Dr. Anwar Sadmani (University of Central Florida)

Title: Membrane Processes for Removing Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC)

Abstract

The occurrence, fate, and ecotoxicology of contaminants of “emerging” concern (CECs) viz., pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), personal care products (PCPs) as well as various emerging disinfection by-products (DBPs) in the aquatic environment have been of great scientific interest in recent years. Unknown health effects associated with long-term human exposure to a blend of trace level of such contaminants, corresponding transformation products, and their altered mechanisms of action, as well as media attention and public perception regarding this issue have posed immense challenges to the drinking water industries. Limitations associated with conventional physical-chemical water treatment in dealing with emerging contaminants in surface waters have brought about the exploration of membrane technologies as viable options. This talk will review the application of various membrane-based processes to eliminate CECs from drinking water sources.

Bio

A H M Anwar Sadmani received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto, Canada, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the same institute. He received his Master’s degree from the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands and Bachelor’s degree from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Dr. Sadmani’s current research focuses on advanced water treatment processes including membrane treatment of emerging micropollutants, membrane fouling, membrane-micropollutant interactions, low-pressure membrane pre-treatment, and nanoparticle-modified membrane-based hybrid processes to treat and reclaim water from impaired and unconventional sources.