News
DC1 begins secondment at University of Oxford
Francisco Ayala, DC1 from KU Leuven, has begun on July 2nd his secondment at James Kwan’s research group (University of Oxford), internationally recognized for its expertise in sonochemistry and reactor engineering. Here, Francisco will deepen his research on ultrasound degradation and defluorination of PFAS. Prof. Kwan’s group is uniquely equipped with state-of-the-art and in-lab developed ultrasound reactors that can operate across a wide range of frequencies and pressures. This will allow Francisco to explore how mid- and high-frequency and pressures influence PFAS degradation pathways, defluorination efficiency, energy consumption, and by-product
Tiago Martins (DC3) Begins Secondment at WatchFrog to Investigate the Effect of Electrowinning on Sludge Toxicity
Tiago Martins, our DC3 PhD candidate from KU Leuven and Nijhuis Saur Industries, has officially started the first part of his secondment at WatchFrog, a leading biotechnology company specialising in endocrine disruption testing. This marks a significant step in his research on the sustainable treatment of sludge. Building on his expertise in electrochemical sludge treatment, Tiago’s secondment will focus on evaluating how electrowinning— the technique he is using to extract metals—affects the endocrine-disrupting potential and toxicity of various sludge types. By using WatchFrog’s advanced bioassays, XETA (Xenopus Eleutheroembryonic Thyroid Assay)
Exploring the Fate of Micropollutants in Thermal Hydrolysis of Sludge – Hosting a visit to TU Delft WaterLab during WaterMicro 2025
On Friday, 20th of June 2025, TU Delft WaterLab hosted a visit as part of the WaterMicro 2025 conference, where INCLUE Doctoral Candidate 4, Andrea, shared insights into the underexplored fate of organic micropollutants during Thermal Hydrolysis of wastewater sludge. Thermal Hydrolysis is a well-established process developed to produce Class A biosolids, enabling the safe reuse of sludge in agriculture by eliminating pathogens through high-temperature treatment (typically around 180°C for 30 minutes). While the process is widely recognised for its sterilising effect, its impact on organic micropollutants remains less understood. The presented research showed
The Nose Knows – How Sensing Shapes Science
On Sunday, 27 April 2025, the University of Glasgow’s Doctoral Researcher Nitin Kumar (DC11) contributed to Smelly Sunday, a public engagement event held at Edward House on Sauchiehall Street as part of the “Not to Be Sniffed At” exhibition. Supported by the UKRI Guarantee Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the event invited visitors to explore the intersection of scent, memory, and science through interactive activities designed by researchers. Kumar demonstrated the chemistry of olfactory perception, captivating a diverse audience eager to explore how smells shape our understanding of
INCLUE(ded) at SETAC Europe 2025: Sharing Research on Micropollutants and Endocrine Disruption
From the 11th to the 15th of May 2025, the INCLUE project was actively represented at the SETAC Europe 35th Annual Meeting, held in Vienna, Austria. The annual SETAC meeting is a key international event that gathers over 2,000 scientists, practitioners, and policy experts working on environmental science, ecotoxicology, and chemical safety. This year’s theme, “Innovation for Tomorrow: Progress in Safe and Sustainable Concepts”, resonated strongly with INCLUE’s interdisciplinary mission to address emerging pollution risks in water and especially sludge management. Two doctoral Candidates, Sara Cvetkovic (DC10) and Andrea Deiana (DC4), represented
Sharing Research, Building Connections: Tiago Martins (DC3) Presents at IWA Resource Recovery 2025
We are pleased to share that Tiago Martins, Doctoral Candidate (DC3), recently participated in the IWA Resource Recovery 2025 Conference, held in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, a leading global event focused on advancing sustainable practices in water and resource recovery. At this prestigious conference, Tiago presented the first communication of his PhD research through a scientific poster titled: “Metal Removal from Wastewater Sludge through Electrochemical Processes” Tiago’s work addresses one of the major environmental and technical challenges in wastewater treatment: how to deal with the vast volumes of sludge produced globally
DC1 begins secondment at University of Oxford
Francisco Ayala, DC1 from KU Leuven, has begun on July 2nd his secondment at James Kwan’s research group (University of Oxford), internationally recognized for its expertise in sonochemistry and reactor engineering. Here, Francisco will deepen his research on ultrasound degradation and defluorination of PFAS. Prof. Kwan’s group is uniquely equipped with state-of-the-art and in-lab developed ultrasound reactors that can operate across a wide range of frequencies and pressures. This will allow Francisco to explore how mid- and high-frequency and pressures influence PFAS degradation pathways, defluorination efficiency, energy consumption, and by-product
Tiago Martins (DC3) Begins Secondment at WatchFrog to Investigate the Effect of Electrowinning on Sludge Toxicity
Tiago Martins, our DC3 PhD candidate from KU Leuven and Nijhuis Saur Industries, has officially started the first part of his secondment at WatchFrog, a leading biotechnology company specialising in endocrine disruption testing. This marks a significant step in his research on the sustainable treatment of sludge. Building on his expertise in electrochemical sludge treatment, Tiago’s secondment will focus on evaluating how electrowinning— the technique he is using to extract metals—affects the endocrine-disrupting potential and toxicity of various sludge types. By using WatchFrog’s advanced bioassays, XETA (Xenopus Eleutheroembryonic Thyroid Assay)
Exploring the Fate of Micropollutants in Thermal Hydrolysis of Sludge – Hosting a visit to TU Delft WaterLab during WaterMicro 2025
On Friday, 20th of June 2025, TU Delft WaterLab hosted a visit as part of the WaterMicro 2025 conference, where INCLUE Doctoral Candidate 4, Andrea, shared insights into the underexplored fate of organic micropollutants during Thermal Hydrolysis of wastewater sludge. Thermal Hydrolysis is a well-established process developed to produce Class A biosolids, enabling the safe reuse of sludge in agriculture by eliminating pathogens through high-temperature treatment (typically around 180°C for 30 minutes). While the process is widely recognised for its sterilising effect, its impact on organic micropollutants remains less understood. The presented research showed
The Nose Knows – How Sensing Shapes Science
On Sunday, 27 April 2025, the University of Glasgow’s Doctoral Researcher Nitin Kumar (DC11) contributed to Smelly Sunday, a public engagement event held at Edward House on Sauchiehall Street as part of the “Not to Be Sniffed At” exhibition. Supported by the UKRI Guarantee Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the event invited visitors to explore the intersection of scent, memory, and science through interactive activities designed by researchers. Kumar demonstrated the chemistry of olfactory perception, captivating a diverse audience eager to explore how smells shape our understanding of
INCLUE(ded) at SETAC Europe 2025: Sharing Research on Micropollutants and Endocrine Disruption
From the 11th to the 15th of May 2025, the INCLUE project was actively represented at the SETAC Europe 35th Annual Meeting, held in Vienna, Austria. The annual SETAC meeting is a key international event that gathers over 2,000 scientists, practitioners, and policy experts working on environmental science, ecotoxicology, and chemical safety. This year’s theme, “Innovation for Tomorrow: Progress in Safe and Sustainable Concepts”, resonated strongly with INCLUE’s interdisciplinary mission to address emerging pollution risks in water and especially sludge management. Two doctoral Candidates, Sara Cvetkovic (DC10) and Andrea Deiana (DC4), represented
Sharing Research, Building Connections: Tiago Martins (DC3) Presents at IWA Resource Recovery 2025
We are pleased to share that Tiago Martins, Doctoral Candidate (DC3), recently participated in the IWA Resource Recovery 2025 Conference, held in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, a leading global event focused on advancing sustainable practices in water and resource recovery. At this prestigious conference, Tiago presented the first communication of his PhD research through a scientific poster titled: “Metal Removal from Wastewater Sludge through Electrochemical Processes” Tiago’s work addresses one of the major environmental and technical challenges in wastewater treatment: how to deal with the vast volumes of sludge produced globally