PLANTED

PLANTED is ENLIGHT Thematic Networks (ETN) project. ENLIGHT stands for European university Network to promote equitable quality of Life, sustaInability and Global engagement through Higher education Transformation. ENLIGHT is a European University alliance of ten comprehensive, research-intensive universities from ten European countries.

Purpose of PLANTED

The main purpose of PLANTED project is to initiate and enforce multidisciplinary cooperation between research groups of Comenius University Bratislava (CUB), Ghent University (UGent) and Tartu University (UT). Scientific perspective of the formed network is (i) to address the negative environmental and health impacts of water pollution by organic contaminants of emerging concern (e. g. micropollutants and pharmaceuticals) and (ii) to use plasma-based nitrogen fixation to reuse the water in agriculture. Current ETN is preparative step for science-oriented joint project applications.
Therefore, this ETN is aimed to educate new experts in the related fields of plasma water treatment, wastewater treatment, analytical chemistry and other fields; exchange knowledge and enhance collaboration between partners, prepare joint project proposals, conduct exploratory research via short-term scientific missions (STSM) and inform the broader audience (e,g, policymakers) of the importance of (i) and (ii).
For this purpose, we plan to organize training schools and conduct STSMs, prepare and enrich both online, such as MOOCs, and in person learning resources taught at each partnering university, prepare popular science materials in journals, radio or TV.

So in conclusion ...

The joint PLANTED team of well-known international experts from 3 European Universities, has scientific, teaching and organizing expertise and the necessary infrastructure to accomplish the set goals. Participating universities have strong plasma research groups with developed infrastructures and ongoing scientific projects that will create synergy with PLANTED enabling the use of a wide variety of plasma sources for training activities as well as future research. Plasma sources include the transient spark discharge treatment of electro-sprayed liquids (CUB), liquids plasma jet treatment in controlled gas environments (UT), water film reactors working at AC and pulsed mode (UGent). Team members have experience in photoinduced and bio-electrochemical wastewater treatment, chemical analysis of wastewater, liquid ozone based advanced oxidation, and assessing the biological impact of plasma treatment.