The work carried out by Congcong Zhang won the award in the Doctoral Thesis category, while Julio Revert Vecher won in the award Master's Thesis category
The Evaluation Committee of the 5th Edition of the DAM Chair Awards for the Best Academic Work in the "field of integrated management and recovery of wastewater resources" has decided to award the "María Francisca García Usach" prize in the Doctoral Thesis category to Congcong Zhang. In the Master's Final Project category, the "Consuelo Marí" award goes to Julio Revert Vercher.
Congcong Zhang's study, titled "The Integration of Resource Recovery Strategies in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal" supervised by researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Juan Antonio Baeza Labat and Albert Guisasola i Canudas, provides a critical assessment of existing phosphorus (P) recovery technologies in the mainstream under different configurations. The research thoroughly analyzes the most critical parameters affecting the performance of this recovery, such as the case of wastewater with low COD load at the inlet of the treatment plant.
Furthermore, for the first time, the thesis explores an experimental evaluation of integrating mainstream P recovery into the recently designed process for a new Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), known as the two-stage A/B process. The objective is to maximize COD capture for biogas production and energy recovery while operating a high-rate activated sludge system in stage A, and removing nitrogen in stage B.
"The wastewater treatment plants are transforming into water resource recovery facilities with the aim of achieving good effluent quality, as well as recovering resources such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus," highlights the author.
The Resolution of 13 December 2023 of the Rectorate of the Universitat de València, by which the III edition "María Francisca García Usach" prize is awarded to the best doctoral thesis on integrated management and recovery of wastewater resources of the DAM Chair can be consulted at this link.
In the Master's Final Project category, the "Consuelo Marí" award goes to Julio Revert Vercher for the project titled "Use of Ultrafiltration Membranes as Tertiary Treatment for Wastewater Regeneration," supervised by researchers from the CALAGUA-UV Group, Luis Borrás Falomir and Pau Sanchis Perucho. The project examines the potential of Ultrafiltration membranes as tertiary treatment for wastewater regeneration, studying the quality of the obtained permeate and evaluating the most suitable conditions for the filtration process based on membrane fouling characterization.
For this purpose, a pilot plant based on commercial UF membrane modules was operated for a period of 7 months, fed with the effluent from the secondary treatment of a WWTP.
"The regeneration of wastewater for use in agriculture is considered a real solution to water scarcity issues and various environmental problems arising from the discharge of WWTP effluents. In this context, ultrafiltration membranes represent an efficient, sustainable, and competitive regeneration technology", states the research author.
The Resolution of 25 October 2023 of the Rectorate of the Universitat de València, by which the VI Awards for the best Master's thesis on Integral Management and Recovery of Wastewater Resources of the DAM Chair are granted, can be consulted at this link.
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