Miller, student present wastewater research at sustainability conference in Japan

Boise State researchers recently represented the university on the global stage by presenting original research at the Asia Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan.

Department of Civil Engineering graduate student Gregor Posadas, accompanied by Associate Professor Sondra Miller, traveled to share findings from their work in the College of Engineering, "Dissolved Oxygen Influences on Sludge Settleability: Mediating Role of the Volatile-to-Total Suspended Solids Ratio."

The research, part of Posadas' master's thesis work, focused on how dissolved oxygen levels affect sludge's ability to settle at full-scale wastewater treatment plants, like the one in Greenleaf, Idaho. The research offers insights that could help operators optimize treatment processes.

"We were studying a wastewater treatment plant that started experiencing sludge bulking, and we wanted to understand why," Posadas said. "We found that higher dissolved oxygen levels were strongly linked to poorer settling performance. By connecting those results to previous research, we could explain what was happening at the microbial level. That connection between data, science and real-world operation is what makes this work useful, because it gives plant operators a measurable warning sign they can use to catch problems early."

The Asia Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development brings together researchers, industry and policymakers from around the world to highlight advances in environmental engineering, sustainable technologies and strategies for addressing pressing environmental challenges.

"It is critical we continually explore innovations that lower costs and improve treatment performance outcomes for modern water and wastewater infrastructure," Miller said. "This research has a direct impact on rural states, like Idaho, as utilities prepare for new regulations targeting contaminants such as PFAS and pharmaceuticals."

Miller and Posadas engaged with leading international scholars and helped showcase Boise State's research that is committed to contributions with real-world solutions and applications.

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