Developing methods to clear and reuse water is crucial as populations develop, excessive climate will increase, infrastructure ages and demand for water outpaces present assets.
But eradicating industrial chemical compounds, prescription drugs, pesticides and different pollutants from water could be tough utilizing conventional remedies.
Why this analysis issues
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To deal with this problem, an Arizona State University researcher and his staff developed remedy processes that use electricity to drive chemical reactions inside the water itself, enabling extra reasonably priced cleansing, utilizing much less vitality and fewer extra chemical compounds than standard strategies.
“At its core, my research is about making water cleaner, safer and more sustainable,” says Sergi Garcia-Segura, an assistant professor of civil, environmental and sustainable engineering within the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, a part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU. “Electricity can be used as a clean, precise tool for treating water by breaking down contaminants into less harmful compounds.”
For advancing this work, the American Society of Civil Engineers, or ASCE, awarded Garcia-Segura the 2026 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize. His revolutionary analysis in electrochemical water-treatment applied sciences and sustainable superior oxidation processes has led to impactful improvements in environmental remediation and sensible purposes in water and wastewater engineering.
The Huber Prize is considered one of civil engineering’s premier mid-career analysis awards. It acknowledges recipients’ present impression and their future promise of contributions to the career. Garcia-Segura will obtain the award at ASCE’s Environmental & Water Resources Institute Leadership and Council Weekend that might be held Oct. 23–25 in Reston, Virginia.
“Receiving the Huber Prize is a tremendous honor, and I accept the award with deep gratitude and humility,” he says. “It motivates me to continue advancing innovative solutions to improve quality of life, protect public health and help communities build a more sustainable future.”
School Director Ram Pendyala says, “Sergi’s recognition by ASCE reflects the transformative impact of his research and the culture of innovation we foster at ASU. His work demonstrates how fundamental discoveries can be translated into practical solutions that address critical environmental challenges and improve quality of life for communities everywhere.”
Impact on Earth and in house
The electrochemical processes Garcia-Segura and his staff developed generate extremely reactive oxidants straight from the water being cleaned. That improves remedy methods’ elimination of pollutants and reduces contaminants’ opposed results on the surroundings.
“My goal is to translate these processes into scalable technologies to address real-world challenges in water treatment, environmental protection and sustainable infrastructure,” he says. “This will help ensure communities have access to safe, reliable and sustainable water supplies for generations to come.”
Electrochemical methods based mostly on these processes may present efficient, decentralized water remedy in distant areas, places with restricted infrastructure methods and communities affected by disasters. Their compact measurement and excessive stage of management make them well-suited for settings the place standard remedy methods will not be accessible.
“Electrochemical technologies and advanced oxidation processes are powerful new tools that generate highly reactive treatment on demand, using only electricity, water and naturally occurring constituents,” Garcia-Segura says.
Another promising utility of electrochemical applied sciences may destroy persistent chemical compounds that accumulate in water provides and ecosystems.
“We are also exploring resource recovery, where treatment systems simultaneously remove contaminants while recovering nutrients, metals or other valuable products,” Garcia-Segura says. “This approach supports a more circular economy and helps transform wastewater from a liability into a resource.”
These processes are additionally being investigated in tasks with NASA, the place extremely environment friendly water recycling and useful resource restoration methods are vital for future long-duration house missions.
“Garcia-Segura is one of the world’s young leaders in environmental engineering,” says Bruce Rittmann, an ASU Regents Professor within the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. “His research, which spans from fundamental science to applied engineering, develops novel nano-enabled electrocatalytic processes that make water treatment effective and sustainable.”
Foster a group of collaboration
The Huber Prize validates interdisciplinary analysis to deal with society’s challenges and reinforces the significance of collaboration.
“I’ve been fortunate to work alongside exceptional students whose creativity, curiosity and dedication drive innovation every day,” Garcia-Segura says. “Many of the discoveries recognized through this award emerged from their hard work and willingness to tackle challenging scientific questions.”
ASU Regents Professor Paul Westerhoff says he nominated Garcia-Segura for the award as a result of “Sergi transforms bold ideas into practical water solutions while inspiring and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students to become the next generation of innovative environmental engineers.”
Garcia-Segura says he additionally benefited from collaborations with college colleagues throughout engineering, environmental science, chemistry and sustainability, in addition to partnerships with trade, utilities and authorities companies that guarantee analysis efforts stay scientifically rigorous and deal with sensible wants.
“Some of our most exciting advances have come from bringing together people with different perspectives and expertise,” he says. “The complexity of today’s environmental challenges demands interdisciplinary solutions, and I am deeply grateful to the many collaborators who have helped make this work possible.”
What’s subsequent
The subsequent part of Garcia-Segura’s analysis focuses on growing built-in options for the food-water-energy nexus and advancing applied sciences that assist a extra sustainable and resilient future.
“Future water-treatment technologies should remove contaminants, recover resources, generate value and operate with minimal environmental impact,” he says. “They should combine electrochemical processes with renewable energy systems, recover nutrients and valuable materials from waste streams and create treatment platforms for deployment in resource-constrained environments.”