Ondokuz Mayıs University's (OMU) Faculty of Engineering has developed a multidisciplinary project focused on the sustainable use of water resources and a zero-waste approach, which has been selected for support under the TÜBİTAK 1002 Program.
The project team is led by Prof. Dr. Selim Ceylan of the Chemical Engineering Department, including Prof. Dr. Yüksel Ardalı (Environmental Engineering Department), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elif Hatice Gürkan (Chemical Engineering Department) and Research Assistant Esma Yeliz Kaya (Chemical Engineering Department).
The project, entitled "Exploration of the Use of Landfill Leachate as a Sustainable Water Source in the Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sewage Sludge," is supported by TÜBİTAK's 1002-A Rapid Support Program. It aims to preserve water resources, which are increasingly a concern due to climate change, and contribute to climate adaptation efforts by evaluating sewage sludge and landfill leachates under zero-waste-focused approaches.
Prof. Dr. Yüksel Ardalı, a research team member from the Department of Environmental Engineering, emphasized the global climate crisis and stated, "The effects of historical environmental degradation and climate change are intensifying global issues, making adaptation efforts increasingly important. Within this project, we will examine the performance of hydrothermal carbonization on waste waters released during waste-to-energy processes and sewage sludge from wastewater treatment. This promising hydrothermal carbonization method will facilitate the utilization of waste materials, preventing waste generation after wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal."
Prof. Dr. Ardalı highlighted the project's significance, noting that it aims to mitigate environmental and particularly water resource damage during wastewater treatment and solid waste energy transformations and serves as a valuable source of information and data for future studies.
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