Personalia
Doris van Halem, born in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in 1981. Ph.D. from Delft University of Technology. Assistant Professor of Water Management at Delft University of Technology.
For Women in Science Fellow (1 Feb 2017 – 30 June 2017)
Metal Nanoparticles for Low-Cost Drinking Water Treatment
Project Description
At present, 748 million people lack access to improved drinking water sources. Household Water Treatment and safe Storage (HWTS) has been recognized as an effective intervention. However, the development of new HWTS technologies is lagging behind, whereas state-of-the-art knowledge of nanotechnology should be used to leapfrog to effective, affordable solutions. The aim of the l’Oreal-UNESCO NIAS Fellowship is to investigate the potential of metal nanoparticles for virus and arsenic removal: How can metal nanoparticles (such as nAg, nCu and nFe) be incorporated in low-cost ceramic membranes for enhanced virus and arsenic removal?
Sub-questions:
• Is there an additive, positive effect of combining different metal nanoparticles?
• How do metal nanoparticles behave during the manufacturing process (mixing, drying, firing)?
• How do these particles corrode and what is the subsequent effect on the contaminants?
• May these particles be regenerated to re-gain their reactivity?
Selected Publications
Van der Laan, H., D. van Halem, P. Smeets, G. Soppe, J. Kroesbergen, G. Wubbels, J. Nederstigt, I. Gensburger, B. Heijman (2013) Bacteria and virus removal effectiveness of Ceramic Pot Filters with different silver applications in a long term experiment. Water Research 51: 47-54 (ISI IF: 5.389).
Van Halem, D., S. Olivero, W.W.J.M. de Vet, J.Q.J.C. Verberk, G.L. Amy and J.C. van Dijk (2010) Subsurface iron and arsenic removal for shallow tube well drinking water supply in rural Bangladesh, Water Research 44: 5761-5769 (ISI IF: 5.389).