Top water innovations 2022
Communications and Content Officer
Our latest Global Challenge campaign aimed to surface the next generation of research addressing the water pollution crisis and mobilise collaboration with industry to develop and deploy new solutions. In this article, we showcase the twenty top water innovations submitted to the campaign by academic teams that received the highest levels of engagement from the R&D community (factoring in the number of introduction requests from companies, positive feedback, and article reads per submission).
The projects that feature were submitted to the campaign by academic researchers, universities and research institutes around the world, and range from innovations that detect pollutants to treatment technologies and wastewater management systems. You can view the full list of submissions to the campaign in our water pollution research and innovation: open directory.
We have also created a white paper, ‘Water innovation trends: Surfacing the next generation of solutions to the water pollution crisis‘, which dives deeper into the insights we have gathered during the campaign. The data summarises the most interesting and significant data we have surfaced including the breakdown of the collaborations initiated through partnering events and the geographical overview of contributing universities and companies.
How to review the projects
A non-confidential summary of each of these top water innovations is hosted on IN-PART’s online matchmaking platform for academia-industry collaboration, Connect. Set up an account (it’s completely free for companies), login, review the opportunities, and share feedback or ask for more information from the teams behind them.
How to connect with the teams behind them
If you see a project that aligns with your company’s R&D priorities, you can make a request for more information directly through the article on Connect. The academic team or project lead at the institute will then send you a response directly by email.
Top water pollution and wastewater innovations 2022
20. Biodegradable disinfectants
Over 70% of disinfectants available on the market are based on quaternary ammonium compounds, peroxides, and chlorine compounds, all of which are corrosive and not dissolvable in water, leading to increased rates of bacterial resistance in water. Université de Sherbrooke researchers have been developing natural disinfecting micelles based on ionic liquids and essential oils which have custom-designed biodegradability rates.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
19. A wastewater removal treatment to dye for
Researchers at North Carolina State University have designed a material that can remove dyes selectively to overcome the damage to aquatic and public health caused by dye-contaminated water sources. This cost-effective material can be regenerated along with the dye it has removed from an aqueous solution.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
18. Low-cost and effective PFAS remediation
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are versatile chemicals that are used in a variety of consumer products but are also persistent organic pollutants found in waterways that pose health hazards to both humans and wildlife. Scientists at SUNY Research Foundation scientists have developed robust and inexpensive sorbents to remove these stubborn water contaminants in drinking water and treated wastewater at large-scale facilities and point of entry use.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
17. Magnetic cell-enrichment technology: An attractive solution
For public health and safety of humans and livestock, it is important to monitor and identify pathogens in the environment and food supplies. Michigan State University researchers have developed magnetic nanoparticles (MACE) capable of extracting pathogens from complex matrices, allowing for swift pathogen detection and enhanced biosensor sensitivity.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
16. An autonomous system to rapidly detect waterborne pathogens
Currently, in order to monitor bodies of water, samples of water must be collected, mixed with reagents, and pumped into another vessel for bacteria detection. This is costly, time-consuming and manually intensive. Fortunately, a team at Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust have a solution: a small, self-contained lab that can be submerged directly to collect the sample and perform the necessary tests in a matter of moments. It’s a simple-to-use system that can be fitted and customised as needed, increasing the speed of analysis and saving lives.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
15. Putting the world’s waterways on a spin cycle
Silver nanoparticles (AuNPs) are used in a variety of modern technology, from nanomedical imaging to toothpaste, and are heavily utilised in industrial laundry wastewater due to their great antimicrobial properties. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth have found a way to capture AuNPs in small, replaceable, easy-to-use capsules using a novel ion-exchange method. These little cartridges not only remove the silver from the water, but also capture the silver, allowing for selling or recycling.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
14. Using carbon nanotubes to launch an assault on salt
Clean, uncontaminated fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce and the reuse of industrial and wastewater is becoming necessary. However, one major contaminant in wastewater are salts, which are harmful to the body if ingested. Researchers at Clemson University have created an improved saltwater deionisation technique using coated carbon nanotubes as electrodes, which increases the salt adsorption surface area; hence reducing energy consumption and process cost.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
13. NanoResin materials in action for water treatment
Researchers at The University of North Carolina in Charlotte have developed a fast and effective filtering method using NanoResin materials that maximises the removal of organic matter of any size from water in line with new EPA regulations. This technology can be applied to any existing system and modified for certain contaminants or classes of contaminants for treatment processes.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
12. Easy detection of pollutants in water using electrochemical sensors
While most of the mass production of harmful chemicals like PFOS ceased in the early 2000s, worrying concentrations are still present in water, making their detection essential. The team at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice has developed a new method to electrochemically test for PFOS pollutants using a portable sensor, providing a highly sensitive and low-cost way to detect PFOS in water samples.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
11. A lab-on-a-chip that detects harmful bacteria in water
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen have developed a portable, low-cost biosensor and artificial intelligence system to detect harmful bacteria in water networks to inform subsequent water treatments to prevent water-borne bacterial infections.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
10. An electrifying way to treat wastewater
Nitrate can be found in wastewater from fertilisers and liquid waste, if not filtered, nitrate exposure can lead to adverse health effects. An innovative filtration system by scientists at the New Jersey Institute of Technology uses electrified membranes with a novel three-phase interface that removes nitrates, producing and recovering ammonia from wastewater. It is a chemical-free and cost-effective water treatment which also produces nitrogen fertiliser.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
9. Replacing glass pH electrodes with metal
Despite their fragility, especially when miniature, glass electrodes are frequently used in pH sensors to test water samples. An alternative, a more robust metal electrode that reacts to the presence of hydrogen ions has been developed by researchers at the University of Arizona.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
8. A sparkling water treatment using nanobubbles
As the interest in nanobubbles (or ultrafine bubbles) as a method of water treatment is growing, researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology have been working on a method to create them in a clean, cost-effective and chemical-free way, with negligible implications on water quality or aquatic life.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
7. A Highly Selective, Regenerable Sorbent for removing arsenic from drinking water
Approximately 170 million people are currently exposed to unsafe levels of arsenic in drinking water, which has been linked to various life-threatening conditions. Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a novel sorbent with superior selectivity for arsenic removal in point-of-use filters – its high regenerability makes it cost-effective for long-term use for those affected in less economically developed countries.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
6. Quick and cheap detection of lead ions in drinking water
The heavy metal lead is used in a range of industrial processes and other human activities but is known to be biologically toxic and extremely harmful to various human bodily systems. Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology have developed fast, low-cost, and highly accurate sensors for the detection of lead ions in drinking water for safe and sustainable water resources.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
5. A game-changing big-brain membrane
To tackle the global water crisis that threatens biodiversity, food, and energy security, researchers at KU Leuven have created a new type of membrane that is chemically very robust and that spans a wide range of performance by using epoxide chemistry. In contrast to the conventional ways of water purification using membrane technology, the resulting membrane is stable in a wide pH range and withstands oxidising circumstances.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
4. Putting brine on the decline through effective desalination
With global freshwater sources depleting, it is vital to look to water recovery from resources such as brackish groundwater and municipal wastewater. Scientists at Lehigh University have designed a novel system that takes advantage of polymeric ion exchange resins to effectively desalinate highly concentrated brine without any thermal energy input.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
3. Microalgae sensors
Researchers at the University of Arizona have created an optical-based sensor system that monitors microalgae in real-time to ensure the most efficient decontamination of wastewater.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
2. PFAS contamination sensor
Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology are working on a portable, low-cost, reusable sensor to detect and quantify up to 10 different PFAS molecules in a water sample in one use.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
1. Smart filters for pesticides
Researchers at the University of Lincoln have developed compatible smart filters based on polymeric compounds capable of selectively trapping five of the most common pesticides used in the UK, and a plant growth regulator. A single filter can remove multiple pollutants or one specific target and can be reused and recycled after cleaning and disposal of the contaminants.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top water innovations 2022 feature.
Technologies written by Anh Tho Tran (10, 17), Daisy Gillott (7, 14), Ella Cliff (4, 6, 18), Frances Wilkinson (1, 2, 3, 11, 20), Joe Sullivan (15, 16), Khushi Issuar (5, 9, 13, 19), Mireia Baizan-Urgell (8, 12)
Edited by Frances Wilkinson, Anabel Bennett and Alex Stockham. Formatting by Frances Wilkinson
Copyrights reserved unless otherwise agreed – IN-PART Publishing Ltd., 2022: ‘Top water innovations 2022’
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