PROJECT DETAILS
- Project No 1142
- Project Name Nanobubbles for effective and energy efficient water treatment
- Lead Organisation Water Research Australia
- Research Lead University of Technology, Sydney
- Main Researcher Long Nghiem
- Completion Year 2027
Project Description
Australian water utilities largely rely on precipitation to replenish their drinking water sources, but this dependence makes them vulnerable to sudden and prolonged droughts. In response, the industry is exploring recycled water, though this also presents challenges, such as conventional treatment processes failing to effectively remove micropollutants or inactivate chlorine-resistant pathogens. These contaminants in drinking water can adversely affect human health and the environment, highlighting the need for new and more effective treatment technologies.
As a highly reactive gas, ozone has proved to be particularly useful to treat water, but significant energy is required to produce it from air or oxygen. Much of the produced ozone is also wasted and must be quenched (destroyed) before it is released into the atmosphere. This issue can be circumvented by using ozone nanobubbles.
This project will develop techniques to convert ozone nanobubbles into operational tools for the industry to tackle water quality issues. The key objectives are to:
- Characterise and determine ozone nanobubble properties (e.g., size, surface charge, stability and reactivity) appropriate for water treatment applications.
- Evaluate the degradation of micropollutants and inactivation of pathogens by ozone nanobubbles compared to conventional processes.
- Quantify cost and energy savings from ozone nanobubbles through modelling and experimental validation.
- Provide technical-know-how to manufacturers and technology providers for constructing a portable ozone nanobubble prototype for demonstration and techno-economic analysis.
Among the expected industry benefits, is that this project will provide information to quantify the improved effectiveness and energy efficiency of ozone-nanobubbles technology compared to conventional technologies. It will also provide new knowledge to support the adaption and retrofitting of nanobubbles technology at Australian water and wastewater treatment facilities.
