NEW RESEARCH CAN HELP US BETTER CLEAN POLLUTED WATER

Finding ways to make treated wastewater cleaner is the focus of Dr. Shalu Shalu's research at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Comenius University. The high concentration of pollutants in wastewater is causing a serious ecological problem for our planet. Substances such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial byproducts, and agricultural chemicals often bypass regular detection and treatment processes, negatively impacting human health and the environment. Solar light, combined with new materials, could be the solution.


17. 10. 2024 14.00 hod.
Od: Naša univerzita magazine

“We are trying to make new MXene and MXene-based materials that will behave like catalysts. In the presence of light or green oxidant, this new generation of nanomaterials efficiently break down pollutants into harmless, or at least less harmful substances,” Shalu explains. The M2 group, led by Dr. Monfort and Dr. Motola, is also working on solar energy conversion to produce green energy such as hydrogen. What type of pollutants are they aiming to remove from the wastewater? “We are focusing on so-called ‘contaminants of emerging concern.’ This term usually refers to pharmaceutical and personal care products. I am working on removing caffeine and sulfamethoxazole that can enter the natural environment from inadequately treated wastewaters.. Both have very negative effects on human health and aquatic life,” says Shalu. In her lab experiments, she either works with synthetic wastewaters, prepared with a specific concentration of contaminants for experimental use, and also with wastewater effluents collected from the Bratislava wastewater plant.

Promising results

Contaminants of emerging concern in water are one of the biggest global challenges and the European Commission has set their removal as one of its sustainability goals. The research of the M2 group could therefore become an important tool in addressing this problem. The results so far are very promising. Shalu has already published four research articles in renowned international peer-review journals, and two more are under review. Last year, she spent three months in the USA gaining expertise in MXene preparation. “I have prepared some MXene compounds, both binary and tertiary. These materials have excellent degradation potential; they can mineralize pollutants in a record time.”

SASPRO2 opportunity

Shalu Shalu secured her postdoctoral position at Comenius University as a fellow of the SASPRO2 project, a program co-funded by the EU’s Marie Curie Sklodowska Action Fellowship. The aim of the scheme is to bring international scientists and researchers to Slovak universities and research institutions. Why did she choose Slovakia? “I wanted to pursue research outside of India and was exploring opportunities. I discovered the SASPRO2 call and I reached out to Professor Gustáv Plesch (, as his expertise in inorganic chemistry aligned with my interests. He endorsed my project proposal, and Comenius University became my host institution,” she says. Now Assoc. Prof. Olivier Monfort has taken over her supervision.

She and her husband live in the researcher's accommodation at the dorms in Mlynská Dolina, and they both enjoy their stay. “We are enjoying our life here. I like the weather – it’s much cooler than in India. Of course, there are cultural differences. I miss Indian festivals and some of the food. The food in Indian restaurants in Bratislava doesn’t have the same taste as in India; it’s not as spicy.” Regarding research conditions and the working environment, she is very satisfied. “Initially, when I arrived in 2022, the faculty was under construction. But now our labs are well established, with excellent facilities and equipment. The professors are very supportive, and everything is running smoothly.

Barbora Tancerová

 

Shalu Shalu, Ph.D.

Shalu came to Bratislava from India in 2022, after completing her PhD in chemistry in Delhi and working as a research assistant at STG University in Gurugram. In Bratislava, she is part of the research M2 group, led by Olivier Monfort and Martin Motola. Her research focuses on MXene materials, a new family of nanomaterials discovered in 2011.