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Description

Dr. Cicek has two main research areas involving wastewater.  The first involves the use of membrane biofilm bioreactors for autotrophic denitrification of water and wastewater, which could be used in groundwater treatment facilities.  The second also involves the application of membrane bioreactors in the removal of natural and synthetic hormones from wastewater.  Even in small amounts, these hormones can disrupt the endocrine systems of fish.

Another research area of Dr. Cicek’s examines how natural freshwater marshes can improve water quality by retaining, removing, and assimilating products such as nutrients, suspended sediments, pathogens, and other contaminants.

Digesters are devices in which wastes are decomposed.  Digestion produces methane, which keeps the digester at a proper operation temperature.  Research is being done to see if adding a product such as glycerol, having a high calorific value, can increase biogas production.

Lab equipment available:

• pilot-scale portable membrane bioreactor
• pilot-scale anaerobic digestion facility
• three complete fermentation systems
• water waste sample analysis capacity