With increasing global water scarcity, potable reuse from wastewater effluent is on its path to become one of the dominating drinking water sources next to conventional ground and surface water. This paradigm shift is associated with unique challenges including environmental health concerns, removal of refractory micropollutants and reducing energy demands of treatment technologies. With significant production and use, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have drawn scientific, regulatory, and public concern as one of the major classes of emerging environmental micropollutants. Despite the progress in treatment of PFAS from freshwater resources, there is yet limited knowledge on PFAS removal strategies from wastewater effluent during potable reuse. Considerable limitations associated with often implemented reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems has raised interest in non-membrane-based treatment processes. This talk will highlight my recent studies on the effectiveness and optimization capacity of RO-free treatment trains employed in potable reuse applications for the removal of PFASs and other refractory micropollutants. Furthermore, I will discuss how current and future challenges can impact the design of different potable reuse technologies.

Hooman Vatankhah | Research Assistant Professor | Colorado School of Mines (CSM)

EC 3930 | October 4, 2022 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
 

Dr. Hooman Vatankhah is a Research Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). He completed his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering at CSM in 2019. Prior to CSM, he earned his M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Technical University of Munich and his B.S. in Energy and Environmental Engineering from the Technical University of Hamburg in Germany. He served as a project engineer in industrial sector in California and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Hanover before moving back to CSM in 2021. Dr. Vatankhah was named the American Water Works Association’s Young Professional of the Year in 2019 and was a National Science Foundation ReNUWIt fellow from 2016-2019.