The 21st Congress of Asia and Pacific Division of International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR-APD) will be held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on 2nd – 5th September 2018.
For full details on keynote speakers, conference fees, the full congress agenda and how to register, see the conference website for details.
We are delighted to introduce our latest Emerging Investigator, Daisuke Minakata!
Dr. Daisuke Minakata earned his Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Georgia Tech in 2010. He worked as a research engineer at the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable System at Georgia Tech for 3 and half years. Then he became an Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan Technological University in 2013. Dr. Minakata’s research interests include development of computational tools to predict the fate of various organic compounds in water and wastewater treatment technologies, including advanced oxidation and reverse osmosis membrane processes and engineered systems including in water distribution systems. Dr. Minakata also studies the nexus of food-energy-water to understand the interventions of sustainable technologies at household levels.
Read his Emerging Investigator article: “Ultraviolet and free chlorine aqueous-phase advanced oxidation process: kinetic simulations and experimental validation‘ and find out more about him in the interview below:
Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on ultraviolet and free chlorine aqueous-phase advanced oxidation process. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?
Predicting the fate of an organic compound and the degradation products in the aqueous-phase advanced oxidation process requires three components: (1) reaction pathways; (2) reaction rate constants; and (3) solving the ordinary differential equations of all species involved in the degradation. We previously developed linear free energy relationships to predict the chlorine radical reaction rate constants for various organic compounds. This study identified elementary reaction pathways of acetone degradation in UV/free chlorine advanced oxidation process using the quantum mechanical calculations and predicted the fate of the degradation products using the previously developed linear free energy relationships. Our predicted fate was compared to the experiments we conducted and we validated our elementary reaction-based kinetic model.
What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?
Couple ab initio and density functional theory quantum mechanical calculations with experimental measurements to predict the mechanistic fate of an organic compound and the degradation products in the aqueous phase advanced oxidation processes. With this approach, we can provide mechanistic insight into the degradation mechanisms and a comprehensive picture of radical-induced fate of organic compounds in complex aqueous phase advanced oxidation processes.
In your opinion, why is it important to understand the reaction mechanisms behind advanced oxidation processes and how does the model you have developed aid our understanding?
Understanding the elementary reaction mechanisms provides the most fundamental reaction pathways and kinetics and this information can be applied for many other products. It is not practical to study the degradation products of hundreds of organic compounds experimentally but understanding the most fundamental elementary reaction pathways and kinetics advances our ability to predict the fate of organic compounds in more comprehensive manners.
What do you find most challenging about your research?
We have demonstrated our capability of predicting the fundamental elementary reaction pathways and kinetics for structurally simple organic compounds using ab initio and density functional theory quantum mechanical approaches. However, challenges remain in applying this approach for structurally more complex organic compounds because of numerous possible reaction pathways and difficulties in validating the predicted pathways and kinetics with the experiments. Also, predicting the fate of structurally diverse organic compounds requires a high throughput screening tool that will be developed based on the fundamental knowledge about the reaction pathways and kinetics discovered by both experiments and computational calculations. Combining the knowledge about the fate of organic compounds with toxicity to develop a comprehensive tool to predict the toxicity of degradation products is the ultimate challenge in this field.
In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?
ACS National Meeting in Boston, Division of Environmental Chemistry, Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) session in August, 2018. I co-organize an AOP session with colleagues every year.
How do you spend your spare time?
I walk with our dog in nature.
Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?
I would run a bookstore/coffee shop, collecting a lot of history books and providing good quality of coffee.
Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?
Keep your mainstream research with you and focus on longer-term research goals.
We are delighted to introduce out latest Envrionmental Science: Water Research & Technology Emerging Investigator, Manish Kumar!
Manish Kumar is an associate professor of Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering at Penn State University. He received his bachelors degree from the National Institute of Technology in Trichy, India in Chemical Engineering. He completed an MS in Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois, and then worked for approximately seven years in the consulting industry on applied research projects (lab, pilot, and full scale) on various technologies for water and wastewater treatment. Manish returned to Illinois to complete a PhD in the area of biomimetic membranes and then conducted postdoctoral research at the Harvard Medical School on the structure of water channel proteins, aquaporins, using cryo-electron microscopy. His current work focuses on adapting molecular scale ideas from biology and materials science for use in sustainable water and wastewater treatment. He has received the US National Science Foundation CAREER award and the Della and Rustom Roy award for outstanding materials research. His independent academic career has resulted in approximately 50 publications so far.
Read Manish’s Emerging Investigators article ‘Prospects and challenges for high-pressure reverse osmosis in minimizing concentrated waste streams’ and find out more about him in the interview below:
Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on high-pressure reverse osmosis. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?
My first paper was on pre-treatment strategies for seawater reverse osmosis utilizing a combination of bench scale and pilot scale studies back when I worked in industry. I have since worked on various aspects of reverse osmosis membrane fouling and new materials development using biomimetic strategies. The current paper has evolved out of our interest in treating high salinity brines, something that I also worked on during my industrial career and have not really focused on much since.
What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?
I am most excited about developing channel-based alternatives (both based on artificial and biological channels) to current reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes.
In your opinion, what is the biggest advantage of using reverse osmosis for concentrated waste streams over traditional methods?
The biggest advantage is perhaps the high energy efficiency followed by the ease of implementation for reverse osmosis compared to current thermal processes. Even though thermal processes in some form may be required to achieve zero liquid discharge but, hopefully, by combining high pressure reverse osmosis with these traditional methods the overall energy efficiency can be greatly improved
What do you find most challenging about your research?
The multidisciplinary aspect of it and the constant feeling that there is so much more to learn – this is perhaps also the most exciting part of it.
In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?
I am chairing the Gordon Research Conference on Membranes this year (New London, NH, USA 12th to 17thAugust, 2018) and am the deputy chair for a Faraday Discussions meeting on Artificial Water Channels (Glasgow, UK, 25th -27th June, 2018). I will also be attending the American Institute of Chemical Engineers meeting in Pittsburgh in November. My favorite conference to attend is the AEESP conference, which is organized every two years. I am looking forward to the AEESP conference in Phoenix in 2019.
How do you spend your spare time?
I enjoy spending my spare time with my family. We enjoy exercising, traveling, and reading as a family.
Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?
I would have loved to be a writer (even though I struggle with writing papers on a day to day basis).
Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?
I would recommend collaborating strategically with people from different fields and developing your own unique “research brand”.
We are delighted to introduce out latest Envrionmental Science: Water Research & Technology Emerging Investigator Jingyun Fang!
Jingyun Fang is now an associate professor at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Sun Yat-sen University. She received B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Municipal Engineering from Harbin Institute University. She was a postdoctoral fellow, working with Prof. Chii Shang at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from 2010 to 2012. Her research focuses on advanced oxidation processes in water treatment: kinetics and mechanisms of degradation of micropollutants and formation of disinfection by-products.
Read Jingyun’s Emerging Investigators article ‘Comparative study of naproxen degradation by the UV/chlorine and UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation processes’ and find out more about her in the interview below:
Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on naproxen degradation by UV/chlorine and UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation processes. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?
My first research article was on the formation of disinfection byproducts from algae containing water during my PhD study. My current paper is on the control of emerging contaminants by advanced oxidation processes. So, over the years, the focus of my research has shifted from disinfection byproducts to advanced oxidation processes in water treatment. I am fascinated by the performance of some free radicals in water treatment, particularly for some newly identified radicals such as halogen radicals, sulfate radicals and carbonate radicals.
What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?
I am most excited about exploring new radicals formed in engineering and natural aquatic systems with the ultimate goal of discovering their potential in promoting water sustainability.
In your opinion, which of the two advanced oxidation processes studied was the most effective at degrading naproxen?
For kinetics, the UV/chlorine process is much more effective at degrading naproxen than the UV/H2O2 process, due to the good reactivity of naproxen with reactive chlorine species (RCS) produced in UV/chlorine. RCS are more selective than hydroxyl radicals (HO•), thus the efficiency UV/chlorine process to the degradation of different pollutants are compound specific. Meanwhile, the formation of toxic halogenated byproducts and toxicity alternation induced by RCS during UV/chlorine should be further assessed.
What do you find most challenging about your research?
The most challenging aspect of my research is the combination of laboratory experiments and computer-based modeling to identify the roles of primary and secondary radicals in different advanced oxidation processes, as the databases for the reactivity of some newly identified radicals with emerging contaminants or water matrix components are not available.
In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?
I will be at the upcoming American Chemical Society National Meeting held in Boston, MA on August 17-18, 2018. Also, I usually attend IWA events.
How do you spend your spare time?
I enjoy spending time with my spouse and our one-year-old boy and twin girls. If there is still time, I enjoy reading, playing yoga and walking.
Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?
If I am not a scientist, I think I might enjoy being a chef. I love cooking and sharing food with friends. Nevertheless, being a scientist is much better as there are a lot of unknowns and it is fun.
Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?
Being able to enjoy the research that you are doing, working hard and being persistent will eventually bring you what you dream.
We are delighted to introduce Zhiyong “Jason” Ren and Aijie Wang as new Editorial Board members for Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology.
我们很高兴地宣布Zhiyong Jason Ren和王爱杰教授（中国科学院生态环境研究中心）作为编委加入Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology.
Zhiyong “Jason” Ren is an Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He also holds a joint appointment at the National Renewable Energy Lab. Jason’s research focuses on water-energy nexus and resource recovery. His group analyzes reaction mechanisms and develops novel environmental processes, with the goal of expanding environmental engineering from pollution control to sustainable development of resource recovery systems.
Read Jason’s latest ESWRT paper on microbial fuel cells
Aijie Wang is a Professor at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Professor at the Harbin Institute of Technology, P.R. China. She is the Deputy Director of the National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Wastewater Treatment, and Head of CAS Key Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology. Her research interests cover water pollution control and resource recovery, which includes bio-based technology for heavily polluted industrial wastewater treatment, polluted aquatic environment bioremediation, and resources/bioenergy recovery from waste (water)/biosolids.
Aijie is Guest Editing a Themed Issue for ESWRT alongside Professors Jeremy Guest and Paige Novak on Anaerobic Technologies.
Find out more or Submit to the issue
We are delighted to introduce out latest Envrionmental Science: Water Research & Technology Emerging Investigator, Greg LeFevre!
Greg LeFevre is an assistant professor of environmental engineering and science in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa and an assistant faculty research engineer at IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering. He did his BS at Michigan Tech, MS/PhD at University of Minnesota, and postdoc at Stanford University, all in environmental engineering. The focus of his research group is elucidating novel biotransformation products and pathways of emerging contaminants to inform improved design of engineered natural treatment systems for non-point pollutants. Much of Greg’s work has been dedicated to improving bioretention stormwater green infrastructure.
Read Greg’s Emerging Investigators Series paper “the role of vegetation in bioretention for stormwater treatment in the built environment: pollutant removal, hydrologic function, and ancillary benefits” and find out more about him in the interview below:
Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on the role of vegetation in bioretention for stormwater treatment in the built environment. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?
In some ways, this article has threads that connect my graduate research, my postdoc work, and some elements of my lab’s current research. During my PhD at the University of Minnesota, I studied the fate and biodegradation of hydrocarbons in stormwater bioretention cells and discovered that plants played a critical role in facilitating removal. During my postdoc at Stanford with ReNUWIt, I studied large-scale stormwater capture-treatment-recharge systems for aquifer replenishment in arid regions and also the uptake of trace organic contaminants by plants when recycled water is used for irrigation, including the elucidation of novel metabolites following plant uptake. I have fused these experiences together in my new lab at the University of Iowa where we focus on discovering the biotransformation products and pathways of emerging organic contaminants to inform improvements to low-energy engineered natural treatment systems, including bioretention and other practices to capture and degrade non-point pollutants. One aspect that has certainly evolved has been my focus on elucidating pollutant transformation products rather than simply classifying contaminants as having “degraded.”
What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?
There are two aspects that greatly excite me at the moment. First, innovations in analytical tools (especially high res mass spectrometry) are allowing us to discover novel transformation products at an unprecedented pace in plants (including food crops) and water. Second, I’m really interested in coupling biotransformation with innovations in materials to create novel infiltration media for stormwater systems that capture and degrade trace organic contaminants.
In your opinion, what is the biggest environmental impact presented by stormwater in the urban environment?
Stormwater disrupts nearly every aspect of hydrologic processes and has severe impacts to water quantity and quality. The most well-known impacts relate to flooding and sediment/nutrient flux to receiving water bodies. I think one of the most underappreciated aspects of stormwater impacts is the rapid transport of trace organic contaminants from highly diffuse sources that, collectively, exert pressures on biota in water ways.
What do you find most challenging about your research?
The suite of trace organic contaminants in stormwater is constantly evolving as, for example, new pesticides get phased in/out, additives to vehicles evolve, or biocides are added to building materials that leach into stormwater. The non-point nature of stormwater makes everything a challenge (accurate field measurements not the least of which!). Of course, the big important ‘so-what’ questions regarding the ecotoxicological impacts of these compounds and complex mixtures are a major challenge, and that is where we love to collaborate with experts in the tox field.
In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?
I am typically at ACS, the GRC Environmental Sciences: Water, AEESP, Emerging Contaminants (when it’s in the US), and sometimes SETAC. This year I was invited to participate in the NAE Frontiers workshop in Japan.
How do you spend your spare time?
I have an 11-month-old baby, so ‘spare time’ is trying to be with her as much as possible. I try to get outside as much as possible into wild areas; this is why I went into environmental work. Fortunately, our baby loves hikes!
Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?
Honestly, I never really thought of being anything but scientist. I knew that I wanted to be an environmental scientist from early in grade school. My family participated in restoration ecology volunteer work at a local NGO every week for as long as I can remember (I got my ten-year service award at age 14, har har) and we had a restored prairie for our yard. The only question in my mind was what kind of environmental scientist. Aldo Leopold also has always been a strong role model, as an academic scientist, writer, natural philosopher, and land steward.
Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?
Work on important problems and don’t lose sight of why you are here.
The 5th IAHR Europe Congress will take place in Trento, Italy from 12th-14th June.
The 5th IAHR Europe Congress aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of hydraulics.
For more information on registration, see the conference registration page and for further details including the full agenda, please visit the main conference website.
We would like to highlight the Outstanding Reviewers for Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology in 2017, as selected by the editorial team, for their significant contribution to the journal. The reviewers have been chosen based on the number, timeliness and quality of the reports completed over the last 12 months.
We would like to say a big thank you to those individuals listed here as well as to all of the reviewers that have supported the journal. Each Outstanding Reviewer will receive a certificate to give recognition for their significant contribution.
Professor Yunho Lee, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
Dr Zhen He, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Dr Timothy Julian, Eawag
Professor Long Nghiem, University of Wollongong
Professor Debora Rodrigues, University of Houston
Dr Neal Chung Tai-Shung, National University of Singapore
Dr Qian Zhang, University of Minnesota
Dr David Bagley, University of Wyoming
Dr Barbara Ward, Eawag
Dr Kristine Wammer, Saint Thomas University
Dr Meagan Mauter, Carnegie Mellon University
We would also like to thank the Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology board and the sustainable water community for their continued support of the journal, as authors, reviewers and readers.
If you would like to become a reviewer for our journal, just email us with details of your research interests and an up-to-date CV or résumé. You can find more details in our author and reviewer resource centre
The 2018 Pacific Northwest WateReuse Conference will take place at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel in Portland, Oregon from May 17-18, 2018.
This event welcomes individuals, organizations, and agencies with an interest in the design, management, operation, and use of water recycling facilities and projects in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Presentations will focus on specific projects and topics for all phases of development including feasibility, planning, design, operations, public outreach, funding and regulatory updates.
Advance registration ends May 10, 2018.
To register and for more information, visit the website here.
We are delighted to introduce Graham Gagnon as a new Associate Editor for Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology.
Professor Gagnon joins Xia Huang, Stuart Khan, Tamar Kohn, Paige Novak, and Mike Templeton as Associate Editors handling the peer review of submissions to the journal. More information about his research interests is given below:
Professor Gagnon is a Full Professor and NSERC/Halifax Water Industrial Research Chair in the Department of Civil & Resource Engineering at Dalhousie University. Graham works collaboratively with his research team and research partners to deliver applied water solutions that are grounded in fundamental principles of water science and technology.
Submit your high-impact work to Professor Gagnon’s office:
Read some of Professor Gagonon’s latest research published in Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology:
Water quality and filter performance of nutrient-, oxidant- and media-enhanced drinking water biofilters
Amina K. Stoddart and Graham A. Gagnon
Prediction of disinfection by-product formation in drinking water via fluorescence spectroscopy
Benjamin F. Trueman, Sean A. MacIsaac, Amina K. Stoddart and Graham A. Gagnon
