Improving quality of BSR waters by advanced treatment processes
AdvIQwater

Relation from the first seminar within the AdvIQwater project in Gdańsk

18 September 2023
The first seminar within the AdvIQwater project was held on 1-2.06.2023 in Gdańsk. The first day of the seminar was dedicated to the discussion about the technical arrangements of Project Partners and future implementation plans.
Technical details

On the first day, workshops were organised for researchers and students of Gdańsk University of Technology to get to know the results of the work chaired by Ivar Zekker from University of Tartu about nitrogen removal process development in the sequence batch reactor, affected by salinity and hydrazine concentrations.

The core of this event included the session of Partner’s presentations on the second day of the seminar. Invited representatives from Associated Organisations had the opportunity to be familiarised with the main steps implemented in the AdvIQwater project and participated in discussions with Partners working on selected advanced treatment processes. This part of the event was also transmitted online, and any volunteers could join the session.

This part was started with the presentation of Anna Zielińska-Jurek from Gdańsk University of Technology about “Solar-driven advanced oxidation processes for efficient micropollutants degradation“. Secondly, Ivar Zekker from University of Tartu presented “Anaerobic ammonium oxidation process for nitrogen and pharmaceuticals removal from wastewater, heavy metal treatment of composts by white rot fungi”. Finally, Kai Bester from Aarhus University presented the topic of “Removing micropollutants with MBBRs: Dependence of micropollutant degradation kinetics on the adaptation of the biomass to BOD loading; Implications for reactor processes and reactor design“.

As the summary of the seminar, Ivar Zekker concluded: “Interrelationships with Gdansk researchers were strengthened, laboratory methods were introduced to us showcasing methods for pharmaceutical’s removal. This knowledge could be transferred back to Tartu University/ BSR to broaden our research field and cooperate with the water sector and decision-makers to achieve a cleaner Baltic Sea Region“.

Moreover, at the end of the seminar, a visit to the biggest wastewater treatment plant in Pomeranian Region, operated by Gdańsk Waterworks – Associated Organisation of AdvIQwater project, was organised.  It was the final activity of two extensive days, enabling the reflection with a very optimistic view for future cooperation and the engagement of institutions responsible for wastewater treatment.