Environmental Surveillance and Treatment

NERI has built capabilities for sensitive air and water quality analysis to meet the increasing challenges in emerging contaminants detection. The state-of-the-art analytical instruments at NERI are able to perform high-throughput screening to in-depth analysis. NERI researchers have also developed greener methodology which include solventless and solvent-minimised miniaturised approaches for sample preparation and novel materials as sorbents for environmental contaminants. Analytical capability of NERI research teams encompasses detecting ultra-trace levels of organic and inorganic pollutants such as disinfection by-products, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disrupting chemicals, metals and microplastics. Over the years, researchers have developed novel piezoelectric sensors to detect chemical and biological pollutants, automated real-time monitoring, and micro-analytical instrumentation for onsite applications. The biomonitoring tool using zebrafish is an effective biological model for high-throughput toxicity screening of chemical compounds including water contaminants. The model allows the toxic effects of these contaminants to be assessed more quickly and at a lower cost. The environmental exposure data can be used for human health risk inference.

NERI multidisciplinary research teams are also highly trained and competent in research and development of sustainable solutions for water, wastewater and seawater treatment and reclamation. Vast knowledge has been developed on bio-inspired desalination mechanisms through studies on mangroves and euryhaline fishes, which have been used as models to provide insights into developing novel desalination devices. These include mechanisms of microscopic salt glands on the mangrove leaf surfaces responsible for the removal of excess salts from the tissues in the form of secretions, and the molecular and structural mechanisms of desalination in euryhaline fishes to maintain their body fluid homeostasis. Researchers at NERI have further ventured into the development of bio-inspired artificial channels for cost-effective and highly efficient devices for water purification.

Many of these research are conducted in collaboration with industrial partners, whereby technology and process developed at lab-scale would be test-bedded at pilot-scale and further brought forward for commercial application to realise the benefits to the industry and society.