Activated carbon is manufactured overseas (30% of production occurs in CHINA). As an example, in 2016, 12% of worldwide AC demand (0.23 million of tons) corresponded to Western Europe . A Europe import about 80% of their internal consumption of AC. PORTABLECRAC provides a successful business case to reduce overseas imports with negative competitive and environmental impacts in key industries in Europe. Furthermore, great exploitation and replication opportunities for circular-local economy development, at business and environmental perspectives, will be pursued and exploitation path assessed as key implementation task after feasibility analysis is completed. However, due to continuous use, EXHAUSTION of AC filters is a common issue with the consequent high cost in producing virgin filters again. Indeed, there is a side problem related to the manipulation and management of exhausted AC that has to be considered as highly contaminant waste and can vary at regional-national level. Accordingly, the viability of AC use at industrial level roots in the regeneration and reactivation of exhausted AC. AC can be regenerated (large facilities i.e. do it at this moment), reducing costs by about 50%. Regeneration of spent AC is mainly done by thermal regeneration (as is the case of EMIVASA). However, it requires off-site service, high energy input and carbon losses with negative environmental impacts against the solution provide by PORTABLECRAC as the key value proposition (Table 1) shows. PORTABLECRAC brings a sustainable and long term solution creating a direct and indirect employment in the “service-sector” from UE. PORTABLECRAC KEY VALUE PROPOSITION is to provide a solution to water treatment with 86% reduction in cost per kg/AC and 4 times reduction in CO2 emissions. Business model will be assessed and validated during the scope of the project, based on traditional key drivers for industry market penetration as cost reduction and legislation framework

NIAGARA compiles all the necessary approaches to provide a comprehensive response to the phenomenon of spread of pollution (chemical, microbiological and plastic) from drinking water sources to human exposure, through the Driking Water Treatment Plants. These approaches and their solutions are: (1) Real-time monitoring. NIAGARA will develop multi-analyte biosensors able to quantify simultaneously 4 highly concerning pollutants of very different chemical nature: BPA, imazalil, H. pylori and paracetamol/ibuprofen. Using pre-concentration units, detection limits will reach pg/mL for chemicals and 10-100 viable cells for H. pylori, which are below harmful levels for human exposure. (2) Remediation. A removal and disinfection system based on a tandem formed by two IEDS biofilters (immobilized-enzymes degradation systems) and a UV/TiO2 photoreactor. With this solution, we will achieve total removal of the 4 analytes (concentrations below detection limits of water laboratory techniques) and a Total Organic Carbon removal of >70%, exceeding current State of Art. The DBPs formed will be identified, and their appearance mechanisms and toxicity will be predicted. (3) A fast and cost-effective method for real-time monitoring of the propagation of these 4 contaminants using a hydraulic model that exceeds the performance of current methods (seconds vs weeks, > 60% accuracy). These solutions will be validated up to a pilot scale (TRL=5) in a case study in the city of Valencia, in a DWTP, and using the drinking water supply system of district #9 (Jesús), with the participation of the Municipal Drinking Water Company, and accomplishing safety and sustainability-by-design. Finally, the Communication and Exploitation plan has been specially designed to have an clear projection ouside EU to enhance its competitiveness in the water sector and to foster its position and role in the global water scene, with the participation of previously established EU and non-EU networks.