Dr. Ulrike Braun (centre) from the BAM Nanotribology and Nanostructuring of Surfaces division at the award ceremony for the Mülheim Water Award 2018
Source: Foto: Andreas Köhring
The analysis of microplastics in water is a hot topic. The methods mainly used to date have been extremely time-consuming and do not provide any quantitative information on the various polymers in environmental samples. Dr. Ulrike Braun and her team from the BAM Nanotribology and Nanostructuring of Surfaces division are working on a fast and robust method that allows the reliable identification and quantification of polymers. Expenditure is low in terms of personnel and the measuring time per sample.
The BAM researchers received this year's Mülheim Water Award for this project. Ulrich Scholten, the Mayor of Mülheim, presented the award in his capacity as patron during the Mülheim Water Analysis Seminar (MWAS 2018) at the civic centre in Mülheim an der Ruhr.
28 applicants from 13 countries
Applications on the topic of "Innovations for water systems and water analysis for sustainable water management and safe and secure drinking water supply" were accepted from 1 December 2017 to 28 February 2018. In total, 28 submissions from 13 European countries were considered by the international jury. The applications passed through a two-stage selection procedure.
About the Mülheim Water Award
The Mülheim Water Award is sponsored by RWW Rheinisch-Westfälische Wasserwerksgesellschaft mbH and GERSTEL GmbH & Co. KG, both of which are based in Mülheim an der Ruhr. The award recognizes applied research and development projects and innovative concepts related to drinking water supply and water analysis.
The Mülheim Water Award was presented for the first time in 2006. In total, more than 100 applications from 20 different European countries were submitted in the previous five competitions and covered the full spectrum of water management.