Avaliação e mitigação da presença de biocidas em águas urbanas - A cidade do Porto como caso de estudo

Transitioning towards resilient and sustainable cities require innovative solutions, like efficient wastewater reuse. However, the presence of biocides in urban waters can compromise these actions. PORTOBIOCIDE major goal is offer to regulatory agencies, research scientists, companies, and general population NEW NON-TOXIC SUBSTANCES with BIOCIDE ACTIVITY and NEW TOOLS to ELIMINATE harmful BIOCIDES from wastewater, in order to REDUCE THE IMPACT of urban BIOCIDES in different freshwater/marine ecosystems, and enable measures that protect human health and provide safer water resources for all. PortoBiocide EXPECTED OUTCOMES (EO) are: EO 1 - IDENTIFY AND ASSESS THE MAIN SOURCES OF BIOCIDES IN PORTO CITY State of the Art (SoA): Legal biocide use and extensive product advertising (e.g. disinfectants for COVID-19), have heightened emissions into water environments. In Portugal, data on levels and major sources are scarce. Limitations (L): Biocide widely use complicates identifying their sources location Progress Achieved (PA) in PortoBiocide: Monitor and assess biocide risk while pinpointing main city sources Specific objectives (SO): SO1.1. Determine the presence and levels of relevant biocides in urban habitats by measuring a selected number of the most common biocides (and some metabolites) at different sampling points, including a small river, residential, hospital and industrial wastewaters, and global influent waters at two WWTP SO 1.2. Assess the levels of the same biocides in the effluents waters of the same WWTP, including the waters suitable for reuse prepared in Freixo WWTP SO1.3. Develop recommendations for an environmental measure program based on the relevant lists of biocides and their metabolites identified and quantified throughout the project EO2. CONTRIBUTION TO TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCE IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT SoA: Advanced oxidation processes have high potential for eliminating contaminants from wastewaters, yet recent expert advise underscore the necessity for innovations in nanomaterials technology. L: Photocatalysis undergo limitations including limited light absorption by the catalyst, charge carrier recombination, and surface reactivity PA in PortoBiocide: Novel quantum dots (Qdots) surfaces will be utilized as photocatalytic agents to provided biocide elimination of effluent wastewaters SO2.1. Prepare Qdots with surface-level modifications SO2.2. Explore and assess immobilization techniques for nanomaterials (Qdots on a solid support) in photocatalysis SO2.3. Design and optimize of a novel photoreactor for enhanced catalytic efficiency EO3. ADVANCEMENT TOWARDS GREEN CITIES SoA: Biocide use effectively controls unwanted microorganisms but raises concerns about bacterial resistance and water contamination. L: Urban wastewater contributes to antimicrobial resistance, amplified by warmer temperatures PA in PortoBiocide: Synthesis of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) based biocides to replace toxic biocides SO3.1. Synthesize NADES with biocidal activity and characterize their physicochemical properties and stability SO3.2. Assess the antiseptic properties in the new NADES SO3.3. Assess ecotoxicity of the NADES based biocide to microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) and D. magna SO3.4. Investigate ecotoxicity and toxicological Interactions in C. vulgaris and D. magna exposed to mixtures of the NADES based biocide and other biocides.