Featured Project
Microwave-Assisted Conversion of Waste Tire to Adsorbent Materials for Removing Carbon Dioxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, Water Vapor, and Siloxanes from Landfill Gas
Masoud J. Lashaki Ph.D.
Florida Atlantic University
In 2021, the amount of scrap tire waste generated in the U.S. was 32% higher than 2013. Over the same period, however, the percentage of tire waste utilized in end markets such as tire-derived fuels, ground rubber, road base, and reclamation projects dropped from 96% to 71%, increasing the land disposal of scrap tire by 123%. If this trend continues, we will need to develop new methods and markets for processing and recycling scrap tire. What if we could create a new market for this currently unwanted material? Considering its low moisture content and high carbon content, this material is ideal for microwave-assisted conversion to activated carbon adsorbents that can be used for landfill gas (LFG) purification. The proposed research is the embodiment of industrial ecology where we attempt to reduce the environmental impacts of human activities by emulating nature and identifying productive uses for materials regarded as wastes. In …
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Featured Investigator
Debra Reinhart Ph.D.,P.E.
University of Central Florida
Dr. Debra Reinhart is a Pegasus Professor Emerita at the University of Central Florida. Prior to her retirement in June 2021, she was Associate Vice President for Research and Scholarship at the University of Central Florida and a member of the Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Department. She holds a B.S. in Engineering from Florida Technological University, and an M.S. in Sanitary Engineering and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Reinhart’s research area is solid waste management, with a focus on optimized waste collection and sustainable operation of landfills. From 2011-2013, Dr. Reinhart was a …
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Featured Student
Joshua Omaojo Ocheje
Florida International University
Joshua Omaojo Ocheje is currently a Ph.D. Student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University. Under the supervision of Dr. Natalia Soares Quinete, his research focuses mainly on developing new analytical techniques for identifying PFAS in biosolid leachates, assessment and distribution of PFAS in electronic wastes using LC-MS/MS, and remediation of PFAS in drinking and groundwater through metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
“It is profoundly gratifying to be part of a collaborative effort that investigates and devises solutions to address global environmental challenges.”