University of Melbourne PhD candidate, Angel Chyi En We, has been awarded Water Research Australia’s 2023 Nancy Millis Memorial Award.

The award, presented annually, is for a student who has demonstrated initiative, has exceptional qualities and a passion for research. It honours Nancy Millis who was a microbiologist of international repute who made enormous contributions in agriculture, environmental protection, medicine, and engineering.

Water utilities are required to manage the release of chemical contaminants from their sewage treatment plants. Particularly, it is expected that some of these chemicals will be regulated to an extent that industry will be required to implement additional barriers, with consequent increase in the costs to customers. Angel is working together with Melbourne Water and Greater Western Water, on her project Novel electrochemical treatment for mineralisation of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) end products.

Her work has identified a possible route for low-cost removal and destruction of organic chemicals of emerging concern in sewage treatment plants and the project will prove the concept for this route, which is based on foam fractionation and electrochemical destruction.

Angel commenced her PhD in June 2022, supervised by Dr Stefano Freguia at the University of Melbourne. Angel received her MPhil and BTech from the University of Technology Malaysia and Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur. She has been working with water and wastewater treatment research topics since 2015, including aerobic granulation for sewage treatment and biosorbents for the removal of pollutants from palm oil mill effluent. Angel hopes to use her knowledge she has gained to support water sustainability.

The Nancy Mills Award presents a wonderful opportunity for early career scientists like Angel to develop complementary skills and develop networks with other industry professionals.

The late Emeritus Professor Nancy Millis AC MBE was appointed Chair of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment (CRCWQT) from 1995 until 2008 and subsequently maintained her involvement through the Education Program and on the Scientific Advisory Committee following the inception of Water Research Australia.

To find out more about the late Professor Nancy Millis, her extraordinary life, and successful career as a leading female researcher click here.

The post Prestigious Nancy Millis Memorial PhD Award 2023 recipient announced appeared first on Water Research Australia.

A key deliverable of Project 1127, ECHIDNA is a searchable online database designed to equip the water industry with relevant information to make evidence-based and informed decisions around the management of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC).

The post Emerging chemicals database | Free access extended appeared first on Water Research Australia.

The project, part of our Whole Water program of research, will be working closely with national water utility companies South East Water, Melbourne Water, Yarra Valley Water and Water Corporation, through WaterRA.

Researchers, Professor Xiwang Zhang (Chemical Engineering Professor and Director of the ARC Research Hub for Energy-efficient Separation), Professor Huanting Wang and Dr Yinlong Zhu (Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University) will be delivering the project.

To find out more visit the project page.

Further news coverage regarding this project is available from the links below:

• • • Monash University
    • CNBCB
    • pv magazine
    • Australian Water Association
    • Energy Magazine

The post Funding secured for Project 1136 appeared first on Water Research Australia.