News2 – Page 11 – Water Research laboratory

Experience exchange research in the Fuel Laboratory of Estonian University of Life Sciences

From 5th to 23rd March 2018 Ieva Berzina, the senior research technician from the Water Research Laboratory is doing experience exchange research in the Fuel Laboratory of Estonian University of Life Sciences.

WRL hosted the 1st meeting of EU-LAC Health project Hi-Water in Riga

From 28th February to 1st March team of Water Research laboratory hosted the 1st meeting of EU-LAC Health project Hi-Water (Efficient and affordable water treatment technologies to minimize waterborne diseases) in Riga. The meeting was attended by partners from Universidad Regional Amazonica (Ecuador) and Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research (Germany). During the two-day visit delegates participated not only in Hi-Water meetings but also visited laboratories of Institute of General chemical engineering, Biomaterials center, Water research laboratory and design factory. Technical excursion to Baltezers water treatment station and Wastewater treatment plant «Adazi» was performed to demonstrate how small-scale water engineering systems are operated in Latvia.

A first partners meeting of INTERREG the Baltic Sea region international cooperation programme BEST

A first partners meeting of INTERREG the Baltic Sea region international cooperation programme BEST (Better Efficiency for Industrial Sewage Treatment, #R054) project occurred from 6^th to 8^th February. The aim of the project is to improve water resources management in order to decrease an effect of wastewaters and hazardous substances leeks on regional watersheds and the Baltic Sea. This way increasing a capacity of a public and private sector for water quality problems solutions.

The meeting was attended by partners from Finland, Germany, Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Latvia. RTU is grateful to organizers, especially Kajsa Rosqvist (the leader of BEST project) for making such an intensive and interesting programme of the meeting. RTU team was presented by Kristīna Tihomirova, Sandis Dejus, Jānis Zviedris, Arta Čakša-Lapsiņa and Tālis Juhna.

The meeting was opened by Esa Nikunen – director general of the Environment Centre of Helsinki City. Mr. Nikunen told about Finland progress towards zero biogen emissions into the Baltic Sea. Every partner had an opportunity to present their planned activities in the BEST project. Sandis Dejus presented aims and plans of RTU Water Research Laboratory, as well as talked about expected contribution from other partners and a resulting project impact. To compare legislation, evaluate the most important contaminating substances and understand which technologies are used in all of the partners’ countries, RTU scientists made a questionnaire. The questionnaire was presented by RTU guest expert Jānis Zviedris. Working in teams, project partners collected opinions on urgent problems, determining a structure for cooperation between municipalities and manufactures in wastewater treatment sector.

On February 7^th, a seminar was organized with an aim to clarify what are the possible pitfalls for implementation of new technologies in manufactures and municipalities. Possible solutions and proposals list were also created. Kristīna Tihomirova presented a work done by RTU team.

Project partners also had a great possibility to visit Helsinki city wastewater treatment plant Viikinmaki. The WWTP treats 280’000 m³a day (maximal load 700’000 m³/day). The WWTP built in 1994, replaced 12 technologically outdated treatment plants from Helsinki suburb. Treated wastewater is released directly into The Baltic Sea. Afterwards the meeting participants visited wastewater treatment plant Riihimaki and Valio dairy factory. The enterprises demonstrated a great cooperation praxis between municipality and production factory.

On February 8^th a seminar was organized with an aim to understand which state authorities have the biggest impact on BEST project, results and aim achieving. Tālis Juhna presented a work done by RTU team. The meeting was closed up by steering committee.

The next project partners meeting is planned after 6 months in Polish city of Gdansk. During project implementation period workshops will be organized in every partners’ country with an aim to improve cooperation between factories and municipalities (as well as other governmental institutions).

The news will follow!

The Article in Dienas Bizness

Riga Technical University and Latvian University researchers participated in a project that developed methods for determining the degradation of materials. Researchers at the RTU Water Research Laboratory have been investigating the evaporation of polymer tube molecules in drinking water.

Article in Dienas Bizness

The 2×2 World Latvian Youth Seminar

From 26th of December to 1th of January our laboratory doctoral students Sandis Dejus and Brigita Dalecka participated in the 2×2 World Latvian Youth Seminar. The 2×2 seminar was created in the sixties of the last century, bringing together exiled Latvians to the United States, but since 2015 «2×2» is taking place in Latvia, bringing together young people for a week, and inviting them to think, discuss, and get together with creative, interesting lecturers. This year, in Latvia, the first 2×2 winter seminar was held in which Sandis and Brigita guide the direction «Science and Technology». At the same time as a lecturer, our laboratory leader, Talis Juhna, led the lecture on the nature of science and its role in engineering. Also, during the whole week, young people got acquainted with the basic work of research and learned more about the quality of drinking water in Latvia.

For more information on the next 2×2 workshops, visit:

http://2x2pasaule.lv/
https://www.facebook.com/2x2pasaule/

Photo: Jurgis Rikveilis

https://www.facebook.com/jurgis.rikveilis

LTV game «Gudrs vēl gudrāks»

On 9th of December LTV game «Gudrs vēl gudrāks» celebrated its 5th anniversary, and program managers Valters Fridenbergs and Kaspars Ozolins have decided to invite their friends, including our laboratory doctoral student Brigita Dalecka, to the anniversary game. Emotions, patron of the game, President of the Republic of Latvia, Raimonds Vejonis greetings and question, happiness and music.

As our Brigita has done, you can see here:

Video

The closing seminar of the State Research Program SOPHIS

On 5th of December the closing seminar of the State Research Program SOPHIS took place at the premises of the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science (EDI). During the seminar, four years of research and results from partners involved in the program were presented, such as traveling cars, smart clothing and melanoma diagnostic equipment. Researchers at the Water Research Laboratory, Sandis Dejus and Alina Neščerecka, presented the results of the project – the online monitoring system for drinking water quality.

More:

http://sophis.edi.lv/research/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzV9_F3BqW8&feature=youtu.be From: 2:15:00

https://www.facebook.com/edi.riga/

Meeting at the IHA Delft

On 23th of November a meeting was held at the IHA Delft (https://www.un-ihe.org) at the Water JPI (http://www.waterjpi.eu), in which one of the issues under review was Latvia’s accession to the JPI network.

The head of the laboratory Talis Juhna spoke in this event and presented Latvia’s potential for water research and compliance with projects in the Water JPI Calls. Following the successful participation in the event, Latvia’s participation in the JPI network was unanimously approved.

More about Water JPI:

Team members spent a time with pupils from 2c class

On the 3rd of November our team members spent a time with pupils from the 2c class of Riga 84th school as a part of Career day’s event «We go visit!». The main theme of the event was «Water is our friend!». Children learned about the water cycle, water amount that each of us spends on a daily basis and how to save it. The children tested the turbidity of the tap water, got to know what is the difference between empty water and healthy tap water. Children learned what we need to do to receive the water at home and, also, where wastewater goes.

We are thankful to the children for the active work through the day!

Biotechnology between the NSFC and EC

From 26th to 27th of October the head of Water Research Laboratory Talis Juhna participated in «Workshop on the environmental biotechnology between the NSFC and EC».