We cordially invite you to a unique lecture by Prof. Eakalak Khan titled Resource Recovery from Wastewater on Earth and in Space by Biochar. Lecture will be held on June 25 from 10:30AM in the room D222.
Recovery of resources from wastewater along with its treatment and reuse has become more relevant in recent years. Wastewater is rich in nutrients, valuable metals, and organic matter. Recovery of resources and generation of renewable energy from wastewater are environmentally and economically beneficial. Biochar is capable of recovering nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate, and sulfate; valuable metals such as iridium and palladium; and organic material such as humic acid from wastewater. Biochar has been used to improve methane generation in anaerobic digesters treating biosolids. The use of biochar is advantageous over other types of carbonaceous adsorbents due to its superior properties, affordability, and feedstock availability. Biochar is a promising agent for resource recovery from both liquid and solid streams of wastewater. The first part of the presentation focuses on the applications of biochar for recovery of different types of resources from source separated wastewater (yellow, gray, and black streams). The second part of the presentation highlights the capability of biochar in dealing with unique organic sulfur and siloxane contaminants for wastewater recycling in space on the International Space Station.
Eakalak Khan is a Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Department and the Director of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Water Resources, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). From 2002 to 2017, he was a Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, North Dakota State University (NDSU). He also served as the Chair of Civil Engineering Department, NDSU from 2010 to 2013. Prior to NDSU, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic University, New York from 1999 to 2002. He received his Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from Chiang Mai University, Thailand in 1990, M.S. in Agricultural Engineering from University of Hawaii in 1993, and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1997. In 1998, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Institute of Environment, UCLA. Eakalak has published more than 200 refereed journal articles. He was awarded a CAREER grant from NSF in 2005. His honors include the NDSU Odney Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2008; Researcher of the Year, College of Engineering, NDSU, 2005; Water B. Booth Endowed Distinguished Professorship, NDSU, 2017; Water Environment Federation Fellow, 2019; Distinguished Researcher Award, Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, UNLV, 2023; Fair Distinguished Engineering Educator Medal, Water Environment Federation, 2023; and International Water Association Fellow, 2024.
