Evaluation and modelling of an integrated tannery wastewater treatment system used for resource recovery and process water reuse
This project is funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa and is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Cape Town. The work is a continuation of previous WRC and DST funded projects on remediation and valorization of solid waste and wastewater from tanneries in South Africa. The research entails recovering elemental sulfur, bioenergy and algal biomass from tannery wastewater while simultaneously improving the quality of tannery effluent.
Effect of substrate and inoculum on microbial selection during anaerobic digestion or municipal, industrial and agri-industrial wastewater sludges
This is an NRF-funded project focused on fi nding how pre-acclimatization of sensitive microbial communities like methanogens to more toxic substrates can improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion.
Current AMHBI Research Projects (Part 6 of 6) Contacts:
Dr Pamela J Welz (Welzp@cput.ac.za): ORCID 0000-0002-4825-4080
Dr Thandeka Mthethwa (MthethwaT@cput.ac.za): ORCID 0000-0002-6457-7429
Dr Amrita Ranjan (RanjanA@cput.ac.za): ORCID 0000-0001-9235-7098
Ms. Magan Ross (magannicoleross@gmail.com)
CPUT Research Focus Area: Bioeconomy and Biotechnology
CPUT Research Niche Areas: Wastewater Remediation and Reuse
This research project focuses on developing bioplastic films from starch and studies on structure-function relationship. The characterization of these films includes Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and mechanical testing.
This research focuses on the growth of nano-crystals with well-controlled sizes and shapes by reacting molecular precursors that will coordinate to the growing nanoparticle surfaces in variable solvents. Emphasis is placed on understanding their surface chemistry to tailor applications needs.