Sustainable Photochemical Technology to Purify Aquaculture Water
Editor/Mohamed Shihab
UPM Researchers Develop Unique System that Simultaneously Eliminates 80% of Antibiotics and Pathogens with UV-C Light, Reinforcing Spain as a Leader in Water Management. MADRID—Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) have taken a crucial step toward more sustainable aquaculture by developing a photochemical technology capable of simultaneously eliminating antibiotics and bacteria from water. This breakthrough addresses one of the sector's biggest challenges: contamination that promotes Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
The technology is based on the application of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) that combine powerful UV-C light with various oxidants. This approach has shown remarkable effectiveness in purifying systems like Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS).
Rapid Antibiotic Degradation: The treatment successfully degraded at least 80% of amoxicillin (a commonly used antibiotic) in just two hours in laboratory water. In trials using real aquaculture water, this degradation exceeded 80% in under 45 minutes, demonstrating high efficiency under operational conditions.
Instant Disinfection: Disinfection against the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis was guaranteed in just one minute. Furthermore, the disinfecting capability remained stable for two weeks following treatment.
The research team, comprised of Pablo Santiago Espiñeira, Patricia García Muñoz, Paula Campayo Navarro, and Jorge Rodríguez Chueca, experimented with oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, hypochlorite, sodium persulfate, and potassium peroxymonosulfate, observing a strong synergistic effect in all combinations with UV-C light.
The importance of this research lies not only in contaminant elimination but also in ensuring that the disinfection process doesn't create new risks. UPM researchers evaluated the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs), which can have adverse environmental effects:
Safe Treatments: Processes using hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and persulfate did not generate detectable levels of DBPs, positioning them as safer alternatives for the aquatic environment.
Phytotoxicity: Adverse effects in toxicity tests on lettuce, tomato, and radish seeds were only observed in cases using hypochlorite and peroxymonosulfate, confirming the suitability of the other combinations
Global Context: An Urgent Solution for Aquaculture
The development of this technology is critical given the growth of aquaculture as a food source. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), aquaculture continues to expand, but the uncontrolled use of antimicrobials, especially in Asia, has sharply increased AMR risks, affecting both human and environmental health.
With funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the PHOTORAS project and FEDER European funds, the UPM team now plans to scale the technology to pilot systems for future implementation in industrial aquaculture facilities, cementing Spain's commitment to clean water management technologies.
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