Érika Sousa, a researcher at CESAM/DQ, has been awarded the Amélia de Mello Foundation Prize for her doctoral research, recognising the scientific excellence and potential impact of her work in developing sustainable solutions for water treatment.
The work was carried out under the supervision of Professors Vânia Calisto and Valdemar Esteves, from the Department of Chemistry of the University of Aveiro, and Researcher Paula Ferreira, from the Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering.
The research focused on the valorisation of brewer’s spent grain, one of the main by-products of the brewing industry, transforming this waste into advanced materials for the removal of antibiotics from water. Through the production of biochar and activated carbon using processes combining chemical activation and microwave-assisted pyrolysis, materials with high surface area and excellent adsorbent properties were obtained.
The materials developed demonstrated high efficiency in removing emerging contaminants, namely the antibiotics sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin, having been evaluated both in laboratory solutions and in real wastewater. The results revealed competitive performance compared to commercial activated carbon, contributing to the development of more sustainable and lower-cost alternatives for water treatment.
The research also deepened understanding of the effect of competition between different contaminants present in water and identified strategies to increase adsorption efficiency. In this context, chemical modifications of the activated carbon surface were developed, with the functionalisation with oxygenated groups standing out, providing a significant increase in the antibiotic removal capacity.
Another advance achieved was the integration of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) with biochar, resulting in hybrid materials capable of selectively recognising and removing sulfamethoxazole, even in the presence of other contaminants. The work also demonstrated the thermal regeneration and reuse of these materials in continuous treatment systems, reinforcing their potential for future applications in sustainable water treatment.
This distinction also highlights the importance of CESAM as a leading research unit in the advanced training of researchers. The multidisciplinary scientific environment, excellent laboratory infrastructure, and collaboration between different research teams provided the necessary conditions for the development of highly high-quality scientific work.
The awarding of the Amélia de Mello Foundation Prize represents recognition of the excellence of the research carried out and its contribution to addressing current environmental challenges, promoting innovative solutions aligned with the principles of the circular economy and sustainability.