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Arsenic and ammonium in drinking water: implementation of a cross-border Platform for safe water (ARSENICPLATFORM)
Start date: Oct 31, 2011, End date: Oct 30, 2013 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The subsurface water bodies are the main source of drinking water in the Csongrád and Bács-Kiskun counties (in Hungary) and Backa and Banat regions (Serbia) for more than 1.8 million persons. Ammonium and arsenic compounds caused problems in many drinking water facilities: the majority of inhabitants is supplied with drinking water of As and NH4 concentration above the maximum admissible concentrations levels at present. To comply with EU and the Serbian regulations severe interventions are necessary in the water sector which will require tremendous costs to be spent on for example adaptation of proper treatment technologies. The objective of the project is to implement a Platform with the participation of the EJF and UNSPMF which initiate a research program to address finding solutions of critical problems in drinking water quality management in the region. The laboratory and the subsequent pilot-scale experiments (to investigate various types of basic mechanisms and efficiency of technological units) performed by Universities serves basis for determination of the relevant environmental factors and the role of other pollution substances on As and NH4 removal. Results are disseminated equipping target groups with better understanding and skills for the cost-efficient development strategies of drinking water management such as proper treatment process selection or optimized operation of the facilities. Achievements: Water is one of the most important elements on the earth. Water makes up more than two-thirds of the weight of the human body, and without it we would die within a few days, so securing clean drinking water is essential. Unfortunately, a section of the population in Hungary and Serbia drink water with concentrations of arsenic and ammonium that are above the maximum admissible levels. This very important health problem brought together the partner institutes from Hungary and Serbia. The objective of the project was to implement a Platform, which initiated a research programme to address the matter of finding solutions to critical drinking water quality management problems in the region. The laboratory and the subsequent pilot-scale experiments (to investigate various types of basic mechanisms and the efficiency of technological units) performed by universities serve as the basis for determining the relevant environmental factors and the role of other pollutants in arsenic and ammonium removal. Eleven tenders were conducted successfully within the project for laboratory reconstructionand the supply of a mobile pilot plant which will be used to investigate removing arsenic from groundwater in different localities in the border region. The partners also organized several workshops and professional trainings with experts. The partners placed huge emphasis on raising the public’s awareness of the problem by disseminating the project results and recommendations. During the project, the research group successfully organised several seminars which served as a platform for exchanging ideas and presenting the results of the research to the wider public; and they also organised popular science lectures in secondary schools to raise students’ awareness of the problem.
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  • 85%   556 175,09
  • 2007 - 2013 Hungary - Serbia IPA CBC (HU-RS)
  • Project on KEEP Platform
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