iBET at 9th Edition of National Water & Innovation Event “O Caminho da Inovação”
Challenging the obvious in water technologies
Vanessa Pereira, João Sério, and Nicole Ferreira from iBET’s Membrane Processes Lab presented our latest research on sustainable water disinfection at the O Caminho da Inovação Expo & Networking 2025 event, organized by Águas do Tejo Atlântico, at Fábrica da Água in Lisbon.
This gathering brought together national and international experts to share insights on innovative and sustainable technologies shaping the future of water. For iBET, it was an opportunity to share our latest research on sustainable water disinfection solutions using Ultraviolet (UV) LEDs.
From left to right: Vanessa Pereira, João Sério and Nicole Ferreira at the 9th Edition of ” O Caminho da Inovação”
At iBET, LEDs are being tested at laboratory scale to understand the mechanisms of inactivation of different wavelengths and develop effective water disinfection systems.
An LED disinfection system was also evaluated at pilot scale under real conditions, to recycle water for plant irrigation of samphire (Salicornia) and slender leaf ice plants (Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum). These halophyte plants are important in sustainable agriculture and provide a model for studying how advanced disinfection systems perform outside the lab.
LED technology for water disinfection was tested in pilot scale to recycle water for plant irrigation
By combining innovative LED technology with applied microbiology, our work highlights the potential for greener, more adaptable, and more efficient water treatment solutions.
This work was conducted as part of the LEDEFFECT project (funded by FCT – PTDC/EAM-AMB/1561/2021), and stems from a collaborative effort between iBET, ITQB NOVA and Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. It was also supported by the iBETXplore program.
Learn more about iBET’s water disinfection research by the Membrane Processes Lab and read full published manuscript here.
