An important advance is claimed for a technology that allows water quality to be assessed in a matter of minutes. The new Bacterisk technology was developed by Molendotech (https://molendotech.com/), a spin-out from The University of Plymouth. It gives an accurate running water quality assessment in the field, seemingly for the first time, with results available in 15 minutes. Historically, water quality testing has taken up to 48 hours and required testing in a laboratory. The Bacterisk kit is portable and can be carried in a briefcase, allowing water utilities and other stakeholders to rapi ..read more

Professor Tracy Lawson examines the plants being grown in the vertical farm (image credit: University of Essex). A new $3.7m facility at the University of Essex aims to make it possible to adapt plants for a hotter drier climate, preventing threats to food security, according to the group behind it. It incorporates a vertical farm, an indoor field that replicates real environments anywhere in the globe, and suites that imitate a warming world – with researchers able to raise CO2 concentration and temperature levels at will. Computer plant scanning technology will also be used to monitor plants ..read more

The OTT ecoLog 1000 water level logger in situ. West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) in the UK recently refused a planning application on the grounds of flood risk. The proposed development included the construction of just a single dwelling within the village of Standlake. However, local campaigners were able to argue against the proposal with the benefit of groundwater level data provided by a continuous level logger that had been installed in the garden of an adjacent property. Instrumentation firm OTT HydroMet writes. In this case, the developer took occasional manual measurements that ..read more

The University of Manchester has signed a landmark new deal that will see up to 65% of its electricity demand supplied through a brand-new renewables project. In a major move towards achieving its 2038 zero carbon ambitions, the University has partnered with leading UK clean energy company Enviromena to buy electricity generated from its brand-new solar farm based in Medebridge, Essex. Once complete, Medebridge Solar Farm will comprise 104,000 solar panels across 175 acres of low-grade agricultural land, the equivalent of around 70 football pitches. The site will also create a significant bio ..read more

David Deegan is CTO at Tetronics. Disposable e-cigarettes or vapes are big business, they are also a big problem for the environment. David Deegan of Tetronics suggests a solution that’s based on plasma technology. Single-use, disposable e-cigarettes or vapes are a big problem for the environment, one that is toxic. Since their introduction in 2003, initially as a ‘healthy’ alternative to tobacco, they have created a whole new contaminated e-waste stream. In 2023, over 7.7 million disposable vapes were sold every week, and around five million are discarded weekly in the UK, according to resear ..read more

This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with Castle Water. Greywater recycling systems are being used in homes and businesses all over the UK in an effort to reduce water usage. These innovative yet simple systems offer significant savings and help minimise your environmental impact. Get the 101 on greywater reuse systems, including the key regulations and guidelines. Understanding Greywater Greywater is any water that has already been used on your property but has the potential to be reused. For example, the water used for taking a shower can be used for toilet flushi ..read more

This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with Smartly Energy. Solar power technology has come a long way since it was first introduced as a way to generate renewable energy. Gone are the days when homeowners had to deal with bulky, unsightly solar panels propped up on their roofs. People can now install integrated solar roofs, which blend discreetly and seamlessly into existing roof tiles. Keep reading to learn about the next generation of solar: integrated solar roofs. How Powerful Are Integrated Solar Roofs? These integrated systems are very effective. Some offer an ..read more

Flue gas ducts: The system could be deployed in many industries as an effective gas treatment method, suggests Dr Suhan Kim. A green technology for eliminating odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their by-products has been developed by a group from the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH). The research introduces a fuel-free technology for removing VOCs, thereby replacing incineration methods like thermal oxidizers and regenerative thermal oxidizers. This technology merges non-thermal plasma (NTP) with a wet scrubber (WS) system. Specifically, it employs atmospheric non ..read more

This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with Puraffinity. Puraffinity, which develops precision technology for the removal of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ across multiple water treatment applications, has appointed Pete Weaver as its Chief Operating Officer. Pete joins Puraffinity from digital printing technology provider Domino Printing Sciences where he was Group Fluids Operations Director responsible for Domino’s global fluids manufacturing operations, including plants, in the UK, US, India and China. Prior to that Pete worked for Philadelphia headquartered FMC Corpora ..read more

This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with MegaGroup. MegaGroup Trade Holding BV, the holding company of wholesalers of water technic solutions in Western Europe, has acquired Anchor Pumps, a leading pump specialist in the UK supplying both B2B and B2C companies. The acquisition equips MegaGroup with further know-how and experience in pumps while Anchor gain opportunities for growth in the UK and abroad. Anchor is a distributor of domestic, industrial, and commercial water pumps, including shower pumps, booster pumps, heating pumps, submersible pumps, and home water ..read more