UB researchers receive funding to design an integrated water-treatment system that degrades nitrates and upgrades them into ammonia
The University of Barcelona (UB) has received a Llavor grant of 20,000 euros from AGAUR to develop a water-treatment technology that removes nitrates and converts them into ammonia, a key element for various economic sectors. The project is led by Dr Ignacio Sirés, professor in the Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry (Physical Chemistry section) of the UB Faculty of Chemistry.
According to Dr Sirés, “this hybrid technology represents a breakthrough for improving the quality of aquifers, which are severely affected throughout Catalonia, while simultaneously generating a strategic product with major economic impact in sectors such as fertilizer manufacturing and the electrification of mobility and transport.”
A potential solution to a global problem
Water contamination by nitrates from agriculture and livestock farming is a problem on both local and global scales. According to studies by the Catalan Water Agency, 51% of Catalan aquifers are in poor chemical condition—with nitrates as the main pollutant—affecting even areas without access to the public water supply, where groundwater is essential for consumption and productive activities.
Conventional technologies for removing this pollutant include separation using membranes or ion-exchange resins. However, some of these technologies have high energy consumption and generate an effluent with a high nitrate content that must be subsequently managed. The new project will develop an integrated system that, on the one hand, selectively captures nitrates present in groundwater and, on the other, incorporates an innovative electrochemical conversion system that makes it possible to obtain ammonia as a value-added product from contaminated water.
According to the UB researcher, the resulting ammonia could be used as a fuel or liquid fertilizer in a green-economy model, while the water could be reused in agricultural activities or groundwater recharge.
A low-energy and easy-maintenance technology
This technology incorporates an electrocatalytic stage that represents a low-energy alternative to current approaches and also enables the design of compact, easy-to-operate, low-maintenance devices, ideal for coupling with separation technologies. It will also make it possible to overcome one of the inherent obstacles of (electro)catalytic processes: the low efficiency as the nitrate concentration decreases.
The researchers have already demonstrated in the laboratory that this technology shows exceptional efficiency in nitrate removal. Now, with the new project, the aim is to design this integrated system and evaluate its efficiency using real groundwater, thanks to the collaboration of water-sector organisations that have embraced the potential of this innovative technology.
This research aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), as it focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. In this regard, the project will mainly target groundwater, which is the primary water supply source for various activities worldwide (including direct consumption).
The project, with file number 2025 LLAV 00097, is part of the Knowledge Industry call in the category “Llavor grants for innovative projects with potential incorporation into the productive sector.”