🎓Method development for the analysis of reactive non-metallic species generated during PEM water electrolysis

High-quality water is one of the most widely used resources in industry, agriculture and private households. However, the treatment of raw and waste water to the desired water qualities (e.g. drinking water vs. ultrapure water) requires a large number of process steps in order to break down potentially harmful water constituents. Oxidation processes are widely used (e.g. by means of electrolytic ozonation), but these can also lead to the formation of critical disinfection by-products. PhD student Philipp Gillemot is therefore developing and characterising instrumental-analytical methods in order to differentiate between the oxidising substances produced during water treatment. These tools will be used to assess the extent to which the reductive treatment of contaminated water can be used as an efficient alternative to oxidative water treatment in order to render critical water constituents harmless.