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Dr. Zubair Ahmed

Professor

Postal Address

USPCAS-W Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.

Phone Number

0334-3833220

Email Address

[email protected]

Dr. Zubair Ahmed has been involved in several national and international environmental projects including implementation of cleaner production technologies in textile industries, techno-economic studies of wastewater treatment plants, environmental impact assessments and environmental audits of industrial units, pilot plant studies for domestic/industrial wastewater treatment using innovative processes such as sulfur based autotrophic denitrification &up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket process. Dr. Ahmed has more than 20 years of teaching, research, and consulting experience. His primary research interest is in biological wastewater treatment, particularly, in the application of membrane bioreactors for nutrient removal, bio fouling, microbial community structure in sludges, anaerobic digestion of waste, and the fate of emerging pollutants in MBRs. He has also worked on development of different adsorbents for water treatment. Currently, he is focusing on resource recovery from waste. His research output has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals.

Curriculum Vitae – Dr. Zubair Ahmed
1 Shane Zehra, Syeda Sara Hassan, Zubair Ahmed,. (2021). Effective removal of arsenic in water by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: Equilibrium and kinetic study. Research Square. (Preprint). http://dx.doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-245998/v1. 2021
2 Ahmad MB, Soomro U, Muqeet M, Ahmed Z. Adsorption of Indigo Carmine dye onto the surface-modified adsorbent prepared from municipal waste and simulation using deep neural network. J Hazard Mater. 2020;408:124433. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124433. Epub 2020 Nov 11. PMID: 33257121. 2020
3  Ivanov, V., Stabnikov, V., Stabnikova, O., Ahmed, Z., Biocementation technology for the construction of artificial oasis in sandy desert. J. King Saud Univ. – Eng. Sci. 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.jksues.2019.07.003 2019
4 Ivanov V., Stabnikov V., Stabnikova O., Salyuk A., Shapovalov E., Ahmed Z., Tay J.H. Iron-containing clay and hematite iron ore in slurry-phase anaerobic digestion of chicken manure. AIMS Materials Science, 6 (5): 807–817. 2019; DOI: 10.3934/matersci.2019.5.806 2019
5  A. Ullah, S. S. Hassan, A. K. Ansari, N. B. Jalbani, R. B. Mahar, Z. Ahmed, R. Z. Brohi, M. Y. Talpur, Environmental assessment of toxic metals from Canal on Mehran University water treatment plant, Jamshoro, Pakistan, , Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2018.  DOI:10.1007/s13762-018-2039-6 2018
6  Jinwoo Cho, Daniel Cha, Seunghwan Kim, Sewoon Kim, Zubair Ahmed, Flux model for the membrane distillation process to treat wastewater: effect of solids concentration, Journal of Membrane Science; 566: 396-405,15 Nov 2018; DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2018.09.018 2018
7 Ali Mohammad Yahya Radwan , Saleh Faraj Magram and Zubair Ahmed, Adsorption of Acenaphthene Using Date Seed Activated Carbon,  Journal of Environmental Science and Technology; 11(1): 10-15,  2018; DOI: 10.3923/jest.2018.10.15 2018
8 A. Yuzir, S.S. Yaacob, H.I. Tijani, N. Abdullah, Zubair Ahmed, Addition of ferric chloride in anaerobic digesters to enhance sulphide removal and methanogenesis; 79: 64-72, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2017.20860 2017
9  Zubair Ahmed, Ki-Pal Kim & Jaewon Shin, Kinetic, thermodynamic, and equilibrium studies for adsorption of ammonium ion on modified polyurethane, Desalination and Water treatment, 57 (32) p14849-14857, 2016 2016
10  V. Ivanov, V. Stabnikov, Z. Ahmed, S. Dobrenko, A. Saliuk, Production and applications of crude polyhydroxyalkanoate-containing bioplastic from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. International journal of Environmental Science and Technology; 12(2): 725–738, 02/2015; DOI:10.1007/s13762-014-0505-3 2015
11  Mohamed Hasnain Isa, Ezerie Henry Ezechi, Zubair Ahmed, Saleh Faraj Magram, Shamsul Rahman Mohamed Kutty, Boron removal by electrocoagulation and recovery, Water Research; 51: 113-123, March 2015,  DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2013.12.024 2015
12 Ezechi EH, MH Isa, SR bin Mohamed Kutty, Z Ahmed, Electrochemical removal of boron from produced water and recovery, Journal of environmental chemical engineering 3 (3), 1962-1973, 2015  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2015.05.015 2015
13 Ivanov V., Stabnikov V., Guo CH, Stabnikova O., Ahmed Z., Kim IS, Shuy EB., Wastewater engineering applications of BioIronTech process based on the biogeochemical cycle of iron bioreduction and (bio)oxidation, AIMS Environmental Journal 1(2):53-66; 2014; DOI:10.3934/environsci.2014.2.53 2014
14 Toor Umair Ali, Zubair Ahmed, Dong-Jin Kim, Estimation of N2O emission during wastewater nitrification with activated sludge: Effect of ammonium and nitrite concentration by regression analysis. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 20(4): 2574-2579, 25 July 2014;  DOI:10.1016/j.jiec.2013.10.042 2014
15  Jihyeon Song, Hyeongkyu Namgung, Zubair Ahmed, Biodegradation of toluene using Candida tropicalis immobilized on polymer matrices in fluidized bed bioreactors, Journal of hazardous materials 09/2012; 241. DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.09.049 2012
16 Zubair Ahmed, Sung-Min Kim, In S Kim, Min-Soo Bum, Kyu-Jung Chae, Jin-Ho Joo, Yong Sik Ok, Sang-Eun Oh, Nitrification and denitrification using biofilters packed with sulfur and limestone at a pilot-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant,Environmental Technology 06/2012; 33(10-12):1271-8. DOI:10.1080/09593330.2011.619581 2012
17 Zubair Ahmed, Jihyeon Song, Removal of gaseous toluene using immobilized Candida tropicalis in a fluidized bed bioreactor, 3 Biotech 09/2011; 1(2):111-116. DOI:10.1007/s13205-011-0015-7 2011
18 Ki-Pal Kim, Zubair Ahmed, Kyung-Guen Song, Saleh F. Magram, Maged H. H. Daoud, Kyu-Hong Ahn, Ki-Jung Paeng, Adsorption of Aluminum Ion from Water on Alginate-Modified Polyurethane, Journal of chemical engineering of Japan 07/2011; 44:247-255. DOI:10.1252/jcej.10we154 2011
19  Zubair Ahmed, Microbial communities in nutrient-removing membrane bioreactors – A review, Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 01/2011; 5(1):16-28. DOI:10.3923/jest.2012.16.28 2011
20  Zubair Ahmed, Sun-Jin Hwang, Seung-Kyu Shin, JiHyeon Song, Enhanced toluene removal using granular activated carbon and a yeast strain Candida tropicalis in bubble-column bioreactors, Journal of hazardous materials 04/2010; 176(1-3):849-55. DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.11.114 2010
21 Zubair Ahmed, Sang-Eun Oh, In S Kim, Effects of Organic Loading Rates on Treatment Performance in a Polyvinylidene Media Based Fixed-Film Bioreactor, Environmental Engineering Research 01/2010; 414(4):238-242. DOI:10.4491/eer.2009.14.4.238 2010
22 Ki-Pal Kim, Zubair Ahmed, Kyu-Hong Ahn, Ki-Jung Paeng, Biodegradation of two model estrogenic compounds in a preanoxic/anaerobic nutrient removing membrane bioreactor, Desalination 07/2009; 243(1-3):265-272. DOI:10.1016/j.desal.2007.12.057 2009
23 Zubair Ahmed, Byung-Ran Lim, Jinwoo Cho, Kyung-Guen Song, Ki-Pal Kim, Kyu-Hong Ahn, Biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal and changes in microbial community structure in a membrane bioreactor: Effect of different carbon sources, Water Research,  42(1-2):198-210, 01/2008, DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2007.06.062 2008
24 Ki-Pal Kim, Kyung-Guen Song, Zubair Ahmed, Ki-Jung Paeng, Kyu-Hong Ahn, Enhancement of Phosphorus Removal in a Polyurethane Compressible Media Filtration System with Coagulation, Journal of chemical engineering of Japan 01/2008; 41(6):525-530. DOI:10.1252/jcej.08we013 2008
25  Zubair Ahmed, Byung-Ran Lim, Jinwoo Cho, Kyu-Hong Ahn, Effects of the internal recycling rate on biological nutrient removal and microbial community structure in a sequential anoxic/anaerobic membrane bioreactor, Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 02/2007; 30(1):61-9. DOI:10.1007/s00449-006-0098-4 2007
26  Zubair Ahmed, Jinwoo Cho, Byung-Ran Lim, Kyung-Guen Song, Kyu-Hong Ahn, Effects of sludge retention time on membrane fouling and microbial community structure in a membrane bioreactor, Journal of Membrane Science, 287 (2): 211-218, 15/01/2007;  DOI:10.1016/j.memsci.2006.10.036 2007
27  S E Oh, M S Bum, Y B Yoo, A Zubair, I S Kim, Nitrate removal by simultaneous sulfur utilizing autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification under different organics and alkalinity conditions: Batch experiments, Water Science & Technology 02/2003; 47(1):237-44. 2003
28 V N Ivanov, E V Stabnikova, V P Stabnikov, I S Kim, A Zubair, Effect of iron compounds on the treatment of fat-containing wastewaters, Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, 38(3), p 255-258, 2002. DOI:10.1023/A:1015475425566 2002
29 Zubair Ahmed, V Ivanov, SH Hyun, KM Cho, IS Kim, Effect of divalent iron on methanogenic fermentation of fat-containing wastewater, Environmental Engineering Research 6 (3), 139-146, 2001 2001

Teaching:

  • Physical, Chemical, and Biological Processes (MS)
  • Waste Water Treatment and Design (MS)
  • Advanced water and Wastewater Treatment design (Ph.D.)
  • Water Reuse (Ph.D.)

Research:

Research Map:  Dr. Zubair Ahmed

Project title Funding agency Funding Amount Role
1.      Eco-innovation for the sustainable industrial growth of major industrial sectors in Special Economic zones under CPEC (2022-2025) HEC, Pakistan 25 million PKR PI
2.      A3MBR for reclamation of denim mills’ wastewater for reuse purpose (2022-2025) HEC, Pakistan 8 million PKR PI
3.      Production of high-quality potable water using riverbank filtration/canal bank filtration from the Indus River KIST, Korea 0.5 million KRW PI
4.      Treatment and reuse of wastewater of fish processing industry (2018-2019) USPCASW, Jamshoro 3 million PKR PI
5.      Eco-innovation in the textile processing industry of KITE for sustainable product processing (2018-2019) USPCASW, Jamshoro 3 million PKR PI
6.      Production of Drinking Water from Indus River through Canal Bank Filtration for Mehran University Jamshoro (2018-2019) USPCASW, Jamshoro 3 million PKR PI
7.      Treatment of Sugar Distillery Effluent Using Anaerobic-Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnAMBR) (2017-2018) KIST, Korea 1 million KRW PI
8.      Development of anaerobic / anoxic-aerobic membrane bioreactor for Biodegradation Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (2013-2015) KACST, KSA 2 million SAR Co-PI
9.      Removal of Boron from Produced Water Using Electrocoagulation (2014) KAU, KSA 50,000 SAR PI
10.   Adsorption of ammonium ion on Alginate-Modified Polyurethane in water. (2014) KAU, KSA 50,000 SAR PI
S.No. Title Student Name Program Status
1. Cultivation Of Microalgae Using Palm Oil Mill Effluent For Lipid Production Erisa Viony Putri MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
2. Removal Of Selected Micro-Pollutants From Water In A Reactor Using Date Seeds Ali Mohammad Yahya Radwan MS (Civil Engineering) Completed
3. Removal Of Anthracene From Water Using Granular Activated Carbon Prepared From The Seeds Of Mucuna Mutisiana (Kharpat Doulat Ram MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
4. Treatment Of Sugar Distillery Effluent Using Anaerobic-Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor (Anambr) Shan Saleem MS (Environmental Engineering) Completed
5. Adsorption Of Indigo Carmine Dye On Chemically Modified Adsorbent Prepared From Municipal Solid Waste Umama Soomro MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
6. Digestion Of Linoleic Acid From Wastewater By Using An Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Reactor Jessica Lawrence MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
7. Characterization Of Biofilm Formed In An Intermittent Drinking Water Distribution System At Muet, Jamshoro Huma Tariq MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
8. Microbial Community Dynamics In Membrane Bioreactor Treating High Strength Waste-Water For Reuse Purpose Kashaf Somroo MS (Wash) Completed
9. Optimization Of Operational Parameter For A Sequencing Anaerobic-Aerobic Membrane Bio-Reactor Treating Fish Processing Industry Effluent Kiran Memon MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
10. Pollution Load Reduction Through Wastewater Treatment And Water Reuse In The Fish/Seafood Processing Industry Suresh Kumar MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
11. Assessment Of Microbial Contamination In Drinking Water Of Railo Miyan, Jamshoro. Uroosa Javed MS (Wash) Completed
12. Biodegradation Of Benzene Gas By Candida Tropicalis Nik Nurhidayu Nik Mut MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
13. Removal Of Anthracene Using Soil-Activated Carbon Composite Adsorbent In Column Asma Laghari MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
14. Removal Of Organic Carbon And Microbial Contamination Through Soil Column Simulating Canal Bank Filtration Bakhtawar Jokhio MS (Environmental Engineering Completed
15. Synthesis And Application Of Nanofiber Membrane For Biofouling Control In Membrane Bioreactors Nabi Baksh Mallah PhD Environmental Engineering Currently Supervising
16. Treatment Of Indigo Dye Effluent Using Anaerobic/Anoxic-Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor Aqsa Channa MS Environmental Engineering Currently Supervising
17. Treatment Of Wastewater Generated From The USPCAS-W Center By Using Membrane Bioreactor Faiza Bhutto MS Environmental Engineering Currently Supervising
18. Removal of arsenic using brown seaweed (sargassum polycystum) derived biochar and magnetic biochar – column and batch studies Satesh Kumar MS Environmental Engineering Currently Supervising
19. Pretreatment of melanoidins using advanced techniques to enhance decolorization and anaerobic digestion Javid Ali MS Environmental Engineering Currently Supervising
20. Pre-treatment of brown algae for enhanced biogas production in anaerobic digestion Aamir Hussain Dar MS Environmental Engineering Currently Supervising
21. Removal Of Indigo Carmine Dye using natural bio sorbent prepared from press mud Maarij Memon MS Environmental Engineering Currently Supervising
22. Biodegradation of Paracetamol through  Microalgal-Bacterial Consortium Poja Devi MS Environmental Engineering Currently Supervising
  • Development of Water Safety Plan (WSP) for water supply system of Jacobabad city, Sindh, 2021
  • Rehabilitation of sewage treatment plant of United Energy Pakistan (UEP), 2018
  • Situation analysis of solid waste generation from oil & gas fields of United Energy Pakistan, 2018
  • Environmental Audits of Denim mills in Karachi, Pakistan, 2018- 2019
  • Tech-Economic study for the construction of combined effluent treatment plant in Korangi, Karachi, 1995-1998
  • Environmental Impact Assessments of fertilizer companies, oil refineries, and other industries
  • Environmental Audits of 60 textile processing industries in Pakistan, 2001-2002
  • Training of municipal staff of Jacobabad city for water treatment processes, 2020
  • Head of the department of environmental engineering (MS and PhD) program
  • Head of the department of bachelors of environment science program
  • The resource person of USPCASW, Gender committee
  • Members of technical instrument committee of USPCASW, MUET Jamshoro
  • Internal and expert member of MS and Ph.D. thesis reviewed.