Global Health EngineeringOpen OpportunitiesAnaerobic digestion (AD) is considered one of the oldest and most sustainable biological treatment technologies for stabilizing and reducing organic waste, including food waste, sewage sludge, industrial waste, and farm waste. AD transforms organic matter into biogas (60–70 vol-% of methane), thereby reducing the volume of the waste whilst destroying some of the pathogens present in the waste feedstocks and limiting odor problems associated with waste materials (Appels et al., 2008; Gerardi, 2003). AD is a promising energy, waste management, and sanitation solution in low-resource, low-income settings (Forbis-Stokes et al., 2016; Owamah et al., 2014). However, it does not fully eliminate pathogens for safe environmental discharge. Three ETH master students (Hardeman, 2022; Jäggi, 2023; Luz, 2022) iteratively developed and optimized the biogas reactor and the solution for sludge pasteurization to homogeneously heat the effluent and render the liquid safe for discharge. However, the technology needs further improvements and adaptations to operate reliably in continuous mode in all environmental conditions. - Mechanical Engineering
- ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ), ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Master Thesis
| What happens when you flush the toilet? Together with urine and feces, valuable nutrients are lost. Recovering nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from urine is crucial for agriculture and environmental protection while potentially offering financial value through fertilizer sales. The separation of human excreta offers a resource-efficient wastewater treatment alternative not only for fast-growing cities and low-income countries, but also for the industrialized parts of the world. During onsite treatment, stabilizing urine is key to prevent ammonia volatilization causing nitrogen loss and environmental harm. A promising method to stabilize urine is to increase the pH-value (alkaline stabilization), whereby urea breakdown and thereby ammonia release is inhibited at high pH levels using basic salts like calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). When efficiently mixed with fresh urine, Ca(OH)2 not only stabilizes urine but also aids in phosphate separation and reduces the risk by pathogens. - Environmental Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Master Thesis, Semester Project
| Monitoring and treatment of plastic washing wastewater from recycling processes is often overlooked, though the high pH, chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, and oil and grease concentrations can be problematic (Ozdemir and Yel 2023). Treatment of wastewater from plastic recycling is critical to both public and environmental health, since solid waste, sanitation, and water are inextricably linked (Narayan et al. 2021). This thesis project will contribute to a closed-loop plastic recycling pilot for HDPE bottles in Blantyre, Malawi. - Environmental Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ), ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Master Thesis
| Openversum is dedicated to pioneering sustainable, cost-effective water filtration solutions for communities in low and middle-income regions. Our advancements in membrane technology represent a significant leap forward. However, continuous innovation is essential to optimize these membranes for local environmental conditions and budgetary constraints. Striking a balance between affordability, efficiency, and local adaptability is crucial for the widespread adoption of this technology. - Environmental Engineering Design, Environmental Technologies, Mechanical Engineering
- ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ), Master Thesis
| In the city of Zurich, the locations of the recycling collection points (RCP) are not digitally recorded and there is no geo-information system in which the locations are recorded. In certain areas (e.g. Höngg) there is also an undersupply and the affected residents do not have easy access to the RCP (e.g. not within walking distance). Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich (ERZ) would like to remedy the existing undersupply and to show the existing RCP in a digitalized and possibly interactive map.
At the same time, the city of Zurich is growing and new housing developments are constantly being added, triggering additional demand for RCP. Due to other urban developments, it may also happen that existing RCP have to be deconstructed. Currently, no planning model exists to identify or predict optimal RCP locations.
- Engineering and Technology
- Master Thesis
| Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich (ERZ) manages more than 4100 public waste bins of different designs throughout the city of Zurich. Considering the large number of waste containers that get emptied every day, efficient workflows are extremely important. In the case of the public waste bins, the removal of full bags and the replacement of new bags in the waste receptacles is time-consuming and inefficient. While the full bag can be removed rather easily, the placing of the new bag can be a cumbersome process. ERZ strives to continuously improve ergonomics and optimize the workflows. Therefore, it is investigating better solutions for the bag replacement cycle. - Engineering and Technology
- Master Thesis
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