News
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
From Waste to Resource: Tiago Martins (DC3) Competes in the Jong KNCV Spotlight Prize
We’re excited to share that Tiago Martins, our Doctoral Candidate (DC3), is participating in the prestigious Jong KNCV Spotlight Prize, a national science communication competition hosted by the Young Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (Jong KNCV). This annual event challenges emerging scientists to distil their cutting-edge research into a compelling one-minute pitch for both expert and general audiences. Tiago’s research tackles a major yet often ignored issue in wastewater treatment: sludge. Typically seen as waste, sludge is generated in enormous quantities across Europe every year. But instead of viewing it as
Inspiring the Next Generation: Tiago Martins (DC3) at the Nijhuis Saur Industries Family Day
On a sunny day filled with curiosity and enthusiasm, Tiago Martins, a Doctoral Candidate (DC3) at the INCLUE Project and hosted at Nijhuis Saur Industries, joined colleagues and their families for the company’s annual Family Day. This event opens the workplace to employees’ loved ones and brings science and industry closer to home. Held at the heart of Nijhuis Saur Industries, the event gave visitors (from toddlers to grandparents) a unique behind-the-scenes look at what the company does to make water cleaner and the planet more sustainable. Children played games
Opening the secondment season: Erika Sinisgalli (DC9) embarks on her first secondment at Nijhuis Saur Industries
Erika Sinisgalli (DC9 PhD candidate at INRAE) is the first PhD candidate in the INCLUE project to embark on a secondment at Nijhuis Saur Industries. With her extensive background in optimising anaerobic digestion and biomass pre-treatments, Erika is now taking on a new challenge. At Nijhuis, she will be focused on understanding the source and handling principles of sludge samples, investigating the impact of electrochemical treatment on sludge nutrients’ availability and pollutants’ removal. Plus, she will be in contact with industrial experts and engineers to enlarge her network and get
Research day (KU Leuven, Group T)
Sustainability in Action: Introducing LCA to a Cross-Disciplinary Audience
Paracetamol-themed laboratory workshops
Encouraging Young Minds: Nitin Kumar Engages Pupils in Chemistry at Paracetamol Workshops
INCLUE Project Presented at STOWA Slib Symposium 2025
On the 2nd of October, the INCLUE project was featured at the STOWA Slib Symposium 2025, where researchers and industry experts gathered to discuss the future of sludge (“slib” in Dutch) management in the Netherlands under the theme “Zijn we klaar voor 2050?” (“Are we ready for 2050?”). Andrea Deiana (DC4) presented a pitch on his research, ensuring that the fate of emerging contaminants would not slib out of the talks. Covering topics from sludge incineration capacity to the presence of contaminants of emerging concern, from dewatering to alternative uses
From Impact to Insight: Applying Life Cycle Approaches for Sustainable Decisions
On Friday, 5 and 19 September 2025, KU Leuven’s Doctoral Researcher Paniz Pouryaghoubi (DC8) hosted two interactive workshops on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and the use of GaBi (Sphera) software for environmental sustainability evaluations. The goal of the sessions was to deepen participants’ understanding of sustainability metrics and environmental impact analyses while equipping them with the essential knowledge to conduct LCA modeling. LCA is a powerful methodology for evaluating the environmental impacts of a product or process throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal. As highlighted