MUSCAT: The 10th National Research Award, organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, has witnessed an array of research projects in various fields that serve a set of national priorities. In the Environmental and Biological Resources field in the PhD category, ‘Novel two-chamber tubular microbial desalination cell for bioelectricity production, wastewater treatment and desalination with a focus on self-generated pH control’ led by principal investigator Dr Tahereh Jafary, Assistant Professor in the Process Engineering Department at the International Maritime College Oman, National University of Science and Technology, was one of the winning projects in latest edition of the National Research Award.
According to Dr Tahereh, in today's era of increasing global freshwater scarcity, seawater desalination has emerged as an alternative solution to overcome this urgent challenge. However, the considerable environmental and economic downsides of conventional methods of desalination prevent them from being sustainable and practical options in the long term, particularly in light of the escalating demands of the future. The negative impacts of these technologies, such as brine disposal into the ocean and ecological impact, are so severe that they urge researchers toward a significant shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly methods in the foreseeable future.
Dr Tahereh stated that a novel approach is required to overcome current desalination challenges, aiming to improve the process while ensuring environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness to meet water demands. Originating from bioelectrochemical systems (BES), Microbial Desalination Cells (MDCs) have emerged as an innovative technology in the world. They provide a multifaceted solution that simultaneously incorporates wastewater treatment (WWT), desalination, the generation of valuable by-products, and bioelectricity production, all without relying on external electrical power.
Dr Tahereh elaborated that this innovative approach utilizes the energy stored in wastewater, extracting it in the form of bioelectricity while treating the wastewater simultaneously. Although MDC technology holds the potential to spearhead a transformative movement within both the desalination and wastewater industries, this technology is still in the research and development stage and it faces a range of technical and fundamental obstacles that have delayed its progress. In conventional MDC designs, pH imbalances caused by proton accumulation and consumption have a detrimental impact on performance and salt removal, presenting a complex challenge including low efficiency, and high internal resistance that has hindered the technology's advancement.
For the research objective, Dr Tahereh mentioned that this study introduced an innovative two-chamber tubular MDC (TTMDC) design with a unique anion and cation membrane arrangement for the first time. The primary goal was to develop an advanced MDC reactor that effectively addresses key challenges in MDC technology. One such challenge is the proton accumulation in the anolyte and their consumption in the catholyte, leading to pH imbalances. The study introduces a self-regulating pH control mechanism, a core feature of the TTMDC's innovative design, to tackle this issue. Additionally, the research team aimed to significantly reduce the internal resistance within the MDC system. By repositioning ion exchange membranes and reducing the distance between electrodes, the study seeks to minimize internal resistance, a factor that often reduces MDC performance. Moreover, the study addressed enhancing bioenergy recovery and optimizing the system’s design and operational parameters to increase the efficiency of energy production from wastewater treatment. These advancements were key to realizing the full potential of MDC technology in sustainable energy and water treatment solutions.
As for the research findings, Dr Tahereh stated that the research project achieved a significant breakthrough in mitigating pH imbalance, a common issue in MDCs, through a self-regulating pH control mechanism inherent in the TTMDC design. A significant highlight was its high-power output and especially low internal resistance. Additionally, the research team achieved a high desalination rate, coupled with a continuous electrical current recovery over multiple anolyte refreshment cycles. This rate, which can be further optimized through fine-tuning of the system's design, represented a substantial step forward in the field of desalination technology.
This study aligns with the broader goal of developing sustainable and affordable desalination technology. This technology not only harnesses renewable energy sources, reducing dependence on the grid but also contributes to wastewater treatment, making it a multifunctional solution suitable for various applications. These applications include remote areas, off-grid locations, achieving net-zero emissions, and ensuring sustainable water management. Dr Tahereh and her team also hope that through successful collaborations between academic institutions and industry, the movement towards zero-emission technologies can be facilitated.
The research paper was published in Desalination, which is a pioneering and highly recognized journal in this field globally. It is recognized as a Q1 journal, which ranks as the 6th journal among 248 journals in the field of water science and technology worldwide. The research team included Dr Tahereh Jafary, Dr Abdullah al Mamun, Halima Khalifa Saif al Himali, Prof Mahad Said Baawain, Dr Sadik Rahman, Dr William Tarpeh, Dr Bipro Ranjan Dhar and Prof Byung Hong Kim.
Regarding her win, Dr Tahereh said, “I believe that this award represents a significant milestone in any researcher's journey. Firstly, it serves as a well-deserved recognition of the high-quality research efforts that have successfully advanced to the publishing phase. Such acknowledgment not only enhances the morale of the researchers involved but also inspires and encourages other researchers within their respective fields. Additionally, this award engenders a strong sense of responsibility among researchers, urging them to persist in their journey of research and innovation until they achieve the development stage. This acts as a powerful motivator in guiding the initiatives and innovations of scientists at the national level to address and overcome some of the most critical global challenges.”
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