Support from TUBITAK for PAU Faculty Members' Project
TUBITAK announced the projects entitled to receive support by ARDEB within the scope of the "1001-Scientific and Technological Research Projects Support Program".
The project titled "Microplastic Characterization, Modeling and Potential Ecological Risk Analysis in the Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Organized Industrial Zone with a Focus on Textile Industry", led by Pamukkale University (PAU) Faculty of Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering, Prof. Dr. Gülbin Erden, was one of the 245 projects that qualified for support.
In the project, Assist. Prof. Dr. Pelin Koyuncuoğlu from PAU Department of Environmental Engineering and Dr. Mehmet Ulaş Koyuncuoğlu from PAU Department of Management Information Systems are involved as researchers. With this project, PAU scientists will determine the extent of microplastic pollution, which has emerged in recent years and is recognized as an important pollutant all over the world, and reveal the potential ecological risks in the future if no measures are taken.
Prof. Dr. Erden: "13 million tons of plastic reaches rivers and oceans every year"
Regarding their project, PAU Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Gülbin Erden stated the following: "Plastic products are used in daily life, especially in the manufacturing industry and packaging due to their many advantages such as easy processing, durable, lightweight and cheap. It is stated that 300 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide every year and approximately 13 million tons of plastic reaches rivers and oceans. Plastics with dimensions smaller than 5 mm are called 'microplastics' and negatively affect human life, including aquatic life. Within the scope of the project, Denizli Organized Industrial Zone Wastewater Treatment Plant has been selected as a pilot plant and microplastic pollution will be revealed by analyzing the raw wastewater, points determined in the treatment stages, treated wastewater and treatment sludge in the treatment plant. The relationship between wastewater characterization parameters and microplastic concentrations will be evaluated by analyzing microplastics in different stages of the treatment plant physically and chemically with statistical studies to be carried out in line with the data obtained. With the Monte Carlo simulation study to be carried out using the data obtained as a result of the monitoring studies, the microplastic pollution potential in real-scale treatment plants will be evaluated in the future.
On the other hand, potential ecological risk analyses will be carried out with the project outputs to be obtained. Within the scope of the project, 1 master's and 1 doctoral scholar will work, and this accepted project will make a great contribution to the thesis studies carried out at the graduate level. We think that this interdisciplinary project will make a significant contribution to sustainable production in the textile sector with the widespread impact results to be obtained as a result of bringing this project to our University."
