Milieutechnologie : Water and Resource Recovery in Industry. Challenges for Environmental Biotechnology

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26 Aug 2001 - 31 Aug 2001
Unit: Wageningen University
Organisation: Marianne Pluigers, Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, Tel. +31-317-483339, Fax : +31-317-482108, e-mail: marianne.pluigers@algemeen.mt.wag-ur.nl
Website: http://www.ftns.wau.nl/mt/warric.html

 In the past end-of-pipe solutions were common to reduce the discharge of pollutants by the industry. Several driving forces however (e.g., cost reduction, scarcity of resources, governmental regulation, image improvement), made the industry direct their environmental strategy towards cleaner production technologies and limitation of water consumption and of other resources such as energy, bulk chemicals and nutrients. Rather than delegating treatment to municipalities, industries thus became actively involved in environmental protection. The scientific and technological challenges for achieving the objective to close industrial cycles are numerous and require an integrated interdisciplinary approach as well as a close co- operation between scientists and the industry. One of these challenges is in the field of system analysis. Several tools such as life cycle analysis (LCA) and water pinch technology are available which can help determining the material and energy fluxes within industrial processes and may be used to predict the effect of treatment and recovery measures. This analysis should be accompanied by robust and sensitive analytical methods to characterise the relevant physical-chemical and microbial parameters of process water, wastewater and other (raw) materials. One of the biggest challenges certainly comprises the integration of existing and novel environmental biotechnological methods in the production process, both as a (biocatalytical) alternative for chemical production processes and as a means to recover water and other raw materials. In addition, advanced physical-chemical treatment techniques, for example ozonation and membrane separation, may become useful, in particular to remove recalcitrant pollutants from biologically pre-treated industrial effluents in order to ensure that the treated water meets the high standards for reuse. The programme of this Euro Summer School aims to provide and link detailed information about the various aspects involved in resource recycling within the industry, to demonstrate that an interdisciplinary approach is required and to stimulate the participants in undertaking further research and efforts to develop, implement and improve industrial recycle systems.
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