"As part of the excursion, we had the opportunity to learn about three different technologies that the company DEKONTA, a.s. has successfully implemented in practice,” said Prof. Kamila Kočí, who was responsible for organizing the entire event.
The first stop was Explosia a.s. in Pardubice, where DEKONTA has installed a biofilter for air treatment from a paint shop. “The technology utilizes microorganisms capable of biologically degrading volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under suitable conditions. The contaminated air first passes through a scrubber, where dust particles are removed and the air is humidified, before entering a biofilter filled with root wood chips, on whose surface the biological degradation takes place,” explained Radim Žebrák from DEKONTA. “This technology enables stable compliance with the emission limit of 50 mg/m³ VOC, while the biofilter’s efficiency is continuously monitored and the filter material is regularly analyzed and renewed,” he added.
The second stop was the photovoltaic panel recycling line in Kralupy nad Vltavou, where participants learned about the processes involved in the treatment of panels at the end of their life cycle. The discussions focused primarily on the possibilities of material recovery and the technological challenges associated with the recycling of individual components.
The final part of the excursion was dedicated to a constructed wetland wastewater treatment plant, designed and built by DEKONTA, a.s. for the Perlová voda guesthouse in Kostelec nad Ohří. This system employs natural biological and physico-chemical processes for effective wastewater purification. The participants had the opportunity to examine in detail the operational principle of the system, its treatment stages, and performance parameters.
The excursion provided valuable insight into the practical application of research findings in the fields of water and air purification, confirming the importance of close collaboration between research institutions and industrial partners in the development and validation of environmental technologies.
Acknowledgment is extended to Radim Žebrák and Petra Najmanová from DEKONTA, a.s., as well as to the project Innovative Technologies for a Cleaner Ostrava!!!! (CZ.02.01.01/00/23_021/0008588), funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic and co-financed by the European Union.