NOMATEN HYBRID-SEMINAR October 21: Catalytic Materials for the Oxidative Removal of Emerging Water Pollutants

Date
2025-10-21, 13:00

NOMATEN HYBRID-SEMINAR

online: https://meet.goto.com/NCBJmeetings/nomaten-seminar
In-person: NOMATEN seminar room (102)

Tuesday, OCTOBER 21st  2025 1 PM (CET)

Catalytic Materials for the Oxidative Removal of Emerging Water Pollutants

Prof. Marta Gmurek
Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Łódź University of Technology

 

Abstract:

Water contamination by pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, endocrine disruptors, antibiotic resistance genes, and industrial effluents poses growing environmental and health challenges. Catalytic materials combined with advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) offer effective strategies for the removal and breakdown of these pollutants.

Research in this area focuses on two main approaches. Photocatalytic materials activated by visible light promote the formation of reactive species that degrade organic contaminants. Thin catalytic coatings produced by methods such as Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) can be applied to structured supports, enabling stable and reusable catalysts for oxidative treatments. These strategies have shown particular promise in treating industrial wastewaters, including colored effluents from textile production, where they improve the removal of both chemical load and color.

Combining material design with optimized oxidative processes enhances pollutant degradation, increases mineralization, and reduces toxicity in treated water. These approaches provide a foundation for developing scalable, sustainable solutions that protect water resources, support safe reuse, and address both municipal and industrial water treatment challenges.

 

Bio:

Prof. Marta Gmurek is a distinguished scholar renowned for her contributions to Chemical Engineering. Graduating with an MSc from Lodz University of Technology (TUL), she later obtained her PhD and DSc degrees in 2014 and 2018, respectively. Recognized for her expertise, she was appointed full professor in 2024 and currently holds a faculty position at the Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry Faculty of Chemistry (TUL). Prof. Gmurek has dedicated her research efforts to the intersection of chemical engineering and environmental science. Her pioneering research revolves around the effective removal of Contaminants of Emerging Concern from water sources, with a special emphasis on innovative approaches to water reuse. At the forefront of her work is the development and implementation of advanced oxidation techniques, leveraging light-based treatment methodologies to ensure the sustainability of water resources. Specializing in advanced oxidation techniques, Prof. Gmurek's efforts extend to the development of innovative wastewater treatment technologies targeting micropollutants such as antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes. She is dedicated to championing water reuse, specifically closed-loop systems, as vital solutions to tackle water scarcity and uphold ecological balance, particularly within industrial settings.

Her research is focused on textile wastewater purification by advanced processes (electrocoagulation, ozonation, catalytic and photocatalytic as well its recombination etc.) with a deep chemical engineering approach on the mechanism and process influence on the possible reuse. The principal investigation focuses on the chemistry of transformation products and their possible accumulation (which can lead to an increase in toxicity), which have a huge influence on the possible application of the selected AOPs in the industry. She paid special attention to the application of visible light for photocatalytic processes but also the application of  the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method to prepare thin films with a controlled specific nanostructure that exhibits high activity for various chemical and electrochemical properties. She has completed scientific internships in Czechia, Portugal and Germany. She is experienced in the coordination of national and international projects (Norway Grants (SGS)), and funded by NCN.

Orcid: 0000-0002-8017-2317│ResearcherID: B-3758-2013│

 

 

 

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This project has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 857470 and from European Regional Development Fund
via Foundation for Polish Science International Research Agenda PLUS programme grant
No MAB PLUS/2018/8.
Poland
The project is co-financed from the state budget within the framework of the undertaking of the Minister of Science and Higher Education "Support for the activities of Centers of Excellence established under Horizon 2020".

Grant: 5 143 237,70 EUR
Total value: 29 971 365,00 EUR
Date of signing the funding agreement: December 2023

The purpose of the undertaking is to support entities of the higher education and science system that have received funding from the European Union budget in the competition H2020-WIDESPREAD-2018-2020/WIDESPREAD-01-2018-2019: Teaming Phase 2. in the preparation, implementation and updating of activities, maintenance of material resources necessary for carrying out activities, acquisition and modernization of scientific and research apparatus, maintenance and development of personnel potential necessary for the implementation of activities, and dissemination of the results of scientific activities.