**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** A SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY OF FOOD, ENERGY, AND WATER (FEW) WAS RECENTLY IDENTIFIED AS A GRAND CHALLENGE BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING. TO ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE, IT IS CRITICAL TO ADOPT THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY CONCEPT BY TRANSFERRING RENEWABLE WASTE AND BYPRODUCTS GENERATED IN AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SYSTEMS INTO TANGIBLE AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PRODUCTS. WASTEWATER RECOVERY COULD PROVIDE RENEWABLE FEW FEEDSTOCKS - BUT IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE THE QUALITY AND SAFETY, TOXIC HEAVY METALS MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE REUSE. HERE, WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A BIO-BASED ADSORPTIVE COMPOSITE MEMBRANE (ACM) DERIVED FROM RENEWABLE AGRICULTURAL BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS (CELLULOSE & LIGNIN) TO SELECTIVELY REMOVE HEAVY METALS FROM WASTEWATER WITHOUT INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL CHEMICALS. IN OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS, WE WILL UTILIZE A NEW AMPHIPHILIC, LIGNIN-BASED POLYMER LIGAND CROSSLINKED WITH CELLULOSE ACETATE TO IMPROVE ACM ROBUSTNESS, BIOFOULING AND SERVICE LIFE COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL PETROCHEMICAL-BASED ACMS.

University Of Florida, Gainesville FL

Investigators