R&D - Project

NITRASORP Completed

Textile-based absorbents for the removal of nitrates from drinking water.

Development of a surface-modified textile filter for the adsorption of nitrates from drinking water.

The objective of the NITRASORP research project is to develop a surface-modified textile filter for nitrate adsorption to contribute as a sustainable approach to reducing the impact of nitrates on the environment and human health. Consequently, the filter will be prepared to effectively adsorb nitrates under neutral pH conditions and can be reused and reactivated multiple times on a large scale. This research will address questions regarding the development of a reusable surface-modified textile filter for nitrate removal, and its feasibility as a cost-effective approach to extending existing water treatment technology. The increasing incidence of excessive nitrate content in water bodies is a growing concern in Europe and worldwide. Nitrate concentrations have exceeded the threshold value of 50 milligrams per liter at nearly one-fifth of the 1,200 groundwater sampling sites in Germany. In Wallonia, concentrations exceeding 50 mg of nitrate appear in 10% of monitored sites. The increase in nitrate levels can be attributed to various forms of human activity, particularly the intensive use of fertilizers in agriculture, leading to heavy nitrate pollution of soil and surface water. It is also due to domestic wastewater discharges. Learn more about the Nitrasorp project