Microplastic protection in road runoff – pilot project in Denmark

Copenhagen, Denmark – BAIONYX, an innovative Danish Green Tech company dedicated to minimizing the environmental impact of road traffic, is bringing GKD CAPTURION, an effective filter technology, to Denmark to help reduce microplastic emissions. This initiative is in collaboration with the Technical University of Berlin and the URBANFILTER Sustainability Hub, funded by the Audi Environmental Foundation. The first Danish project is being carried out in collaboration with Frederiksberg Municipality, with scientific support from The Technical University of Berlin.

The Problem

With 289 million active vehicles in the EU27, an estimated 450,000 tons of tire wear (microplastic waste) accumulate on streets and roads every year. When it rains, these microplastic particles are washed into sewer systems, which then transport the contaminated water. In many cases, this water flows directly into the sea, lakes, streams, and rivers, posing a serious threat to aquatic life and compromising the quality of the planet’s most vital resource: water. “Most of the tire wear discharged into waterways comes from urban areas,” says Johannes Neupert from The Technical University of Berlin. Once the damage is done and the particles are released into nature, it is nearly impossible and extremely costly to “clean up” again. In Denmark alone, tire wear contributes around 7,000 tons of microplastics annually.

Reducing Microplastic Emissions

The patented filter technology (patent pending) has been developed over several years and aims to reduce the amount of harmful microplastic particles in runoff water before they enter the natural environment. The filter system was codeveloped by GKD. Findings from the prototype modules using GKD fabric in the URBANFILTER project were incorporated into its development. The project was initiated and funded by the Audi Environmental Foundation and conducted at The Technical University of Berlin.

“Most people are unaware that an average passenger car driving just 15,000 km per year leaves behind some kilograms of tire wear on the roads, which can have serious consequences for aquatic environments. These particles are often washed directly into streams and lakes along with rainwater. With 2.8 million cars in Denmark, this results in a significant amount of harmful particles. Our mission is to create a cleaner water environment by addressing this often-overlooked source of pollution,” says Søren Dandanell Nielsen, CEO of the Danish startup BAIONYX, bringing this advanced filter system to Copenhagen, Denmark as well as the rest of the Nordic Region.

Frederiksberg Takes the Lead

Frederiksberg Municipality has recognized the need for a proactive approach to addressing pollution from road traffic and has therefore entered into an agreement with BAIONYX to implement the filter solution in a pilot project in a selected area of the municipality. This project marks an important milestone in the effort to achieve cleaner urban environments and protect natural surface water.

Promising Test Results

Extensive site and laboratory tests, as well as analyses carried out with the Technical University of Berlin, confirm the effectiveness of the filter solution. Up to 97% of total suspended solids (TSS) are captured by the filter, which can retain even very small particles. Funded by the Audi Environmental Foundation, The Technical University of Berlin and the URBANFILTER Sustainability HUB scientifically validate the first large-scale application of these filter modules in Copenhagen.

Developed in Collaboration with Audi Environmental Foundation

“Denmark is a leader in sustainable transition, and therefore it is especially gratifying to see that BAIONYX and Frederiksberg Municipality have reached an agreement to install the filter system. It is crucial that we protect our aquatic environment as effectively as possible, and this solution is highly relevant in this context. We are happy to see a development from the URBANFILTER project being implemented in Denmark and that we complement it together with the scientific expertise of The Technical University of Berlin,” says Dr. Rüdiger Recknagel, Managing Director of the Audi Environmental Foundation.

Findings from the pilot project will be shared through the URBANFILTER Sustainability Hub to transfer successful approaches to other municipalities. The hub, also funded by the Audi Environmental Foundation, represents a culmination of projects aimed at addressing tire wear pollution and road runoff challenges. It serves as a nexus, connecting filter producers and offering a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange among policymakers, industry leaders, municipalities and local authorities. With a commitment to an open-source approach, the Hub promotes the dissemination of innovations and the development of evidence-based solutions for environmental sustainability.

(© Massimo Righetti, f. l. Johannes Neupert (TU Berlin), Dominik Herper (GKD), Dr. Rüdiger Recknagel (AUDI), Søren Dandanell (BAIONYX) und Daniel Venghaus (GKD))

GKD’s Perspective

GKD, as the manufacturer, is also looking forward to collaborating with BAIONYX. “We have many years of experience in producing advanced filter solutions, and we are pleased to see our patent-pending product installed in Frederiksberg,” says Dominik Herper, Research & Development, GKD AG.

“BAIONYX was created to tackle the invisible but significant challenges posed by tire wear and microplastics in our environment. We are optimistic about making a positive impact in this area,” says Søren Dandanell Nielsen, CEO of BAIONYX.