TIME：15:00, Dec. 17, 2025
VENUE：705 Bianguan, NIMTE
Abstract:
Two realities exist within the South Africa context; rural and urban areas. Rural communities aremainly characterized by the lack of proper infrastructure, clean water supply, electricity supply and snitation as well as long distance walks to fetch water of unknown quality. In urban areas, waste water treatment remains a challenge, where over 60% of the wastewater treatment plants do not meet the safe discharge standards. This leads to the pollution of surface water and subsequent failure of conventional drinking water treatment plants to remove contaminants of emerging concern (dyes, pharmaceuticals etc), thus posing a health concern to humans. This lecture discusses our advancements in membrane technology research to address water related chalenges in rural and urban areas in South Africa. The focus is on the removal of contaminants of emerging concern and influential factors; membrane fouling and operational conditions; fabrication, characterization and application of a new generation of flatsheet and hollow fiber membranes with enhanced flux, rejection and antifouling properties as well as strategies to address water challenges in rural communities. We also focus on process optimization to enhance the treatment efficiency and fouling mitigation. The discussion is also extended to hybrid water treatment processes (developed inhouse) combining membrane technology with other advanced water treatment processes such as advanced oxidation processes.
Speaker Biography:
Prof Bhekie B. Mamba is the current Executive Dean of University of South Africa's College of Science, Engineering and Technology. He has occupied a number of leadership positions including being a Professor and Head at Department of Applied Chemistry at the University of Johannesburg, Director of the DST/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre - Water Research Node and the Director of the Institute of Nanotechnology and Water Research at the University of Johannesburg. He is the founder of the institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), a leading research institute in the themes: Membrane Science and Technology, Nanostructures Materials, Applied Electrochemistry, Analytical and Environmental as well as Urban Water Cycle and Water Treatment Technologies. He has experience in the area of nanotechnology, polymer chemistry and water treatment technologies. His research interests focus on creating sustainable solutions that will ensure that water resources are maintained and preserved for future generations. He has published over 400 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact quartile 1 and 2 ranked journals, some of which have been extensively cited by renowned researchers and has co-authored 22 book chapters. Over the past few years, his citations have exceeded 24000, which compares favourably with those of other leading scholars in his research field. He has supervised over 100 master's and PhD students to completion.
