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Home ❯ Research Groups ❯ GESPA – Engineering and Simulation of Environmental Processes Group

GESPA – Engineering and Simulation of Environmental Processes Group

2021 SGR 00321

Coordinator

Rafael González Olmos, PhD

GESPA’s research is focused on the topics of environmental sustainability from a transversal perspective. GESPA is a consolidated research group by the Catalan Government (2021 SGR 00321) and consists of a multidisciplinary team of scientists who combine chemical engineering, biotechnology and advanced chemical analysis with a theoretical-experimental approach to improve the sustainability of our society.

The aim is to respond to the current challenges of society: climate change and decarbonization, water scarcity, circular economy and sustainability.
The main research lines of the group are:

  • Mitigation of the impact of greenhouse gases. Capture and conversion of CO2 through adsorption, catalysis, plasma and radiofrequency processes. Study of the recovery and reuse of fluorinated gases using new alternative solvents and adsorption.
  • Sustainable technologies for water reuse. Development of new advanced oxidation, adsorption, biological and membrane processes focusing on the elimination of persistent and emerging organic pollutants and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
  • Circular economy and energy sustainability. Prediction of the formation of dioxins in waste recovery processes, analysis of the impact of electrification on the automotive industry and development of new materials and applications from agro-industrial waste.
  • Sustainability analysis and process enhancement. Use of different tools such as life cycle analysis (LCA), process simulation and computational fluid dynamics for environmental process enhancement. Application of flow chemistry for the improvement and optimization of the sustainability and safety of chemical processes.
  • Analysis of emerging and persistent contaminants. Analysis in different environmental matrices of pharmaceutical compounds and persistent organic pollutants, as well as other emerging substances such as cyanotoxins and microplastics. Development and application of omics and chemometric techniques for the study of the effects of pollution.
  • Environmental microbiology. Analysis of pathogenic microorganisms, detection of bacteria and resistance genes by molecular biology and qPCR, respirometry assays, toxicity and biodegradability tests.

In this environment, GESPA carries out its RD and technology transfer activities in the following areas:

  • Circular Economy: CO2 capture and use, water reuse, development of bioplastics
  • Sustainability analysis: Life cycle analysis, carbon footprint and water footprint
  • Digital Twins: Simulations of sustainable processes
  • Biodegradability analysis of solid waste
  • Evaluation of the bactericidal and fungicidal potential of irradiation technologies
  • Advanced chemical analysis: Chromatography and mass spectrometry for ultra-trace level determination of persistent and emerging contaminants in environmental and food matrices

Miembros

Rafael González Olmos, PhD

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Rafael González Olmos, PhD

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Colaboradores externos

Fèlix Llovell, PhD

Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Anett Georgi, PhD

UFZ Centre for Environmental Research

Jordi Pujol, Mr, Demetrio Raldúa, PhD

GASN2

Carlos Barata, PhD

IDAEA-CSIC

Rene Shahmohamadloo, PhD

IDAEA-CSIC

Daniel Beach, PhD

University of Guelph

Prof. Kwang Choy

National Research Council of Canada

Enrico Andreoli, PhD

University College London

Selina Ambrosi, PhD

Swansea University

Xavier Mundet, Mr

Promethean Particles

Humbert Salvadó, PhD

Atlas
Universitat de Barcelona

Fèlix Llovell, PhD

Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Anett Georgi, PhD

UFZ Centre for Environmental Research

Jordi Pujol, Mr, Demetrio Raldúa, PhD

GASN2

Carlos Barata, PhD

IDAEA-CSIC

Rene Shahmohamadloo, PhD

IDAEA-CSIC

Daniel Beach, PhD

University of Guelph

Prof. Kwang Choy

National Research Council of Canada

Enrico Andreoli, PhD

University College London

Selina Ambrosi, PhD

Swansea University

Xavier Mundet, Mr

Promethean Particles

Humbert Salvadó, PhD

Atlas
Universitat de Barcelona

Research projects

RE(F)CICLA (Recovery and reuse of fluorinated gases using new circular economy approaches)

Impulsa la transición ecológica con estrategias de economía circular para recuperar y reutilizar refrigerantes fluorados, mitigando su impacto climático.
GESPA – Engineering and Simulation of Environmental Processes Group

CHEMIPARK (Monitoring environmental pollutants and toxins)

Análisis de la como la exposición a sustancias químicas neurotóxicas puede afectar la función motora tanto en humanos como en organismos acuáticos
GESPA – Engineering and Simulation of Environmental Processes Group

M-AD-NESS (Development of Dual Anaerobic Bioelectrochemical Digesters: an innovative solution for in-situ biomethane production from wastewater sludge)

Nuevas soluciones para la revalorización de aguas residuales a través de una metodología circular
GESPA – Engineering and Simulation of Environmental Processes Group

Facilities

Environmental Laboratory

Laboratory specialised in the analysis of dioxins and other persistent organic pollutants in environmental matrices (atmospheric emissions and immissions, water, ash, waste, soil, etc.) as well as in products for human and animal food. Accredited by ENAC according to UNE EN ISO 17025.

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Facilities

IQS-SCIEX Demo Lab

Laboratory arising from the collaboration between SCIEX and IQS to promote research in chemical analysis techniques based on high resolution mass spectrometry. This partnership makes the availability of powerful new generation equipment possible in a university environment where research promotes the study of the analytical techniques and their application in industrial environments such as chemistry, biopharma, biotechnology, and proteomics. The cooperation between both entities includes the joint work between SCIEX experts and IQS professors and researchers.

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Facilities

Chromatography Laboratory

Laboratory dedicated to the development and optimisation of analysis methods based on chromatographic techniques. Also dedicated to method validation, transfer and analysis of chemical products in general. It has consolidated experience in the chromatographic analysis of a wide range of matrices, from pharmaceuticals to environmental pollutants.

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Facilities

Laboratory of Circular Economy and Sustainability

Laboratory dedicated to promoting process integration (reaction-separation) and research into new technologies for the recovery and recycling of gaseous and aqueous effluents, as well as solid waste. The laboratory also has a unit to analyze the sustainability of processes both in the chemical industry and in the water treatment industry through process simulators and life cycle assessment software. It has a consolidated experience in the field of recovery and reuse of greenhouse gases (CO₂, fluorinated gases), water regeneration (through adsorption processes, advanced oxidation processes and membranes) and valorization of solid waste (bioplastics, determination of persistent pollutants).

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