School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo　Research Center for Water Environment Technology

[Lecture abstract]
Advance in organic chemistry dramatically increases use of organic compounds in daily life. Various dissolved organic compounds have been found to be refractory in water environments, increasing complexity of dissolved organic matter (DOM). As conventional water treatment processes are mostly designed to remove turbidity and ensure microbial-free by disinfection, existences of various and unknown DOM in water are considered as health risks. In addition, reactions of disinfectants and DOM result in formation of numerous disinfection by-products (DBPs), which over half of them are unknown. Alternative water treatment technologies such as advanced oxidation, adsorption by granular or powdered activated carbon or biochar can be additionally applied in water treatment plants but effects of the treatment techniques to DOM removal and DBP formation, especially unknown DOM or DBPs, need to be clearly addressed. Unknown screening (non-targeted) analysis by high-resolution mass spectrometry is an advanced technique fulfilled insight into DOM removal mechanisms and DBP formation in water treatment.

[Lecturer and his research]
Dr. Phanwatt is the director of Water Treatment Technology Laboratory (WTTL), Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University. His research focuses on investigating changes in molecular dissolved organic matters in raw water and treatment processes and developing water treatment technologies to control emerging organic pollutants in and disinfection by-product formation. His current research focuses on the development and application of carbon-based materials (biochars or catalyst) for advanced water treatment.