A by-product from the production of Scotland’s national drink is being used to clean contaminated ground and waste water in a pioneering new technique unveiled today by the University of Aberdeen. 

The innovative technology – known as DRAM - offers a solution to groundwater contamination, which is a major problem and can hold up or even prevent land development as well as being a hazard to health and the environment.

In the UK it is estimated that there are 330,000 contaminated sites - former industrial areas now blighted by pollutants that have leached into the land.

The UK’s annual estimated spend on land remediation or clean up is £1.2 billion.

Until now there has been no single solution for the treatment of contaminated groundwater as different pollutants require different clean up methods that are costly and take time.

But DRAM – Device for the Remediation and Attenuation of Multiple Pollutants – is the first process that removes multiple pollutants simultaneously.

While the new technology has so far only utilised a whisky by-product, tests demonstrate the technique could also deploy other by-products from food and drink production.

Scottish Enterprise provided almost £300,000 of funding for the research as part of its Proof of Concept programme, which aims to improve the level and quality of commercialisation within Scotland’s universities, research institutes and NHS boards.

Speyside distillery Glenfiddich also helped researchers get to this stage by donating the by-product for use in the novel technology.

The University of Aberdeen researchers who developed DRAM are now considering forming a spinout company to commercialise the technology that could be licensed to land consultants and other companies involved in remediation.

One of the team, Dr Graeme Paton, a leading soil toxicologist, said: "This is a genuine Scottish invention using traditional Scottish produce but has the capability of being applied to a significant global market. And in this global market we have the chance to be technology and innovation leaders."

DRAM is being launched at the Innovate with Aberdeen Frontiers of Excellence event organised by the University of Aberdeen to showcase some of the university's pioneering research projects.

Around 30 researchers and support staff from the University will be at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh for the event today, which aims to build further links with business and policy makers. 

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