PhD: Biofiltration of Reverse Osmosis Concentrate

Due to the increasing pressure on our fresh water sources, the treatment of brackish groundwater is more popular than ever. Particularly the application of anaerobic (direct) treatment with reverse osmosis (RO) is extending rapidly. Although effective in the removal of salts and other targeted contaminants, the technology produces a complex concentrate stream – containing high concentration of salts, reduced geogenic contaminants and anti-scalants.

Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ir. Doris van Halem, Dr. Michele Laureni and Prof. Dr. Ir. Mark van Loosdrecht (Environmental Biotechnology) I investigate how (part of) these contaminants in water can be sustainably removed utilizing biological treatment processes, such as biological iron, manganese and ammonium removal. The methods include literature review, laboratory reactors and on-site experiments with brackish groundwater to unravel the mechanisms of interest specifically for brackish, anaerobic RO concentrate. The project is in collaboration with drinking water company Dunea.