Contract n°
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EVK1-CT-1999-00001
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Reporting period:
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01/04/2002-01/04/2003
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Title:
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BIOFILMS - Natural biofilms as high-tech conditioners for drinking water
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Objectives:
The general aim of the research is ‘to develop the knowledge needed to exploit biofilms upstream of the water plant and to optimise their capacity to regulate organic matter content in water, to retain noxious compounds and to trap potential pathogens’. A large part of the efforts was invested in establishing or expanding methodologies in the field and laboratories. New methods have now been applied at several sites upstream of or in water plants. Thus the original plan was maintained without changes to complete BIOFILMS successfully.
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Scientific achievements:
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Geosmin production associated with the wax and wane of filamentous cyanobacteria
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Organic matter balance is affected by bulk transport during water treatment
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Metabolites produced by biofilms elicit relatively weak human health risks as detected by a set of toxicity assays
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Biofilms are potent in sorption and degradation of hepatotoxic cyanotoxins (microcystins) produced by water blooms and invading drinking water systems
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Decline of hepatotoxic microcystins in both raw water and treated drinking water pipelines was documented
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Manipulated biofilms offer a promising technology for toxicity removal
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Socio-economic relevance and policy implications:
Several technologies developed by the BIOFILM-team are already implemented at drinking water facilities, and there is support from drinking water companies to continue the cooperation. The results of the project support very much the viewpoint that a safe and cost-effective drinking water preparation requires integrated management of biological, chemical, and physical aspects of surface waters.
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Conclusions:
The BIOFILMS project has fully reached the original expectations and opens up the field for further application and for further investigations building on the technologies created.
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Keywords:
Drinking water, biofilm architecture, particle trapping, genetic fingerprinting, geosmin, exoenzymes, pathogens
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