Description
The following are examples of current experimental studies: development of enzymatic systems for the treatment of industrial wastewaters, disinfection of wastewaters using UV light, development of odour measurement procedures and equipment, production of value-added products from waste materials, microbial degradation of plasticizers, evaluation of rates and extent of mass transfer and biodegradation of pollutants in soil-water environments, assessing bioavailability of pollutants using luminescent biosensors.
Studies involving theoretical and computer modelling include computational fluid dynamics of UV disinfection systems, air pollution dispersion modelling for predicting odour impact, development and calibration of models of enzyme kinetics, and numerical modelling of transport, partitioning and degradation of pollutants in soil and aqueous environments. Such models are developed in concert with experimental studies in the laboratory or field to ensure their validity.
The environmental engineering laboratories are equipped to analyze a wide variety of aqueous chemical and microbiological environmental parameters. Specialized equipment includes atomic absorption, high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, spectrophotometry (UV/vis and fluorescence), scintillation counter, and analyzers for such parameters as total organic carbon, total nitrogen, oxygen demand, toxicity, and particle size distribution, among others. The laboratory is connected to the departmental computer network and allows for computerized data acquisition and control.
Researchers
