CEE Seminar - Environmental Engineers Are the Circular Carbon Engineers

Achieving carbon circularity and net zero emissions requires a comprehensive understanding of emissions and re-valorization of waste carbon, while keeping fossil carbon underground. Environmental engineers are uniquely positioned to lead sustainable carbon management as the "circular carbon engineers". For example, modern wastewater treatment is evolving from "removal-centered" to a "recovery-oriented" approach, and the increasing availability of low-cost renewable electricity presents new opportunities to convert "electrons to molecules". This presentation will highlight recent efforts to address knowledge gaps in the complex GHG emission profiles of the wastewater sector, utilizing both field studies and data science methods. It will also discuss technologies for electrifying treatment processes, co-valorizing wastewater and CO2, performing electrolysis of impaired water, and producing commodity chemicals using electroactive membranes.