Environmental engineering is an active and expanding research area at London South Bank University (LSBU). Our research covers water technology, environmental analysis, and environmental chemistry. The research has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the EU, Defra, SEEDA and industry.
Emerging organic pollutants such as endocrine disrupting chemicals, pharmaceuticals and personal care products are of major concern worldwide. One of their major sources is through effluent discharged from sewage treatment plants, due to the inefficiency of current sewage treatment technology such as activated sludge process. Our research focuses on developing advanced technologies such as photocatalysis, chemical oxidation and adsorption.
Environmental analysis is an essential tool for pollution monitoring and pollution control technologies. At LSBU we have been developing and refining sample preparation and analysis methods for a range of organic pollutants in the aquatic environment. The pollutants that we have analysed include traditional ones such as PAHs, PCBs, pesticides and emerging ones such as endocrine disrupting chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Environmental chemistry is concerned about the sources, transport and transformation of chemicals in the environment. Our research involves using various tools such as the analysis of parent compounds and their degradation products, and stable isotopes for apportioning pollution sources and persistence. The development of cross-flow ultrafiltration has facilitated the determination of phase association of pollutants between soluble, colloidal and particulate phases, which has a direct impact on the bioavailability and potential biomagnifications of pollutants. Passive sampling devices have been used for providing time-weighted average concentrations of pollutants, compared to spot sampling.
A range of facilities are available at LSBU. For environmental analysis, we have GC-MS, LC-MS and ICP-MS, and sample preparation facilities such as solid-phase extraction, solid-phase microextraction and microwave digestion. On environmental chemistry, there are two sets of cross-flow ultrafiltration devices, and passive sampling devices of different sizes. Gas sensors for NOx, CO and CO2 are available for air quality monitoring. We also have a dedicated lab for experiments involving chlorine.
Professor John Zhou
Tel: 020 7815 7933
Email: zhouj9@lsbu.ac.uk
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