Tanju Karanfil, associate dean of research and graduate studies at Clemson University’s College of Engineering and Science, South Carolina, has been made a fellow of the International Water Association.
Selection as a fellow recognises sustained outstanding contribution to the profession. International Water Association fellows are nominated based on their significant contributions as an engineer, educator, utility manager, regulator, research engineer, scientist or technical leader.
“It’s humbling and gratifying to be nominated by my colleagues and selected as a fellow,” Karanfil told The Source. “The increasing number of stresses on water and wastewater management have been making it more challenging to supply water at the quality, quantity and location desired in different parts of the world. Addressing such challenges requires a diverse water technology and management portfolio.”
Karanfil’s outstanding contributions have been in the formation and control of regulated and emerging disinfection by-products–the toxic and carcinogenic compounds that may form during water treatment. He has also researched the adsorption of organic pollutants on carbonaceous adsorbents, such as activated carbons, carbon nanotubes and graphene.
Karanfil’s outstanding contributions have been in formation and control of regulated and emerging disinfection by-products–the toxic and carcinogenic compounds that may form during water treatment
Karanfil has garnered about US$10 million in research funding over his career and produced more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. He has also co-edited and published two books on disinfection by-products, and advised more than 80 graduate students, post-doctoral research associates and visiting international scholars.
“We need to take every opportunity to show people how clean water, or lack thereof, affects them,” added Karanfil. “Providing clean water to the world is not only the humanitarian thing to do, but it’s also critical to ensuring a prosperous and secure future for all. Once a society can provide the basics for survival, it can begin to grow its economy and raise the standard of living for its people. I think that water and wastewater experts understand all this, but we ought to seize every chance to educate politicians, other decision-makers and the public about the importance of our work.”
As part of his latest research project, Karanfil is leading a team looking into how various forest management strategies affect the quality of nearby drinking water sources. The US Environmental Protection Agency provided US$1 million for the project, with Karanfil serving as principal investigator.
