New technology (prototype) of ultrafiltration of water by gravity, by means of a pumping carried out by photovoltaic panels. By reducing heavy metals in water, the impact and bioaccumulation of heavy metals in organisms is reduced, triggering the cycle of habitat reconstitution. This will minimize the impacts generated by mining on hydrology, land and biodiversity.
ABOUT AURUM
Main Objetive
Treat the polluted with Lewis acids by making pools that collecting ponds that collect the water that when it reaches a level lof 5 meters, it can be filtered in a membrane, this water will bring microorganisms which are going to start colonizing here. Then these polysaccharides would be expected to form and coordinate with the metals that get there and then the water would come out free of those toxic metals.
Stages of the innovation process (“Business Model”)
Laboratory Design and development of membranes with synthetic biofouling.
UF a PTM Mercury-containing current constant using biofouling membranes (adsorption kinetics et al). Creation of a simple experimental design considering three mercury concentrations and three biofouling development conditions (different C / P ratios).
Analysis of the biofouling to make a mass balance of the retained Hg
PrototypeScale up the experiments described above to a system operating using gravity ultrafiltration (Design hints: Multibarrier approach, the addition of membrane modules to increase filtration surface area). Energy considerations for the prototype to be energy autonomous (photovoltaic panels).
- Energy considerations for the prototype to be autonomous in relation to energy (photovoltaic panels).
- Measure the effectiveness in the removal of Hg and other fixed dissolved solids (550 ° C)
Real scaleInstall the system in areas surrounding artisanal mining activities and also optimize the use energy related to it through ICA
STRATEGY & METHODOLOGY
CollaboratorsConsortium Hi water
- Universidad Regional Amazonica Ikiam
Background The growing demand for gold has caused gold ASM to generate a significant environmental impact, endangering the health of ecosystems, workers, and people adjacent to the mining areas. The main problem is the excessive use of mercury for gold amalgamation. Gold ASM accounts for almost 38% of global mercury emissions in terrestrial and freshwater environments.
Impact 
The innovation aims to build sustainable resource management. Safeguarding the lives of the living beings involved, which are found in rivers and soils contaminated by mines. Portions of mercury are lost through spills, mishandling, storage and handling. Finally, mercury combines with soils and aquatic systems. Therefore, treating these waters through an ultrafiltration system would prevent it from volatilizing into the air and polluting the atmosphere. (IPEN, 2014).
SolutionThe innovation aims to protect ecosystems and is based on the removal of heavy metals from water; mercury, through a gravity water ultrafiltration system, pumped by photovoltaic panels, to filter water contaminated with toxic metals using acidophilic membranes. Ultrafiltration is a selective fractionation process using different pressures. This system aims to treat the entire contaminated flow of the affected rivers, with Lewis acids through the realization of water catchment ponds, which, when it reaches a level of 5m, is filtered in a membrane, this water will bring with it microorganisms that will begin to colonize.
