ecotoxicology

ENNSATOX is a small collaborative project, funded by the EU under the 7th Framework's NMP Theme.

Using sewage diluted waste streams as blending different raw waste streams results in a complex mixture with unknown chemical compounds which have toxic effect on aquatic ecosystem. Characterization of waste streams is mostly based on chemical analytical analysis. Monitoring chemical concentrations of pollutants in complex waste streams as a means to assess environmental impact however has a major drawback as a number of factor like bioavailibity, mobility or toxicity of pollutants.Complex wastewater can contain many unknown pollutants which are not detectable using routine chemical assays. Therefore behind the chemical toxicity analysis,new approaches for monitoring toxicity of sewage and wastestreams are needed to experiment by using bioassays. Bioassays present a more detailed way of evaluating environmental samples. One of this bioassay method is using geneticaly engineered bacterias to detect the compounds causing ecological pollution and toxication.In this project these enginered transgenic cells that are induced by a toxic compound or by stress will be used. at same time new aproaches for screening wastertoxicity will be investigated and developed such as a bisensor device with portable design for in-situ toxicity detection by immobilizing geneticly engineered stress responsive bacteria onto tapered fiber optic tips. The knowledge which will be acquired with this new toxicity detection investigations will be used for an optimal effluent treatment as well as a development of an early warning system.

An increased interest in membrane filtration (Fig. pilotscale filtration unit @KdG Hogeschool) as water reclamation technology for industrial wastewater is observed. Disposal of the resulting concentrate remains however problematic. Our research project explores advanced oxidation processes (AOP) as a way to treat concentrates generated by membrane filtration of complex industrial effluents. The project focuses on the implementation of eco-toxicological parameters in process control and optimisation of advanced oxidation processes and advanced treatment of concentrates. An important part of the project consists of selection and validation of fast and user-friendly ecotoxicity tests which should allow detailed and near real-time monitoring of the selected wastewater treatment processess.