PROJECT CO-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION
The following results are expected by the end of the project:
- A commercial kit for the determination of ATP for use in microbial counts and/or acute toxicity analyses.
- A prototype of a discrete on-line analyser with fully automated robotic technology for the determination of ATP, which results in the estimation of microbial counts in seawater.
- A fully automated system for cell pre-concentration and lysis in seawater, functionally integrated with the on-line analyser.
- Process parameters and experimental data can provide evidence for the competence of the method based on ATP determination and a linear correlation with traditional techniques for heterotrophic counts.
- A record of possible alternative applications for the on-line system integrated with the pre-concentrator in both freshwater and marine waters.
- A prototype of a user-friendly, portable device for ATP determination and subsequent microbial count estimation, intended for in situ use in potentially compromised environmental settings or for routine watershed quality control.
- A new instrument for monitoring the presence of microorganisms in ballast water to prevent the release of potentially endemic microbial populations into the sea.
- A novel method for assessing acute toxicity in wastewater and freshwater based on ATP inhibition, which can be used in online analysers and portable systems.
- A novel tool for monitoring toxicity in influent and effluent based on inhibition of ATP activity.
- A record of possible alternative applications for the portable system in both fresh and marine waters.
Financial support received
For the realisation of the project, a total investment of €487,912.00 was admitted, on which a grant of €157,502.75 was awarded. The funding resources are in reference Application prot. no. A0613-2023-078193 – PR FESR LAZIO 2021-2027 Public Notice “Competitive repositioning CSR as per Det. no. G18823 of 28/12/2022 – Area 2 “Sea Economy, Green Economy and Agrifood” CUP: F89J23000800007.