http://hdl.handle.net/1842/4093 2013-05-24T18:29:39Z 2013-05-24T18:29:39Z Schäfer, Andrea Duncan, Diane Ponton, George Bower, Matt Jensen, Hans Bishop, Konrad Bernard, Ian Thomas, Kerry Hughes, Gordon http://hdl.handle.net/1842/5807 2012-02-21T15:49:50Z 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: UK Innovation Potential in Advanced Water Treatment: Future Directions & Strategy II Authors: Schäfer, Andrea; Duncan, Diane; Ponton, George; Bower, Matt; Jensen, Hans; Bishop, Konrad; Bernard, Ian; Thomas, Kerry; Hughes, Gordon Abstract: During the workshop, three sessions were assigned to allow six interdisciplinary groups to explore fourteen questions. Detailed responses can be found in the attachment. From the discussions a number of key issues from each of the three sessions: The first set of questions explored what the features might be of a Technology Demonstration Site, who would use it, what services it should offer, its location and how it might be funded and operated. A long list of users emerged from those who would want to undertake testing to those who would wish to access data and peer review findings e.g. the international investment/development community. It emerged that services required are available, but not in a form that is focused on water technologies, and the expertise to support innovation in the sector is scattered across a range of national silos. A hub and spoke structure was suggested by most of the groups. There was recognition that a facility could represent an opportunity to promote the sector’s work to a national and international audience. Plug, Play & Pay usage of facilities with access to the appropriate raw water source(s) were key elements for success. The lack of a facility to deliver innovation is seen as a market failure and government intervention therefore appropriate, but any centre should also be industry/demand driven. Industry must therefore be part of the funding mechanism. A second set of questions considered the role of advanced water technologies in delivering water security and sustainability in both the UK and internationally. Almost all the groups highlighted the need for easily maintained, chemical free, low energy using or renewable energy creating technologies, with the capability to remove high levels of micro-pollutants. The groups also explored how water quality affected security and what technologies were needed to address security issues. The Research and Development Framework was the subject of the final question in this session and participants discussed what the water sector could do to contribute more effectively – engagement and taking a leadership role emerged as being key. A final set of questions considered the global markets that might stimulate advanced water technology development in the UK and the mechanisms to stimulate these markets. The knowledge around current business support offerings was collated during this session. The groups were also asked to consider what new or additional support was needed to realise the economic benefits of global market. As identified in a previous workshop, water innovation is not being driven in a coherent fashion. There are current examples of technology research being funded where the technology already exists. There is therefore an opportunity for coordinated effort and ensure that the UK’s knowledge base is fully exploited. Strong leadership is now required to muster industry and academia (including the supply chain and our research intensive SMEs who are clearly already major innovation drivers). The UK needs to foster closer relationships with international networks and a focused UK advanced water innovation network may provide a lens through which UK capability can be viewed by the international investment community. Description: Workshop report from UK Innovation Potential in Advanced Water Treatment: Future Directions & Strategy. The 2nd Participatory Workshop Program held at the James Clerk Maxwell Building (JCMB), Teaching Studio 3217 on Tuesday 6th December 2011. King’s Buildings, Edinburgh University

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Schäfer, Andrea Walker, Mike Bower, Matt Ponton, George http://hdl.handle.net/1842/5012 2012-02-07T16:26:43Z 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: UK Innovation Potential in Advanced Water Treatment: Future Directions & Strategy I Authors: Schäfer, Andrea; Walker, Mike; Bower, Matt; Ponton, George Abstract: The below response to the twelve questions discussed by eight interdisciplinary groups during the water innovation workshop includes the breath of responses with some editorial comments (in italics). From those discussions a number of key issues have emerged; The need for a national test facility that enables access for spin offs, SMEs and academics to test advanced water technology innovations. While such a facility could be hosted by a water company, access should be affordable and open. A follow-on workshop will discuss how such a facility could be funded and what such a facility would ideally provide. Innovation funding in the water sector – and advanced water treatment technologies in particular – is widely held to be inadequate and places the UK knowledge base into a poor starting place for international competition. Research funding for the sector and funding models that support industryacademia partnerships, spin offs, SMEs and routes to market require a strategic revisit to enable UK talent at all levels and ultimately national benefits of job creation and a healthy position of the UK in the global marketplace. An important exercise may be to establish the actual research spend in the sector, a comparative analysis to leaders in the field (such as Singapore, Israel, Germany and Australia), enhanced communication of research in the sector and the impact of such research expenditure, in tandem with a clear water innovation strategy. Innovation in the water sector is fractured with potentially significant repetition and lack of a coordinated effort. Yet the broad knowledge base available in the UK is not exploited to its fullest potential by drawing inclusively on expertise from a multitude of providers and disciplines. Further a need for stronger policyindustry- academia partnerships has been emphasized as beneficial, where industry includes the supply chain and SMEs that are seen as major innovation drivers. Close interaction with international networks and possibly the creation of a focused UK advanced water innovation network will be discussions for a follow-on meeting. A follow-on workshop with a tentative date in early December 2011 will be scheduled in due course with a set of well defined questions to move forward on discussions from this first workshop. Suggested questions and nominations for participation are most welcome. Description: Workshop report on Participatory Workshop held on Thursday 30th June, 2011

2011-01-01T00:00:00Z Schäfer, Andrea http://hdl.handle.net/1842/5011 2013-02-07T11:13:54Z 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Innovation in the Water Industry: Challenges and Opportunities from the Water Engineering Perspective Authors: Schäfer, Andrea Abstract: In order to address the apparent lack of innovation in the UK water industry one ought to define this term in the context at hand. A definition that appears relevant to the process of water provision is; ‘Innovation is the multi‐stage process whereby organizations transform ideas into new/improved products, service or processes, in order to advance, compete and differentiate themselves successfully in their marketplace.’ (Balgreh et al. (2009)) What does this mean in a context where there is no market place due to very little scope for competition? In essence a very multi‐layered and integrated innovation covering novel approaches to policy, cost model, regulation, public participation, and technology that brings the UK to the forefront of the global water industry. To assume an innovation leadership role a number of stages will be required, namely; Definition of the key challenges facing the sector in terms of its duties Understanding of the current state‐of‐the‐art – i.e. the baseline across a range of specified indicators across the range of activities that are undertaken Knowledge of best practise in other countries to drive innovation Clarity on roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in driving innovation How can wholesome water be provided to the public at reasonable cost in the most appropriate, efficient and sustainable way? Answering this question is likely to require a paradigm shift in the way water is currently provided and requires a fresh look at the true value of water and customer expectations. Much of innovation is about the uptake of research, beyond the development that industry generally does reasonably well. The perceived need is to innovate – the actual issue being how to move from acquisition of knowledge to doing something significantly better? This requires in the first instance knowledge of the clear benefits of such innovation to society as a whole. Description: Report prepared for Defra Jan 2011 and published on the Edinburgh Research Archive July 2011

2011-01-01T00:00:00Z Schäfer, Andrea Akanyeti, Ime Semião, Andrea J.C. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/4669 2011-01-19T16:14:59Z 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Micropollutant Sorption to Membrane Polymers: A Review of Mechanisms for Estrogens Authors: Schäfer, Andrea; Akanyeti, Ime; Semião, Andrea J.C. Abstract: Organic micropollutants such as estrogens occur in water in increasing quantities from predominantly anthropogenic sources. In water such micropollutants partition to surfaces such as membrane polymers but also any other natural or treatment related surfaces. Such interactions are often observed as sorption in treatment processes and this phenomenon is exploited in activated carbon filtration, for example. Sorption is important for polymeric materials and this is used for the concentration of such micropollutants for analytical purposes in solid phase extraction. In membrane filtration the mechanism of micropollutant sorption is a relative new discovery that was facilitated through new analytical techniques. This sorption plays an important role in micropollutant retention by membranes although mechanisms of interaction are to date not understood. This review is focused on sorption of estrogens on polymeric surfaces, specifically membrane polymers. Such sorption has been observed to a large extent with values of up to 1.2 ng/cm2 measured. Sorption is dependent on the type of polymer, micropollutant characteristics, solution chemistry, membrane operating conditions as well as membrane morphology. Likely contributors to sorption are the surface roughness as well as the microporosity of such polymers. While retention – or and reflection coefficient as well as solute to effective pore size ratio – control the access of such micropollutants to the inner surface, pore size, porosity and thickness as well as morphology or shape of inner voids determines the available area for sorption. The interaction mechanisms are governed, most likely, by hydrophobic as well as solvation effects and interplay of molecular and supramolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding, π-cation/anion interactions, π-π stacking, ion-dipole and dipole-dipole interactions, the extent of which is naturally dependent on micropollutant and polymer characteristics. Systematic investigations are required to identify and quantify both relative contributions and strength of such interactions and develop suitable surface characterisation tools. This is a difficult endeavour given the complexity of systems, the possibility of several interactions taking place simultaneously and the generally weaker forces involved.

2011-01-01T00:00:00Z