The presentations of our colleagues focused on current topics in the field of water quality and the sustainable utilization of waste biomass. All of the reported results were obtained using the state-of-the-art equipment of the Large Research Infrastructure ENREGAT, supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (MŠMT).
Jan Bednárek delivered a lecture on the possibilities of removing contaminants from water using activated carbon prepared from black pine cones. In his work, he prepared different types of activated carbons that proved highly effective in removing pharmaceuticals (such as metformin, caffeine, telmisartan) as well as heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu). The results clearly showed that the sorption properties of activated carbon depend on the chosen activation method, opening the way for their targeted optimization.
Lucie Řepecká presented a poster focused on composting waste biomass and the development of substrates with a higher content of humic acids and optimized water retention capacity. These materials not only promote plant growth and photosynthesis but also significantly improve the water-holding capacity of soils, which makes them highly promising for sustainable agriculture.
Martina Vráblová presented a poster addressing the issue of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in municipal wastewater. The research demonstrated that ion-modified granular activated carbon (iGAC) can effectively remove both resistant bacteria and residual antibiotics, thereby contributing to reducing the risk of spreading antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments.
Our participation in the Zjazd Chemikov confirmed that topics related to the protection of water resources and the circular use of waste materials are among the key areas that successfully connect academic research with practice and bring solutions to current environmental challenges.
The Czech Chemical Society at the congress was represented by our colleague Prof. Kamila Kočí, head of the Heterogeneous Photocatalysis research group and chair of the Ostrava branch of the Czech Chemical Society.