Advanced Research in Water Remediation at the University of Galway
Innovative remediation technologies to tackle pollutants and improve water quality
Dairy Soiled Water (DSW) is a wastewater stream generated on dairy farms from milking parlours, collecting yards, roadways, and other hard-standing areas. It typically comprises a dilute mixture of cow faeces and urine, residual milk, cleaning detergents, and sediments. Effective management of DSW is essential to minimise environmental impacts, particularly nutrient losses to surface and groundwater. Recent research has demonstrated that novel hybrid treatment systems, combining constructed wetlands with upstream chemical coagulation, can be an effective management approach for the removal of nutrients from DSW 1.
In addition to nutrients, DSW may contain a range of emerging contaminants, such as pesticides 2 and veterinary antibiotics 3, arising from everyday agricultural practices. These substances pose challenges for conventional land spreading approaches as they may persist in the environment and contribute to water quality degradation. Consequently, there is a demand for a treatment solution that is capable of addressing both nutrient loads and trace organic contaminants.
The UNIVERSWATER team at the University of Galway, Ireland, has extensive experience in the use of adsorption-based systems for removal of contaminants that may be found in DSW. Laboratory-scale studies have demonstrated that granular activated carbon could remove >99% of five acid herbicides (MCPA, Mecoprop-P, 2-4 D, Triclopyr and Fluroxypyr) at an initial concentration of 100mg/L 4. At field scale, a sustainable coconut-derived activated carbon was shown to completely remove the same five herbicides at a low river flow rate 5, highlighting the potential of sorbent materials for DSW remediation applications.
Building on this research, the UNIVERSWATER project will integrate these advanced treatment technologies for complete treatment of DSW by developing a hybrid biochar-based constructed wetland system. This approach aims to simultaneously remove nutrients and emerging contaminants, delivering a low cost, sustainable, and effective on-site wastewater treatment solution for dairy farms.
