Recycled Water Research Articles

Investigating the potential of groundwater recycling as an alternative to groundwater trading in terms of resource efficiency

Water and in particular groundwater is undoubtedly a natural resource of fundamental importance to humanity. However, their limited availability and the large increase in demand observed in recent years call for its optimal management. In this context, tradable water rights systems and the circular economy of water, which promotes water recycling, are two concepts on which management policies towards sustainable and efficient water management can be based. This paper attempts to highlight the potential that a management policy based on the circular economy of water can have against a policy based on tradable water rights in terms of economic efficiency of the resource. Thus, the research hypothesis of this paper is that under certain conditions water recycling can lead to higher economic efficiency for the resource than water trading can. For this purpose, two time-dynamic models are formulated, one for each different management policy, concerning the pumping of water from an aquifer by two different categories of users, and the corresponding optimal control problems are solved. The results of the simulations based on hydro-economic data of a region in Northern Greece show that there is a high dependence of the efficiency of the water recycling system on the recycled water tariff. Thus, it is concluded that for charging prices up to and beyond 0.20€/m3 a management policy of an aquifer based on the concept of circular economy can lead to a higher economic efficiency of water.

Challenges of recycled water pricing

Recycled water has posed new challenges for conventional water supply and wastewater provision models, as it interconnects different related services. The reclaimed water sector faces the arduous task of setting specific pricing policies since rules for potable water and wastewater charges may not be appropriate for it. This article addresses a review of current challenges in pricing policies for recycled water based on case studies available worldwide, highlighting the most common tariff structures in use and the principles applied, providing a guideline for recycled water pricing based on the barriers, drivers, and practices found around the global experiences and academic literature. The results show that different tariff structures are adopted based on local socioeconomic factors and water authorities’ objectives. We conclude that the local environmental conditions, the institutional arrangement, technical and economic specificities are influence factors that decision-makers should consider when setting recycled water charges.

Improving Field Moisture Monitoring of Recycled and Virgin Aggregates

The structural capacity of pavement foundation is altered by moisture conditions. Reliable moisture monitoring of geomaterials throughout pavement service life is critical for asset management by transportation agencies. Improved moisture sensing enables transportation officials and practitioners to better understand performance of complex recycled materials under frequent extreme rain events. Although moisture sensing for geomaterials has improved significantly, there are still challenges when using sensors in recycled materials that may contain unhydrated cement, aged asphalt, or both. Challenges include the development of calibration functions that account for the presence of recycled materials and robust installation procedures, as technology was developed mostly for agricultural practices. In this study, a series of experiments were conducted to suggest improvements for installation techniques and data interpretation of soil moisture and water potential sensors. Suggested installation guidelines minimize wash-out and erosion potential at the soil–sensor interface. Experimental results indicate a strong bilinear relation between dielectric of recycled materials and water content, with a region of relatively small change governed by dielectric permittivity of air and a region of rapid change controlled by dielectric permittivity of water. Moreover, it was found that dielectric permittivity is not significantly affected by aggregate internal structure as dielectric for a specific moisture content for different compaction degrees is relatively similar. Furthermore, soil water characteristic curves obtained using the water potential sensor and improved installation technique compare reasonably well with laboratory results obtained with traditional equipment. Reliability of both moisture and water potential sensors was improved with the suggested guidelines.

The biochemical properties of Rosmarinus officinalis L. affected by irrigation water amount and quality.

Water deficiency, especially in the arid and semi-arid areas, necessitates the proper water use and recycling. The objective was to investigate the effects of deficit irrigation as well as treated wastewater on the biochemical properties of Rosmarinus officinalis L., grown in the arid area of Iranshahr, Iran. A split-split plot design on the basis of a complete randomized block design with three replicates was conducted in 2017. Irrigation water treatments of (I1 = 100% of field capacity, FC), 75% of FC (I2), and 50% of FC (I3) as main plots, reduced (S1), and partial irrigation (S2), as sub-plots, and well water (Q1), treated wastewater (Q2), and the combination of Q1 and Q2 (Q3, 50% + 50%), as sub-sub plots, were tested. Plant biochemical properties including proline (Pr), soluble sugars (SS), and essential oil volume (V) and yield (Y) as well as water use efficiency (WUE) were determined. The I2, treatment, compared with I1, increased Pr, SS, V, Y and WUE by 34.4, 31.9, 52.6, 34.3, and 48.1%, respectively. The S2 treatment also increased plant biochemical properties more than 45% related to S1, and Q2 significantly enhanced the measured parameters compared with Q1 and Q3. Treated wastewater improved the essential oil yield of the plant in water deficit conditions. Accordingly, under deficit water conditions, treatment I2S2, and in the case of unfavorable water sources and deficit water conditions, treatment I2Q2 are recommendable to alleviate water stress and improve the biochemical properties of Rosmarinus officinalis L. in the arid areas.

Reclaimed water in Taiwan: current status and future prospects

According to the Taiwan Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, the average water demand shortage is 530.6 million m3 yr−1 during the period of 2011 to 2019, and the situation will worsen in the near future due to global climate change. Therefore, reclaimed water has been an important new water source in Taiwan, particularly for industrial consumers such as high-tech industries in Science Parks. In order to meet the targeted reclaimed water supply of 1.32 million m3 d−1 (CMD) in 2031, Taiwan is focusing on two major reclaimed water sources, including reclaimed water from high water-consuming industries and municipal wastewater treatment plants. This report reviews current technologies used for reclaimed water including units for pretreatment, desalting, polishing, and reclamation. Case studies in Taiwan including reclaimed water from high water-consuming industries such as thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) and semiconductor industries, as well as from municipal wastewater treatment plants are presented. The TFT-LCD company Innolux and semiconductor company Advaned Semiconductor Engineering have implemented total recycled water system to recycle and reclaim wastewater from manufacturing processes, achieving a total recycled water of 290 million m3 yr−1 with about 97% recovery and 3.5 million m3 yr−1 with 80% recovery, respectively. The Fengshan reclaimed water treatment plant produces 40,436 CMD reclaimed water from municipal wastewater for the China Steel Cooperation’s steel-making processes, at an overall operation and maintenance cost of 11.5 NT dollars m−3. Meanwhile the Yongkang plant produces 15,500 CMD of reclaimed water for semiconductor and TFT-LCD manufacturing processes at an overall operation and maintenance costs of 25.8 NT dollars m−3, which is due to low urea and boron limits requested by the user. Finally, challenges and future prospects for promoting the use of reclaimed water to meet the targeted supply in 2031 will be discussed.

From piggery wastewater to wheat using microalgae towards zero waste

Microalgae production is still expensive, driving the need to lower costs while strengthening the industry's environmental sustainability. Microalgae are recognized tools for efficient wastewater treatment, offering the recycling of nutrients and water for agriculture, and producing biomass rich in growth-promoting compounds to improve plant productivity and resistance to adverse conditions. The use of wastewater can reduce cultivation costs as it is a source of nutrients and water. Alternative low-cost methods can significantly decrease harvesting costs, which represents one of the most expensive steps of the whole process.The goal of this work was to evaluate the potential of wastewater-grown microalga biomass for agriculture purposes. To reduce production costs, the microalga Tetradesmus obliquus was produced in pre-treated photo-Fenton (PF) piggery wastewater in combination with the use of different harvesting techniques - electrocoagulation, flocculation, and centrifugation, and different combinations. From the wastewater treatment process, two fractions (biomass and supernatant) were evaluated for germination and growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants and compared to non-harvested microalga culture (MC), distilled water, and Hoagland (synthetic) solution. The concentrated resulting from PF was also tested as a biofertilizer.The results confirm that both biomass and supernatants are useful for agricultural applications. The obtained biomass elicited a 20–105 % increase in germination index compared to the control, while supernatants were inhibiting. The opposite trend was observed at later stages of wheat growth, where the nutrient-enriched supernatants and the PF concentrate (PF-CC) increased the number of tillers (3–5) and leaves (30–42) after 83 days. Wheat plants treated with MC and PF-CC produced similar number of ears (3.4 ± 0.5 and 6.0 ± 4.1 ears per plant, respectively) than the synthetic control (5.7 ± 1.4) after 182 days. All fractions obtained from the process can be used in a zero-waste process.

Tropical Aquaponic Production of Medicinal Plants in Association with Goldfish

Aquaponics is an emerging technology that synergistically combines aquaculture and hydroponic production through nutrient cycling and water recycling. As aquaponics grows exponentially, studies that evaluate the technique by testing different species in these systems make this choice fundamental to result in a high productivity and profitability. Ornamental fish, as well as medicinal plants, are interesting options for a more in-depth analysis of aquaponic systems. In this context, the objective was to analyze the performance of four plant species: boldu chilanum, Peumus boldus; peppermint, Mentha x piperita; Brazilian joyweed, Alternanthera brasiliana; and oregano, Origanum vulgare, as well as the growth of goldfish, Carassius auratus, and physicochemical aspects of water quality in identical aquaponic systems installed in a greenhouse during 91 days of cultivation. The experimental design consisted in four treatments and four replications, using in all treatments a density of 21 fish.310L and four seedlings, in cuttings, of each plant species studied. The vegetable cultivation systems were composed of expanded clay sediments in a 0.25m² planters, using a density of 16 plants.m², repeated, each treatment, in four aquaponic systems, totaling 16 aquaponic systems analyzed. The results showed that, for the parameters of weight and height, of the four plant species studied, only oregano did not develop as expected, while boldu chilanum, peppermint and Brazilian joyweed showed a representative increase in the analyzed parameters. The goldfish also showed representative increase for weight, total and standard length in all treatments. The water quality parameters analyzed did not showed differences between treatments and were within the range recommended by reference authors, as well as for the well-being of the goldfish. The systems have demonstrated efficiency in vegetative and animal growth, and can help to add value to products from aquaponics, corroborating the evolution of technology.

Reactivity of Fe-amended biochar for phosphorus removal and recycling from wastewater

Using biochar to remove phosphorus (P) from wastewater has the potential to improve surface water quality and recycle recovered P as a fertilizer. In this research, effects of iron modification on P sorption behavior and molecular characterization on two different biochars and an activated carbon were studied. A biochar produced from cow manure anaerobic digest fibers (AD) pyrolyzed under NH3 gas had the greatest phosphate sorption capacity (2300 mg/kg), followed by the activated carbon (AC) (1500 mg/kg), and then the biochar produced from coniferous forest biomass (BN) (300 mg/kg). Modifying the biochars and AC with 2% iron by mass increased sorption capacities of the BN biochar to 2000 mg/kg and the AC to 2300 mg/kg, but decreased sorption capacity of the AD biochar to 1700 mg/kg. Molecular analysis of the biochars using P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy indicated that calcium phosphate minerals were the predominant species in the unmodified biochar. However, in the Fe-modified biochars, XANES data suggest that P was sorbed as P-Fe-biochar ternary complexes. Phosphorus sorbed on unmodified BN biochar was more available for release (greater than 35% of total P released) than the AD biochar (less than 1%). Iron modification of the BN biochar decreased P release to 3% of its total P content, but in the AD biochar, P release increased from 1% of total P in the unmodified biochar to 3% after Fe modification. Results provide fundamental information needed to advance the use of biochar in wastewater treatment processes and recover it for recycling as a slow-release soil fertilizer.

A Review of Plastic Bricks as a Construction Material

Plastic brick is the form of brick manufactured from the combination of non-recyclable waste plastic with other constituents (sand, aggregate, cement, water, stone dust, fly ash, etc.) This study aimed to examine the research findings on transforming waste plastic into bricks that might be used to replace traditional bricks. Different journal articles were reviewed entitled the transformation of waste plastic into bricks to replace traditional clay bricks. Different open-access journal articles were searched to fit the topic of this study. The results indicate that the concrete blocks made with plastic bottles have 57% higher compressive strength and which was cited seventy-nine times by the other researchers (n = 79) "Use of recycled plastic water bottles in concrete blocks". The results further show that the compressive strength and other properties can be increased significantly when plastic is used as a binder with sand. But when it is used as filler, it produces competitive strength as ordinary bricks and can be used without any restrictions or hesitation. The main reflection of this review is to conduct primary research on a large scale to find an innovative model to transform waste plastic into environmentally friendly bricks. The implication of this study would be beneficial to students, future researchers, the Engineering Department of Oxford College of Engineering and Management, Gaindakot 2 in Nawalparasi district and young academicians.

Comparison of Soil Nitrate and Phosphorus Concentrations Prior to and Five to Eleven Years after Recycled Water Irrigation

Increasing demand on water supplies in western US and more stringent wastewater discharge standards have made recycled water a common water source for irrigating urban green spaces. Studies are needed to evaluate nitrate-N leaching potential and phosphorus (P) movement along soil profile when recycled wastewater is used for irrigation. We collected and analyzed soil samples at the commencement and 5 and 11 years after recycled water irrigation on 2 golf courses, 5 metropolitan parks, and 1 school ground. Samples were taken at 0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80, and 80-100 cm depths on golf courses and at 0-20 and 20-40 cm depths at other locations. Soil samples were tested for soil pH, soil nitrate, and AB-DTPA extracted P level. No increase in soil nitrate-N was observed over 5 and 11 years with recycled water irrigation, suggesting leaching of nitrogen to the groundwater was not a great concern. Soil P concentration at the surface soil depth was the highest 11 years after recycled water irrigation. Moreover, soil P increasing below the surface layer was observed on sites with sandy soil, suggesting long-term recycled water irrigation could impose some risk for P leaching on sandy soil.

Evaluation of ash /slag heavy metal characteristics and potassium recovery of four biomass boilers

The utilization of biomass combustion for electricity generation has grown an importance and popularity. However, effective management of ash produced during biomass combustion is a major challenge. To analyze the ecological risk of heavy metals and ash characteristics in biomass ash, an inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used. The effects of temperature (20 °C, 40 °C, 60 °C), stirrer time (1h, 2h, 3h), and water-ash ratio (1:1, 2:1, 3:1) on potassium extraction were studied. The results show that the ecological risk index (RI) values of the fly ash and slag samples are very high, and all samples have very high risk (VHR) mainly due to Cd higher toxicity than other heavy metals. The main constituents of slag are aluminosilicate and SiO2, whereas fly ash contains CaSO4, KCl, SiO2, and KAlSi3O8. The fly ash from straw-fired biomass boiler contains more potassium, making it the most suitable raw material for the actual potassium extraction. In addition, temperature and stirrer time have little effect on potassium solubility while the effect of water-ash ratio is significant. Therefore, the most cost-effective potassium extraction method is water washing at room temperature with a stirrer time of about 1 h, a water-ash ratio of about 2:1, and leaching fly ash multiple times with incorporating the water recycling.

Effective recovery of rare earth and fluorine from REF3 smelting slag by a mechanochemical process

The rare earth fluoride (REF3) solid wastes (such as REF3 smelting slag, rare earth molten salt electrolytic slag, and cerium fluorocarbon tailings, etc.) are widely sourced and have high recycling value. Traditional technology for the recovering of rare earths from REF3 solid wastes mainly includes the method of concentrated sulfuric acid roasting, high-temperature concentrated alkali boiling, and alkali roasting, but sulfuric acid roasting will produce harmful gases containing fluorine and sulfur, which seriously pollute the environment; high temperature concentrated alkali boiling and alkali roasting method also has the disadvantages of large consumption of chemicals and heavy burden of wastewater treatment. In this work, a mechanochemical process was introduced to treat the REF3 smelting slag (RSS) produced by calcium-thermal reduction of REF3, and then the product was leached directly by dilute acid. The results showed that REF3 can be completely converted to rare earth hydrate (RE(OH)3) by the mechanochemical process, and the REEs in the product can be leached efficiently by HCl at room temperature. In particular, the properties of the mechanochemical process and the acid-leaching process were studied. Under the optimal operation conditions (sodium hydroxide/RSS mass ratio was 0.4:1, milling speed was 400 rpm, milling time was 40 min), the transformation rate of REF3 was above 96%. The residue consisted of RE(OH)3 and CaF2 were obtained by leaching the product with water. The NaF crystal by-product was obtained by evaporation crystallization of filtrate. The REEs leaching rate was above 96% by acid-leaching the residue under the optimal acid-leaching process (2 mol/L hydrochloric acid, liquid–solid ratio was 5:1, acid-leaching time was 20 min, stirring speed was 600 rpm), and the by-product of CaF2 was obtained after filtration. The whole process was carried out at room temperature, in a short time, with zero-emission, and recyclable water, which is in line with the concept of green, clean, and environment-friendly, and is expected to be a new technology with good prospects for industrial application.

Assessing impacts of climate variability and land use/land cover change on the water balance components in the Sahel using Earth observations and hydrological modelling

Study regionSenegal river (SRB), Niger river (NRB), and Lake Chad basins (LCB). Study focusWe investigated the impacts of land use/land cover change (LULC) and climate variability on the water balance components from 1990 to 2020. We applied the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) coupled with remote sensing retrievals of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and surface soil moisture (SSM). To separate the impacts of the two aforementioned factors, two numerical experiments were designed: (i) climate variability effects by applying frozen LULC while changing the climate; (ii) LULC change impacts by applying frozen climate while changing LULC. New hydrological insights for the regionOverall, at the basin level, the results indicated that climate variability had the dominant role in increasing groundwater recharge, surface runoff, groundwater return flow and lateral flow in LCB and SRB. These increases triggered the recovery of lake area and higher water table in LCB and increased in SRB streamflow, while water scarcity increased in NRB. In contrast, the separate effect of LULC change, specifically natural vegetation expansion, increased actual ET and decreased the surface runoff, which could be a reason for lake area depletion in LCB and decreasing SRB and NRB streamflow. At the sub-basin level, LULC change, i.e. a gain in cropland and urban areas at the expense of forests in some sub-basins in NRB, led to a local increase in surface runoff. This implies a better redistribution of water in downstream and compensates the deficit in surface runoff caused by natural vegetation expansion in some other catchments. These changes, simultaneously with high intensity and long-duration precipitation, may increase the likelihood of inundation in some small catchments in the Niger river basin. These outcomes give useful hydrological insights into water and land management by emphasizing the crucial role of water recycling.

Residual-triggered threshold decision and performance self-healing control for wastewater treatment process

The delicate control of effluent quality in wastewater engineering becomes imperative for fulfilling its role in protecting the ecological environment and promoting the water recycling. In this paper, an adaptive multivariable self-healing control strategy for the wastewater treatment process (WWTP) operating under complicated environments and facing abnormal conditions. The control goal is to meet the strict effluent standards of the WWTP and to optimize the abnormal conditions by analyzing the process operating status in the event of sudden sensor failures. Therein, a new residual-triggered threshold decision method is designed and integrated into a dynamical detection mechanism to identify such sensor failures. After locating the failures, a multivariable self-healing control scheme incorporating failure compensation information is activated to guarantee the process output tracking and improve the self-recovery capability of faulty performance in the WWTP. Extensive experiments are carried out on a standardized wastewater treatment platform, and the regulation results on the key component concentrations indicate that the proposed control scheme can ensure excellent control performance and reduce the impact of sensor failures.

Analysis of patterns of economic growth and transformation of economic sectors in medan city, The Province North Sumatera in 2012-2021

This study uses secondary data with the methods are klassen typology analysis to determine the pattern and structure of the Medan City economy for North Sumatra Province, shift share analysis to review changes and the potential and contribution of the economic sector in 2012-2021. The results of this study include the city of Medan in type I, namely a prosperous area or a rapidly growing and advanced area where the rate of economic growth and income per capita are higher than those of its larger national area, namely the province of Sumatra North. The shift shares analysis results show that the construction, real estate, wholesale trade, education services, water supply, corporate services, industrial processing, financial services, and other services are positively competitive and high enough to become a sector that greatly contributes to the GRDP of Medan City in the transformation of the economic sectors shifted to the secondary sector. In the Medan City Economy, the LQ analysis shows that there are five leading sub-sectors: water supply, waste management, waste, and recycling; buying electricity and gas; health services and social activities; and corporate and other services.

Zero‐waste emission design of sustainable and programmable actuators

A sustainable zero-waste emission methodology is developed to prepare soft actuators using carbon nano-powders and biodegradable polymers. The entire synthetic process achieves zero-waste emission due to the water solubility and recyclability of matrixes. The geometries of composite film could be designed and modulated for programmable motions and specific applications, including walkers, smart switches, robotic arms, flexible excavators, and hand-shaped actuators.

Understanding Greenhouse Growers’ Willingness to Use Municipal Recycled Water on Food Crops: The Need for Tailored Outreach Coupled with Deep Engagement to Increase Adoption

Increasing demand on agricultural water resources have caused a greater need for the use of municipal recycled wastewater (MRW) globally. However, in the United States, greenhouse growers have been slow to use it in their greenhouse operations. In this study, we seek to understand the factors that motivate and limit use of MRW among US growers. Using national survey data from 2019 through 2020, we developed a logistic regression model to understand the many factors influencing growers’ willingness to use MRW on food crops. We find that MRW quality is a primary concern and that growers’ willingness to use MRW is shaped by their direct and indirect knowledge of MRW, garnered from their own and others’ experiences using it. Given these findings, improving adoption of MRW requires collective experiential learning opportunities that gather target audiences with educators, policymakers, end users, and local authorities to simultaneously provide hands-on experience tailored to growers’ particular knowledge and concerns with feedback from peers.

Recyclable Carbon-Based Hybrid Adsorbents Functionalized with Alumina Nanoparticles for Water Remediation

Developing and improving adsorbent materials for wastewater treatment have become crucial for achieving recyclable water and keeping the environment safe. Carbon materials are modified with alumina (Al2O3) using various doping ratios and a solvothermal treatment. The process aims to combine the advantages of stable carbon and alumina materials with an efficient adsorbent for methylene blue removal. Fabricated materials including carbon and carbon/alumina derivatives were characterized with TEM, SEM, EDS, XRD, and FTIR, revealing successful surface modifications. The carbon materials exhibited pore diameters between 23 and 39 µm, while the modified ones showed pore diameters between 1.68 and 6.08 µm. The alumina nanoparticles were formed on a carbon surface with a particle size between 174 nm and 179 nm. Fabricated adsorbents were applied for the removal of methylene blue by adsorption at pH 4. The equilibrium and steady state adsorption stage was achieved after 2 h of reporting fast adsorption behavior. Low ratio carbon doping with alumina improved the adsorption capacity for methylene blue removal, while the excessive doping of carbon materials with alumina led to a reduction in adsorption efficiency. The application of pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models indicated a fast adsorption mechanism, which agreed with the second-order model. The adsorption capacity for methylene blue was found to be 234 mg/g. Adsorption-isotherms including the Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to investigate the adsorption mechanism. The results indicate that the Langmuir model fits with the adsorption data, which suggests a monolayer adsorption process.

The contribution of aquaculture systems to global aquaculture production

AbstractSince 2000, aquaculture became well‐integrated into the global food system. Aquaculture systems are highly diverse, producing globally equal amounts of fed and extractive species. In Asia and Africa, inland aquaculture provides the bulk of aquaculture production, while in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania, marine aquaculture dominates. The realized growth of annual production since 2000 is due to intensification, the use of more and better feeds, improved production management, and increased attention to biosecurity. Fed and extractive aquaculture, both need to pay more attention to scaling, site selection, and the health of the wider production environment. In terms of land use, aquaculture is more efficient than terrestrial animal production. Still, water use remains a challenge. More attention should be given to water recycling in land‐based systems, reducing water consumption and facilitating nutrient recovery and reuse. Future development should focus on making aquaculture climate neutral and on reducing environmental impacts, both inland and at sea. More attention must be given to making aquaculture an important part of local food systems on all continents, as is the case in Asia today. Integration of aquaculture into local nutrition‐sensitive, circular, and sustainable food systems should become the major driver for future aquaculture system development.

Sea minerals and marine recycled water use obtained through an innovative extraction process for the cultivation of Impatiens glandulifera and Helianthus annuus

Research objective: The aim of this research was to evaluate the stimulating potential of (FertilTomix: product based on minerals and organic molecules from the sea) obtained from an innovative extraction process and to determine the possible use of the recycled sea water obtained from this process for the cultivation of Impatiens glandulifera and Helianthus annuus. Materials and Methods: The experiments, which started in September 2022, were conducted in the CREA-OF greenhouses in Pescia, Italy. Two experiments were carried out for each species in cultivation. One test was performed to evaluate the biostimulant activity of FertilTomix compared with an algae-based biostimulant and a fertilised control. A second experiment was carried out to evaluate the possible use of water obtained from the extraction process of sea minerals as possible irrigation water for plants. On February 15, 2023, plant height, leaves number, leaves surface area, vegetative weight, roots weight and length, the number of germinated seeds, average germination time, the number of microorganisms in the substrate, plants dead number were determined. In addition, the SPAD index was measured on three leaves pinched from the bottom to the apex of the canopy of each plant (for a total of 90 measurements per treatment). Results and Discussion: The first experiment showed that the use of FertilTomix, irrespective of the extraction process, was able to significantly increase seed germination, vegetative and root growth (Figures 2-3), root length and reduce mortality of Impatiens glandulifera plants (Tables 1-2). As found in the first experiment in the treated theses, a significant increase in microbial biomass was noted, which definitely influenced seed germination, vegetative and root development and significantly reduced plant mortality. With regard to the second part of the experiment carried out to test whether recycled water, obtained from the extraction process of sea minerals, was valid for plant irrigation, the data showed that it can indeed be used successfully on Helianthus annuus. There are as yet no cost-effective technologies and processes in the world capable of extracting minerals from seawater that are useful for fertilising plants and recycling process water that can be used for irrigation. The technology of the FertilTomix product itself could be regarded as innovations in this respect, which deserve great consideration and expanded knowledge. Conclusions: The test demonstrated a significant effect on plant growth after the application of certain extracts obtained by an innovative mineral extraction process from seawater. Furthermore, the possibility of being able to use recycled seawater from this process to irrigate plants, which is very interesting and applicable in countries where this resource is scarce. New experiments are currently underway to test the product on new plant species in and out of soil and to assess whether the application of FertilTomix can increase the organoleptic and nutraceutical quality of treated fruits and vegetables.