Wastewater as a Resource

Municipal and animal wastewaters can be valuable sources of energy and nutrients. For example, biosolids and urine can be used as agricultural fertilizers rather than landfill materials or surface water pollutants. If not properly treated, wastewater products can contain harmful pathogens, synthetic organic compounds, and antibiotic resistance genes. Our work in this area involves characterizing the fate of pollutants in wastewater reuse processes so that beneficial wastewater-derived products do not result in increased risks to human and environmental health.