Department Process Engineering

Process Engineering

The research focus of the Process Engineering Department (ENG) ranges from current and future wastewater and drinking water treatment problems, as well as water pollution control and resource reuse. Our long-term goal is to develop sustainable concepts of the water and nutrient cycle in residential areas.

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News

June 17, 2025 –

Researchers from the Ecotox Centre, Eawag and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland have tested combined biological and chemical online monitoring as an early warning system at a municipal wastewater...

Researchers from the Ecotox Centre, Eawag and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland have tested combined biological and chemical online monitoring as an early warning system at a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The system is able to detect peak loads of micropollutants in treated wastewater and identify toxic pollutants in real time. In this way, it can contribute to improving wastewater management.

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February 12, 2025 –

The conditions in mountain huts often make it difficult and impractical to meet the requirements for wastewater treatment. A new approach to assessing cleaning performance could change that.

The conditions in mountain huts often make it difficult and impractical to meet the requirements for wastewater treatment. A new approach to assessing cleaning performance could change that.

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November 18, 2024 –

During ETH Day on 16 November 2024, environmental engineer Valentin Faust was awarded the Otto-Jaag Water Protection Prize for his doctoral thesis. His work provides important insights about the production of fertiliser from human...

During ETH Day on 16 November 2024, environmental engineer Valentin Faust was awarded the Otto-Jaag Water Protection Prize for his doctoral thesis. His work provides important insights about the production of fertiliser from human urine.

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Water Hub: new movie!

Publications

Appiah-Twum, H., Van Winckel, T., Santolin, J., De Paepe, J., Hellweg, S., Larsen, T. A., … Spiller, M. (2025). Environmental impact of integrating decentralized urine treatment in the urban wastewater management system: a comparative life cycle assessment. Water Research, 282, 123630 (14 pp.). doi:10.1016/j.watres.2025.123630, Institutional Repository
Britschgi, L., Wei, S., Proesl, A., Morgenroth, E., & Derlon, N. (2025). The critical role of flocs in nitrification in full-scale aerobic granular sludge-based WWTP. Water Research, 274, 123021 (13 pp.). doi:10.1016/j.watres.2024.123021, Institutional Repository
Crosset-Perrotin, G., Moraz, A., Portela, R., Alcolea-Rodriguez, V., Burrueco-Subirà, D., Smith, C., … Fairbrother, D. H. (2025). Production, labeling, and applications of micro- and nanoplastic reference and test materials. Environmental Science: Nano, 12(6), 2911-2964. doi:10.1039/d4en00767k, Institutional Repository
Farine, C., Lüthi, C., Niwagaba, C. B., Morgenroth, E., & Narayan, A. S. (2025). Interlinkages and indicators: novel assessment of water, sanitation and solid waste services in schools in two Ugandan towns. Frontiers in Water, 7, 1544779 (11 pp.). doi:10.3389/frwa.2025.1544779, Institutional Repository

Events

04.12.​2025,
9.00 am
Eawag Dübendorf

PEAK-Basiskurs B36/25

20.01.​2026,
9.00 am
Eawag Dübendorf

PEAK-VaLoo Basiskurs B37/26

Research Projects

Is a space research program, aiming to develop a bioregenerative life support system for long-term space missions and space habitations for example on Mars.
NEST building
Sustainable urban water and wastewater management applied and implemented in the modular NEST building.
Modelling of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) reactors
Many WWTPs are reaching their maximum treatment and clarification capacities, and solutions must be found to upgrade those existing plants.
Opportunities and risks of reusing treated wastewater in Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Council set the ambitious goal to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Dynamic of greenhouse gas emissions in nutrient removing wastewater treatment plants
Systematic investigation of hybrid model approaches for the prediction of nitrous oxide emissions in biological wastewater treatment