Resource Recovery and Environmental Management (R2EM)

The Resource Recovery and Environmental Management (R2EM) group works in the following three research lines:

• Development of separation processes: Applying different technologies either to recover metals with added value or to eliminate metals and organic pollutants. Work has been carried out on technologies including the use of adsorption/absorption processes using vegetable waste, biopolymers and reactive resins and impregnated resins for removing pollutants. Work has also been carried out on the development of separation processes based on membranes of different configurations.
• Development and validation of analytical methods and new sensors for monitoring physical-chemical parameters of industrial and environmental interest. Based on chromatographic (HPLC) and electrophoresis (CE) instrumental separation systems for determining dissolved organochlorine (DOC) and volatile organic compounds of gasoline (BTEX) in water and soil. The group is also working on developing chemical sensors based on new ionophores or composites to determine contaminating metals and other ions of industrial and environmental interest and determine their response characteristics.
• Study of characterization and treatment of waste. Liquids and solids from industrial and nuclear processes, study of the management and minimization of industrial waste and its environmental impact, and analysis, evaluation and modelling of the behaviour of environmental pollutants, particularly chemical behaviour and migration of different species in the geosphere. The species studied include actinides and different species of pollutants such as chromium and arsenic. The group also studies the dissolution of uranium oxide under different experimental conditions in order to predict the behaviour of spent fuel stored in geological formations. Within this line of study, the group is working on developing new technologies for restoring soils and aquifers contaminated by both organic and inorganic compounds, taking into consideration the risk to human health and ecosystems.