COST Project Achievement by GTU Academic

May 21, 2025 - GTU Office of Press and Public Relations

The project led by Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Balçık, a faculty member at the Department of Environmental Engineering, Gebze Technical University (GTU), is to be granted support within the scope of the "2515-COST European Cooperation in Science and Technology Program." The project, which is to take place under the action titled "Mainstreaming water reuse into the circular economy paradigm (Water4Reuse) CA23104," aims to make a significant contribution to the fields of sustainable agriculture and water reuse.

Titled “Production of Liquid Fertilizer and Water Recovery from Human Urine by Membrane Processes for Sustainable Agriculture,” the project introduces an innovative approach to obtain both liquid fertilizer and clean water from human urine. This groundbreaking initiative seeks to develop a recovery system based on hybrid nanofiltration (NF) and membrane distillation (MD) technologies. The system will use environmentally-friendly membranes to recover nutrients and water, aiming to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

Assoc. Prof. Bahar Özbey-Ünal from GTU's Department of Environmental Engineering and Prof. Yelda Özden-Çiftçi from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics will contribute to the project as researchers. In addition, Prof. Shushan Yuan from Huazhong University of Science and Technology will serve as an advisor.

This project has the potential to serve as a significant model both nationally and internationally in the fields of water resource conservation and waste management. Utilizing GTU’s scientific knowledge and technological capacity, the project stands out for its environmentally-friendly and economical solutions and represents a crucial innovation that will guide future agricultural practices.