TZAHI Y. CATH, PH.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Education

• Ph.D. Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Nevada, Reno, 2003
• M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Nevada, Reno, 2001
• B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, 1992

oTHER AFFILIATIONS

• Associate Director, Advanced Water Technology Center (AQWATEC)
• Board member and Treasurer, WateReuse Colorado (WRCO)
•  Advisory Board member, Water Innovations Alliance

Research Interests

My students and I conduct research in the area of water and wastewater treatment, and specifically we focus on the use of commercial and novel membrane processes. In the area of wastewater treatment and reuse we investigate the performance and enhancement of on-site wastewater treatment using novel hybrid membrane bioreactors and sequencing batch reactor . In this study we focus on the simultaneous optimization of energy consumption, chemical use, and nutrient and organic removal. We also exploring the use of byproducts such as biosolids for bio-energy production. We also investigate novel membrane processes such as osmotically driven membrane processes (forward osmosis and pressure-retarded osmosis) for multi-barrier treatment of domestic and industrial wastewater for ultimate direct potable reuse. Specifically, our research focus on investigation of solute and solvent mass transport in forward osmosis and the effects of these phenomena on future industrial implementation of the technology.  

In the area of desalination, my student and I investigate novel thermally driven membrane processes such as membrane distillation and osmotic distillation. Specifically, we investigate the potential implementation of these processes in industrial settings where low grade heat and impaired water are readily available and high quality water is needed. We also investigate the utilization of the process for harvesting of minerals during desalination of brines. Also in the area of desalination we investigate novel thermally and chemically resistant nanofiltration membranes for various industrial applications. In particular, we study the occurrence, characteristics, and treatment of produced water from gas and oil exploration, and specifically coal-bed methane produced water.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Cath, T.Y., Hancock, N.T., Lundin, C.D., Hoppe-Jones, C., and Drewes, J.E., A multi barrier hybrid osmotic dilution process for simultaneous desalination and purification of impaired water, Journal of Membrane Science, (2010) submitted.

Cath, T.Y., Osmotically and thermally driven membrane processes for enhancement of water recovery in desalination processes, Desalination and Water Treatment, 15 (2010) 279–286.

Hancock, N.T. and Cath, T.Y., Solute coupled diffusion in osmotically driven membrane processes, Environmental Science and Technology, 43 (17) (2009) 6769–6775.

Drewes, J.E., Hancock, N.T., Benko, K.L., Dahm, K., Xu, P., Heil, D., Cath, T.Y., Treatment of Coalbed Methane Produced Water, Exploration & Production/Oil and Gas Review, 7 (2) (2009) 126-128.

Achilli, A., Cath, T.Y., and Childress, A.E., Power generation with pressure retarded osmosis: An experimental and theoretical investigation, Journal of Membrane Science, 343 (2009) 42-52.

Martinetti, C.R., Childress, A.E., and Cath, T.Y., Advanced membrane processes for desalination of concentrated RO brines, Journal of Membrane Science, 331 (2009) 31-39.

Achilli, A., Cath, T.Y., Marchand, E.A., and Childress, A.E., The forward osmosis membrane bioreactor: A low fouling alternative to MBR processes, Desalination, 239 (2009) 10-21.

Holloway, R.W., Childress, A.E., Dennett, K.E., and Cath, T.Y., Forward osmosis for concentration of centrate from anaerobic digester”, Water Research, 41 (17) (2007) 4005-4014.

Cartinella, J.L., Cath, T.Y., Flynn, M.T., Miller, G.C., Hunter, K.W., and Childress, A.E., Removal of Natural Steroid Hormones from Wastewater Using Membrane Contactor Processes”, Environmental Science and Technology, 40 (23), (2006) 7381-7386.

Cath, T.Y., Childress, A.E., and Elimelech, M., Forward Osmosis: Principles, Applications, and Recent Developments, Journal of Membrane Science, Vol. 281, (1-2), September 2006, 70-87.

Cath, T.Y., Gormly, S., Adams, V.D., Beaudry, E.G., Flynn, M.T., and Childress, A.E., Membrane Contactor Processes for Wastewater Reclamation in Space. I. Direct Osmotic Concentration as Pretreatment for Reverse Osmosis, Journal of Membrane Science, Vol. 257, (1-2), July 2005, 111-119.

Cath, T.Y., Adams, V.D., and Childress, A.E., Experimental Study of Desalination Using Direct Contact Membrane Distillation: A New Approach to Flux Enhancement, Journal of Membrane Science, Vol. 228 (1), January 2004, 5-16.