Graduate Seminar on Water Treatment held at USPCAS-W MUET

Dr. Ghulam Mustafa, the Membrane Scientist said that water is an extremely valuable commodity on earth and is requisite for life, survival and economic development, therefore, adequate processing of water (cleaning and recycling) is essential. This he said while delivering a lecture in the graduate seminar on An Efficient Anti-Fouling Strategy to Enhance the Applicability of Pressure-Driven Membranes In (Waste) Water Treatment held at U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W), Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro on Friday.

Dr. Mustafa said that in countries like Pakistan if water would not be treated efficiently within this or coming decade then people will literally die due to lack or polluted water. “People will take water as a medicine”, he warned if the water issues were not properly and timely tackled.  Dr. Mustafa said that due to illiteracy, bad water governance, and lack of political will, limited technology, and water professionals cause water scenario worst in Pakistan. He said that use of modern membrane technology the water could be treated effectively and economically. “Membrane technology can be a flexible and viable long-term strategy for treatment of water”, he added.

He said through the new study and research conducted by him with other scientists at different research centers and universities of Belgium and Germany discovered that fouling tendency of a membrane, which is an indistinguishable phenomenon, could be controlled and decreased through smart surface modification and functionalization to prevent the undesired adsorption or adhesion of foulants. He informed the seminar participants that he along with his foreign colleagues invented methods for increasing the fouling resistance of inorganic membranes by grafting of organic moieties. While discussing on technical aspects of membrane and water treatment, he said that ceramic membrane is better than that of polymer which can be used in water filtration and treatment.

He was of the view that through science, technology, and developed human capital the water challenges could be overcome.  He offered his services and suggested for the collaborative efforts to seek the sustainable solutions of water and sanitation of Pakistan. Prof. Dr. RasoolBux Mahar, Deputy Director (Academics and Research) USPCAS-W MUET introduced the speaker to the audience before his lecture and the speaker has also presented the souvenirs of the Center. In the seminar, the students took part in question-answer session followed by the lecture of the speaker. Dr. Ghulam Mustafa is Ph.D. from University of Antwerp and Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium and serving as Assistant Professor at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi.