To embed the knowledge, skills and capabilities to develop and market a completely new sustainable line of fertiliser products with evidence-backed technical rigour.

The research will centre on reducing the production of nitrous oxide, the greenhouse gas 310 times more damaging than carbon dioxide on a weight for weight basis, during water and wastewater processing. Suitable candidates for the PhD may have a background in biological sciences (including biochemistry and microbiology) chemistry, environmental sciences or chemical engineering. The aim of the research is to investigate the mechanisms of nitrous oxide formation in a novel membrane oxygenated biological process for wastewater treatment from a demonstration plant sited in Cambridge. The biological process receives oxygen from an electrolyser that is producing hydrogen from wastewater effluent: this is summarised in the diagram below and the video at https://waterinnovation.challenges.org/winners/triple-carbon-reduction/. Microbially mediated pathways are critical in the production and attenuation of nitrous oxide depending on the environmental conditions in a system. Mass and energy balances will be conducted on the demonstration plant to establish nitrous oxide emissions and the effect of mitigation measures. Cranfield University is an exclusively postgraduate university focussed on technology and management. The Water Theme (www.cranfield.ac.uk/themes/water/about-us) is the largest dedicated academic centre focussed on water and wastewater science, engineering and management in the UK. Researchers come from backgrounds in biological chemical and physical sciences, environmental science and management, engineering disciplines as well as management and social sciences. The PhD will have access to the comprehensive laboratory resources and technician support in the Environmental Analytical Facility (www.cranfield.ac.uk/facilities/environmental-analytical-facility). Results of the research will enable lower greenhouse gas emissions through production of hydrogen combined with efficient wastewater treatment to protect the environment and deliver net zero carbon emissions for society. The project offers the unique opportunity to work on a cutting-edge wastewater treatment technology, a pure oxygen version of the Membrane Aerated Bioreactor (MABR), as part of a £3.5 million OFWAT (the water services regulator) Innovation Fund project. As well as staff and colleagues at Cranfield, you will be interacting with the wider project team led by Anglian Water with partners Oxymem, Element Energy Ltd, Jacobs, University of East Anglia, Brunel University, Severn Trent, Scottish Water, Northern Ireland Water and United Utilities. You will be expected to deliver at least one presentation at a major international conference such as the International Water Association (IWA) Biennial Congress. As a student within the WIRe CDT (https://cdtwire.com/) you will also be an essential member of the 2022 cohort that includes students from Newcastle and Sheffield Universities. At the end of the PhD, the successful candidate will have developed skills for roles in academia, government and industry. As well as being able to deliver research, you will have gained transferable skills in communication, data analytics, digital, project management and writing that will be invaluable for management and leadership careers in business, government and universities.

The overall aim of this Programme Package is to develop a prototype web-portal (WISP) for mapping likely current and future extreme weather events and their impacts in order to develop and support improved local community resilience; and serve as a connecting activity for the woder CREW programme consortium. WISP will bring together a range of existing models that will be further developed in PP4 and PP4 to provide evidence at the local scale.In the UK, extreme weather events (EWEs) are increasing in frequency and severity. The wider community, ranging from individuals and households through to policy makers, must be aware of their exposure to the effects of EWEs, on the disruption that EWEs can bring, and have in place contingency plans to help an immediate recovery and to secure longer term survival. Consequently, in order to cope effectively with EWEs, evidence on the probability and the impact of the EWEs will need to be provided and delivered in an accessible format and medium (i.e. the internet).This Programme Package provides an integral activity because the mapped output will serve as an essential tool for raising awareness of EWE impacts during and beyond the lifetime of the project; for engaging stakeholders in the wider CREW research programme; and for eventually delivering a tailored, operational tool to meet end-users requirements in preparing for a more resilient community. The development of a web-portal, i.e. specifically using the Internet, for serving and disseminating model output, is being used to satisfy the growing expectation and realisation that the Internet is a powerful medium, and becoming de facto, for information exchange and sharing of knowledge.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Research Challenge: The central research challenge is to improve efficiency of measuring Assimilable Organic Carbon (AOC) in drinking water. This is crucial for several reasons. First, an accurate understanding of AOC levels provides insight into bacterial regrowth potential of drinking water, with implications for safety, infrastructure maintenance, and customer satisfaction. Existing methods to measure AOC are complex, time-consuming, and current proxy measurements are limited in their applicability across diverse water treatment methods. What Don't We Know: Currently, it is unclear whether the reported proxies for AOC measurement maintain their accuracy across various treatment trains. Furthermore, the specific physicochemical mechanisms affecting these proxy measurements are not fully understood. Methodology: -Conduct a comprehensive traditional literature review to establish a foundational understanding of the current state of AOC measurement and available proxies. -Experimentally compare proposed AOC proxy parameters with traditional methods to determine their limitations. -Investigate the physicochemical changes in AOC through oxidative treatment. -Test various coagulants to understand their effectiveness in reducing AOC levels and to identify potential proxies for AOC precursors. Impact: This project aims to create more efficient methods for AOC measurement, thereby enabling water utilities, both in the UK and internationally, to better monitor and mitigate bacterial regrowth challenges. The outcome will equip decision-makers and practitioners with more timely and accessible tools for infrastructure management and water quality assurance. Given the increasing demand for water and the complications introduced by climate change, this research holds significant global implications for the resiliency of water systems and public health.