You're invited to the WA Branch Chemaraderie in July 2024!
Join us at the ChemCentre, Exhibition Space, Building 500, Curtin University.
The event will be followed by additional networking, drinks, and catering.
Advanced Membranes for Effective Microplastic Removal and Enhanced Antifouling in Water Treatment
Dr Masoumeh Zargar - School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University (m.zargar@ecu.edu.au)
Abstract:
Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, originating from both aquatic and land-based sources. The irreversible damage inflicted by MPs and their fragmented nanoplastics on human health and the environment is widely recognised. While recent studies have investigated the occurrence and fate of MPs in the environment and treatment facilities, no targeted treatment techniques have been identified or developed for efficient removal from water streams. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a major pathway for MPs entering the aquatic environment, contributing over 25% of total MPs in oceans. MPs cause pollution, disrupt carbon sequestration in the seafloor, and infiltrate animal and human tissues through water consumption.
Current treatment technologies in desalination and WWTPs are not designed to effectively capture or remove MPs from water. Although membrane filtration processes can offer effective solutions for MP removal, limited research has focused on polymeric membrane applications specifically for MP treatment in the water industry. This presentation will review membrane fabrication and modification strategies using functional materials, conducted by our team, to tailor their physicochemical properties for more efficient MP removal and enhanced fouling mitigation. These developed membranes will later be integrated with other treatment techniques to provide multifaceted MP separation.
Biography
Dr. Masoumeh Zargar is a Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA fellow at the School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University (ECU). She also co-chairs the ECU Early and Mid-Career Researchers Network (EMCR). Her research focuses on developing functional materials and membranes for water and wastewater treatment, desalination, solar distillation, resource recovery, circular economy, green-based food packaging, and the removal of emerging contaminants like microplastics and PFAS compounds from the environment.
Dr. Zargar completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide and worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Fluid Science and Resources Research (FSRR) Group at the University of Western Australia, engaging in projects relevant to the oil, gas, and water industries. She joined ECU as a VC-Research fellow in 2020 and became a Senior Lecturer in 2023. At ECU, she leads the Advanced Materials and Membranes Research Group, which includes over 10 PhD students and research associates, mentoring them towards successful research and professional careers. She also leads several industry projects translating research into practical applications.
Dr. Zargar's research excellence has been recognised with several prestigious awards and fellowships. In 2023, she received ECU’s Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Excellence award for research by an early career researcher, an ARC Discovery Project award, and the ECU Engineering Staff Research Excellence Award. She was awarded the AMP Tomorrow Maker's Award in 2022, secured an ARC DECRA Fellowship in 2021, and won Best Presentation Awards at ECU EMCRN Symposiums in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, she was granted the highly competitive ECU Vice-Chancellor Fellowship.
With thanks to our Chemaraderie sponsor
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