially designed system, a flowing aqueous solution is exposed to cold plasma generated in ambient air using glow discharge under atmospheric pressure. The process is both continuous and scalable, allowing for the effective removal of at least seven different biologically active contaminants without the need for noble gases—significantly lowering operational costs.
The invention represents an important step forward in addressing environmental contamination by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), by enabling their effective degradation without the need for harmful oxidizing or reducing agents.
The University of Gdańsk research team includes Dr. Agata Motyka-Pomagruk and Dr. hab. inż. Wojciech Śledź from the Department of Plant Protection and Biotechnology at the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, as well as Dr. hab. Magda Caban, Prof. UG, and Prof. Dr. hab. Piotr Stepnowski from the Faculty of Chemistry. The project was led by Dr. hab. inż. Anna Dzimitrowicz, Prof. PWr, from Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
Source:
