Project: Nanostructured catalytic materials for disinfection and CECs degradation in wastewater by non-thermal plasma treatment (WP1)
Host institution: UNISA
Supervisor(s): Luigi Rizzo (PhD Promoter)
Objectives: To investigate nanostructured catalytic materials (NCMs) in enhancing non-thermal plasma (NTP) performance for the for disinfection and removal of CECs in urban wastewater.
DC4 will synthesize and characterize NCMs, including TiO2 and Al2O3 doped with transition metal oxides (CuO, Fe2O3, V2O5, MoO3) or noble metals (Pt, Au, Pd). These NCMs, supported on glass spheres, are used to augment the efficacy of non-thermal plasma (NTP) in treating wastewater. The study will assess the synergetic effects of NCMs when combined with NTP, benchmarking against established tertiary treatments like ozonation for the removal of CECs and pathogen disinfection. DC4 will analyze a selected mix of CECs, in both deionized water solutions and real secondary treated urban wastewater (RSTW) spiked with these CECs. Additionally, DC4 will explore the impact of NTP, both standalone and in combination with NCMs, on pathogen inactivation including E. coli, coliphages, and Clostridium perfringens, in alignment with the EU regulation for wastewater reuse (EU 2020/741). A comparative assessment of by-product formation and effluent toxicity between NTP and traditional ozonation will also be conducted. DC4 will also conduct life cycle assessment.
Expected results: Enhanced CEC degradation and disinfection in wastewater using NTP integrated with innovative NCMs, yielding lower by-product toxicity and improved sustainability.
Planned secondments:
- WATCH (Sup.: D. Du Pasquier): M20-22 (3 months): Evaluation of the effect of NTP and NTP+ NCM on effluent toxicity compared to ozonation process alone.
- UT (Sup.: I. Zekker): M28-31 (4 months): Chemical analysis of CECs and ozonation/oxidation by-products.
Enrolment in Doctoral degree: UNISAL Doctoral School of Science, Engineering and Technology (IT)
