Overview

What are planetary boundaries and why are they relevant for chemical engineers? This series will focus on the six planetary boundaries (PBs) we are breaching and the role of water and those working in water to support sustainable solutions and meaningful action.

The water sector is a steward of the nitrogen cycle - with a key function in nitrification and nitrogen removal in water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). It remains a significant source of nutrient pollution and increasing requirements for nitrogen removal means significant resources (energy, supplemental carbon) as well as significant risks and opportunities around greenhouse gases (in particular nitrous oxide, covered in the first webinar, Climate Change Planetary Boundaries). The extent of nitrification and denitrification required in WRRFs is a function of incoming N loads to WRRFs and to water catchments from agricultural fertiliser use and run off.

This webinar will provide an overview of the nitrogen cycle in context of the water sector with a focus on emerging and innovative centralised and decentralised approaches to treatment and nitrogen management which support the role the water sector must take in a circular economy, within planetary boundaries.

Speaker

Ana Soares, Professor of Biotechnology, Cranfield University

Ana is a Professor of Biotechnology Engineering specialises in environmental water protection and resource recovery currently working at Cranfield University in the UK. She holds a PhD in environmental engineering from Lund University, in Sweden and a MEng in biotechnology engineering from Algarve University in Portugal.

Her work focuses in municipal as well as industrial wastewater management, proposing innovative and economically feasible solutions to produce high quality effluents and product recovery. Prof Soares research explores the underpinning science required to develop and manage bioreactors employing new biological organisms, cultures or pathways in order to develop or optimise technologies and deliver the circular economy. 

The material presented in this webinar has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter's own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Water Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Time

09:00–10:00 BST.

Software

The presentation will be delivered via Microsoft Teams. We recommend downloading the app from the Microsoft website, rather than using the web portal.