LIFE Spot project, funded by the European Commission, finished last 28th June, in which all the partners (IRTA, IDAEA, FACSA, EURECAT and Protecmed) participated in a conference to show all the results obtained during these years.
The main objective of the project was to treat groundwater contaminated by agricultural and livestock activities through nature-based solutions for producing drinking water. After years of intensive work, the project has successfully demonstrated the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of a new sustainable of groundwater treatment to convert it into drinking water. This innovative treatment combines low-cost technologies and is based on a natural process that uses microalgae and a denitrifying biofilter composed of wood and cork pellets, capable of eliminating both nitrates and possible micropollutants in the water.
“The biotilters and microalgae allowed us to eliminate up to 99% of nitrates and 73% of pesticides in the water of pilot plants”, explains Víctor Matamoros, IDAEA-CSIC researcher and member of LIFESpot consortium. ” Thanks to this technology, more than 20 million people in Europe could have access to drinking groundwater”
This project has been a clear example of cooperation and joint effort, demonstrating that it is possible to address complex environmental challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions.
