ENEA at EXPO 2015 with technologies for water protection and sustainable management

Innovative wastewater treatment technologies exploiting the organic component through: bacterial metabolism for biogas production; processes and technologies for nutrient recovery and reuse; development of more energy-efficient purification processa. These are some of the technologies for water protection and sustainable management to be presented by ENEA at EXPO 2015.

Such technological solutions can be specifically suited to food-manufacturing industries, which make intensive water use during production and industrial transformation, while meeting the requirements imposed by the current legislation, which severely limits water disposal. Particularly, ENEA relies on microbial fuel cells, namely systems exploiting the energy produced by bacteria to power small electric devices which could also be used to  further reduce the amount of energy consumed by water purification plants down the line.

ENEA is also concerned with the study of technological solutions aimed at the recovery of water nutrients – which are particularly polluting when released in the environment, such as nitrogen and phosphorous compounds – to convert them in fertilizers for farming purposes.

"ENEA technologies allow to curb the impact of industrial processes on the environment, keeping integer the quality of products, with further positive implications for water management on the territory" says Roberto Farina, head of the ENEA Water Protection and Management Laboratory, who researches the whole water cycle alongside his staff: from potable water supply, quality safeguard, and sustainable water management to wastewater reuse and recycling. “Today, technology innovation allows to reuse process water by removing pollutants whilst recovering wastewater and the raw materials they contain".

For further information:

Roberto Farina, ENEA Bologna Research Centre, roberto.farina@enea.it