The PURE project aims to develop a water purification system for industries and communities, enabling water reuse and minimizing extraction from surface or groundwater sources in line with environmental sustainability and circular economy principles.

Main innovation: the development of a flexible prototype adaptable to different industrial productions.

• The purification system is modular: individual units can be selected and sized based on the effluent to be treated.

• The plant includes bypass systems to isolate single units when needed.

Building on established laboratory knowledge (TRL4) of innovative purification treatments, PURE will create a prototype plant (TRL6) able to remove:

• microbial load

• heavy metals

• organic pollutants (including persistent ones such as PAHs and PFAS)

• microplastics

• contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)

Partnership: CNR-ISSMC, UNIFE, UNIPR, UNIMORE (already involved in Ecosister) with expertise in:

• material development

• device design

• chemical analytical methodologies for validation

• environmental impacts assessed through LCA

PURE also benefits from:

• CNR-IPCF: development of a continuous monitoring system to detect purification plant malfunctions

• CNR-ITM: ultrafiltration membranes achieving high water purity standards

The project is an inter-ecosystem collaboration, as CNR-IPCF is also a partner of SAMOTHRACE (Sicily region). This inter-ecosystem approach maximizes impact at regional and national levels.

Ecosister involvement: researchers from Spoke 1, Spoke 2, and Spoke 3, with expertise in materials development, photo-electron catalysis, and separation science.

Validation contexts: industrial laundries, adhesives and paint factories — testing effectiveness on different contaminants and regulatory compliance.

Expected results:

• pollutant removal efficiency assessed per contaminant class and effluent composition

• optimization of module sizing to create a customizable prototype adaptable to multiple production environments (e.g., Mutti S.p.A., Industria Conserve Alimentari, GFC Chimica Srl, Culligan Italiana S.p.A.) already collaborating with PURE partners

Finally, applying LCA will quantify improvements and evaluate the reduction of potential adverse effects on biotic and abiotic compartments thanks to the innovative purification system.