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.

Read more

News

May 23, 2023 –

On Saturday, 20 May, the 18th Biennale of Architecture in Venice opened its doors. In the German pavilion, which focuses on building in existing contexts and the recycling economy, also the Nutrient Harvester developed at Eawag is...

On Saturday, 20 May, the 18th Biennale of Architecture in Venice opened its doors. In the German pavilion, which focuses on building in existing contexts and the recycling economy, also the Nutrient Harvester developed at Eawag is demonstrated. It processes the urine from two on-site dry separation toilets into fertiliser.

Read more
May 11, 2023 –

The aquatic research institute Eawag has published its latest annual report and looks back on the year 2022. Water is at the heart of the most important environmental issues.

The aquatic research institute Eawag has published its latest annual report and looks back on the year 2022. Water is at the heart of the most important environmental issues.

Read more
May 9, 2023 –

Environmental engineer Wenzel Gruber and microbiologist Robert Niederdorfer – both Eawag postdocs – founded the spin-off Upwater together with two other partners at the beginning of November 2022. It offers measurements for...

Environmental engineer Wenzel Gruber and microbiologist Robert Niederdorfer – both Eawag postdocs – founded the spin-off Upwater together with two other partners at the beginning of November 2022. It offers measurements for wastewater treatment plants to support them in reducing process instabilities, greenhouse gas emissions as well as energy consumption.

Read more

Water Hub: new movie!

Publications

Ballikaya, P., Brunner, I., Cocozza, C., Grolimund, D., Kaegi, R., Murazzi, M. E., … Cherubini, P. (2023). First evidence of nanoparticle uptake through leaves and roots in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Tree Physiology, 43(2), 262-276. doi:10.1093/treephys/tpac117, Institutional Repository
Ballikaya, P., Brunner, I., Cocozza, C., Grolimund, D., Kaegi, R., Murazzi, M. E., … Cherubini, P. (2023). Nanoparticles are everywhere, even inside trees. Chimia, 77(4), 256. doi:10.2533/chimia.2023.256, Institutional Repository
Bou-Sarkis, A., Paul, E., Girbal-Neuhauser, E., Derlon, N., & Bessiere, Y. (2023). Detection of gel-forming polymers via calcium crosslinking, applied to the screening of extracellular polymeric substances extracted from biological aggregates. Gels, 9(2), 157 (14 pp.). doi:10.3390/gels9020157, Institutional Repository
Brison, A., Rossi, P., & Derlon, N. (2023). Single CSTR can be as effective as an SBR in selecting PHA-storing biomass from municipal wastewater-derived feedstock. Water Research X, 18, 100165 (13 pp.). doi:10.1016/j.wroa.2023.100165, Institutional Repository

Research Projects

By recovering nutrients from urine, we develop a sanitation system, which produces a valuable fertiliser
We develop reactors for the separate treatment of urine, feces and water directly in the toilet.
Inadequate access to microbiologically safe drinking water continuously threatens the health and well-being of more than a billion people, primarily in developing countries
Modelling of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) reactors