Projects
Gas phase surface discharge plasma based degradation of organic micro-pollutants in water KU Leuven
Changes in regulations and consumer behavior are likely insufficient to fully control the complex OMP discharge routes and therefore, other approaches that target OMP removal in the human water cycle remain needed. Two essential points in the water cycle that need OMP removal are at the levels of WWTPs and drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). As mentioned above, many OMPs escape WWTPs while DWTPs have to ensure that drinking water is free ...
RECHARGE: Green bioremediation to abate micropollutants. Safeguarding the drinking water cycle for future generations KU Leuven
Freshwater resources such as groundwater for drinking water production are scarce due to various reasons of which one is the presence of a multitude of recalcitrant micropollutants (pesticides, pharmaceuticals …). This problem is relevant for both Europe and China. In this call, which enables the collaboration between China (NSFC) and EU (Horizon2020), both Chinese and European research groups will aim at improving and optimizing ...
Method and instrument for in-situ measurement of light depolarization by birefringent particles suspended in water; a polarized transmissometer (PolTrans) Ghent University
Aquatic ecosystems provide essential services to society; from acting as a sink for atmospheric CO2 to food production. However, aquatic environmental health and services are under risk of irreversible damage, requiring continuous fit-for-purpose monitoring. The aim of the PolTrans project is to build a low-power, compact, submersible sensor for the autonomous measurement of birefringent particles in water, namely 1) calcium carbonate ...
Identification and elimination of bottlenecks for micropollutant biodegradation: towards a sustainable human water cycle (BioSustain) KU Leuven
Meeting the demand for freshwater is an ongoing grand challenge. Pollution of ground and surface waters by organic micropollutants (OMPs) increasingly exacerbates water scarcity. Many OMPs are recalcitrant throughout the human water cycle. Specific – but often not fully explored – (eco)toxicological impacts on humans and the environment prompted European legislation to introduce stringent threshold limits. To meet these limits, water ...
Public health risks of Microplastics and trace metals in drinking water supply system components in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ghent University
This PhD research project involves the determination of the pollution status of Addis Ababa drinking water with respect to microplastics and trace metals. Drinking water samples will be collected from different points across the drinking water supply chain and analysed for microplastics and trace metals. By doing this the possible point sources of pollution and the potential public health risk associated with drinking water will be ...
Developing luminescent probes for on-site water quality assessment Ghent University
The aim of this project is to provide simple means of assessing the quality of freshwater in India. By developing a series of luminescent probes that can bind with the most important pollutants present in Indian freshwater, a crude first indication can be obtained about the presence or absence of such
pollutants and the related (un)safety to use the freshwater.
Electrolysis of water vapor with earth-abundant electrocatalysts KU Leuven
Since the Industrial Revolution the use of energy and resources has substantially increased. This is related to the consumption of fossil fuels, that provided mankind with immense amounts of cheap energy. The energy content in one barrel of crude oil, which is available at a price of less than € 100, represents about 10 years of human labor. Fossil fuels are finite resources and their use is increasingly contributing to global warming and air ...
A primer to the use of African ostracods in water quality assessment: taxonomy and ecology of non-marine Ostracoda (Crustacea) from Benin. Hasselt University
Mechanistic modelling of root water uptake in saline soils. KU Leuven
Producing enough food for an increasing world population is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. Improving management practices that optimize the usage of water, nutrients and other agricultural resources is vital to increase crop production and productivity while maintaining a healthy environment. The usage of computational models has been integrated in the decision making of agricultural management practices such as in ...