BioReset

Micropollutants such as drug residues and microplastics can be measured in variety of ecosystems where they should not be and a major source of pollution is wastewater from wastewater treatment plants. The BioReset project investigates and develops treatment methods (chemical, physical, biological and their combination) to reduce the spread of these substances in the environment. There is also a need for readily available methods for assessing the effect of different treatments on the quality of outlet water. In the project, diatoms will be used to model the conservation and restoration of ecosystems as their communities have high biodiversity. Diatoms are geographically dispersed around the world, thus, project will make it possible to develop assessment strategies that are not geographically bound but with global implications. In addition to the development of innovative technology and assessment methods, the project aims to provide updated information on the presence of micropollutants in aquatic environments in certain geographical locations. The SLU researchers Malin Hultberg, Dept. of Biosystems and Technology, and Oksana Golovko, Dept. of Water and Environment, take part in BioReset and focus on biological methods for purification of micropollutants. White-rot fungi with their lignin-degrading enzymes are being studied as tools for treatment of contaminated waters. The aim is to develop a biological filter based on readily available organic material, such as sawdust, and heavily colonized by fungal mycelium.