Research

The Popat Lab researches electrochemical and anaerobic biological processes for wastewater treatment.  The overall goal is to contribute toward the development of technologies that allow recovering energy, nutrients, and water from wastewater, both domestic and industrial.    

We apply principles from chemical and process engineering, along with the use of electrochemical, imaging, and molecular microbiology tools, to 1) fundamentally understand mass transport processes, the kinetics of microbial/electrochemical reactions, and microbial interactions, and 2) develop materials and processes for scaling up to relevant levels.    ​

Below is a list of some current research topics in the lab:

1. Microbial Fuel Cells for Space Life Support Systems (Supported by NASA EPSCoR)
2. Electrochemical Stabilization of Source-Separated Urine (Supported by SC Space Grant Consortium)
3.  Anaerobic Co-digestion of Municipal Sludge with Fats, Oils, and Grease (Supported by  Renewable Water Resources, Greenville, SC) 
4. Anaerobic Digestion of Animal Waste in South Carolina (Supported by South Carolina Department of Agriculture) 
5. Electrocoagulation-electroflotation of Rendering Wastewater (Supported by Fats and Proteins Research Foundation)