Dr Mehrdad Zare

In recent decades, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs), have been widely detected throughout the water cycle, including in wastewater, surface water, and groundwater. These pollutants have infiltrated our drinking water systems due to the inadequacy of conventional treatment technologies to fully remove or degrade these chemicals. As a result, the concentration of these pollutants is steadily increasing due to the rising production and consumption of related products, raising significant concerns about potential risks to human health and the broader ecological system.

My PhD research project focused on investigating single- and dual-frequency sonoreactors as a robust destructive technology for POPs, aiming to increase the technology readiness level (TRL) of the process.