Assoc. Prof. Olivier Lefebvre recently took the stage as invited speaker at the 10th International Water Industry Conference (IWIC 2024) in Daegu, Korea. This high-profile event, held alongside Korea International Water Week, brought together global leaders and researchers to discuss cutting-edge water solutions for a sustainable future.

In his talk, “Electrochemical Innovations for Sustainable Urban Farming,” Prof. Lefebvre showcased how electrochemical technologies can transform hydroponic systems, particularly by recycling water in a way that boosts resource efficiency for urban agriculture. His approach offers a fresh path forward for sustainable farming in urban settings, giving cities a powerful tool to support eco-friendly food production without straining water supplies.

Prof. Lefebvre’s insights from IWIC 2024 underscore the potential of science-driven solutions for tackling real-world challenges and point to a future where urban farming and sustainable water management can go hand in hand.

Dong Yuling and Qin Weichen, two exceptionally talented students from Hwa Chong Institution, have earned the prestigious Silver award at the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) 2023. Their outstanding achievement is the culmination of months of dedication, innovation, and research at the EWAT laboratory, where they were mentored by Dr. Orlando.

Under Dr. Orlando’s guidance, Yuling and Weichen embarked on an ambitious research project that pushed the boundaries of water research. Their work demonstrated not only technical skill and scientific creativity but also a clear passion for making a positive environmental impact. The recognition at SSEF is a testament to their hard work and the pioneering nature of their research.

Their project’s success has also led to two remarkable milestones. Firstly, they have become co-authors of a scientific publication in the well-respected journal Water Research, which speaks to the quality and significance of their contributions to the field. You can find their publication here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.121180.

Moreover, Yuling and Weichen’s innovative approach and findings have paved the way for real-world applications. Their work has been recognized with a patent application submission, marking them as co-inventors of a novel technology with the potential to make a lasting impact in water sustainability and treatment processes.

The achievements of these young scientists highlight the value of interdisciplinary research and mentorship in nurturing the next generation of innovators. Congratulations to Dong Yuling, Qin Weichen, Dr. Orlando, and the entire team at EWAT lab for their commendable work and contribution to science!

EWAT group also supports the development of other environmental projects related with water pollution. This time, Sai Tejaswi Gudideni, Tsang Xian Le, Wayne, Muhammad Ismail B Sahuan and Tan Rui Yang Nicholas joined our research group to develop their project of EG3301R, “Sustainable Cities”.

According to the United Nations, the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world, rivalling that of energy and food productions. Around 93 billion cubic metres of water is used annually, where cotton is the major culprit, requiring 20,000 litres of water to grow just one kilogram. With the textile industry being so polluting in different ways, it reveals the dire need for innovation and research into more sustainable means to produce fibres. In view of the above, they developed a semi-synthetic cellulosic fibre that is made from the leftover waste of sugarcane, known as sugarcane bagasse. The synthesis of their Twincel fibre produced from eco-friendly materials aims to reduce the effects of conventionally-spun fibres on the environment.

Fibre synthesis process from sugarcane bagasse.

EWAT group congratulates our group leader Olivier Lefebvre,  on his promotion to Associate Professor with tenure.  May he always holds the same passion and drive to keep growing in his career. Toutes nos félicitations!

Although the use of electro-Fenton (EF) process to mineralize organic pollutants in wastewater is widely studied, its application to inorganic pollutants is a novel approach, this new study by the EWAT group in collaboration with IER-UNAM Mexico and RIME Canada opens new possibilities for the application of EF to the treatment of mine water contaminated with thiosalt and other oxidizable wastewater impacted with inorganic materials.

Link to our published paper:

Electro-Fenton beyond the Degradation of Organics: Treatment of Thiosalts in Contaminated Mine Water | Environmental Science & Technology (acs.org)

This year, young researchers Tan Jiecong and Liao Xinyan from Hwa Chong institute colaborated with EWAT group, their research work consisted in optimizing advanced electrochemical oxidation processes for the simultaneous removal of organic and inorganic contaminants in a textile wastewater using carbon fiber electrodes coated with graphene. The EWAT group hopes that their journey with us has been fruitful and with a lot of learning, we wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

This interview briefly presents the research activities of our research fellow Jianxiong as part of a Franco-Singaporean scientific cooperation.

Today, amid COVID-19 outbreak, Xu Jianxiong, a member of the EWAT group, had her virtual doctoral thesis defense. Jianxiong’s work focused on manufacturing and improvement of anodes to carry out wastewater treatment through photo-electrocatalysis. Part of her work was recently published in Applied Catalysis B under the title “FTO-TiO₂ photoelectrocatalytic degradation of triphenyltin chloride coupled to photoelectro-Fenton: A mechanistic study”.

Our research group wishes Dr. Xu all the best enhancing the world in the same way she enhanced electrodes. Also, congratulates her for the publication in this prestigious journal and her obtained PhD.

If you are interested in Dr. Xu’s publication click the following link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926337320303386