Gaspillo's inventions on wastewater treatment earns NAST honor
De La Salle University
The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) has named newly-appointed College of Engineering Dean and Chemical Engineering Full Professor, Dr. Pag-asa Gaspillo, as this year's grand prize winner of the Fifth NAST-Hugh Greenwood Environmental Science Award. She received a plaque and a cash prize of US $1,000 during the awarding ceremonies held on April 21 at the Traders Hotel Manila.
Gaspillo won the award for her significant contributions to water and wastewater management. The NAST cited her research outputs on water potability and wastewater purification, which are essential to life.
During the awarding ceremonies, she presented her study titled "Research on Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes: A Consolidated Study." She cited the effects of both domestic and industrial wastewater to the environment and the innovative solutions she has developed for reducing water pollution.
These solutions included a "Cyanide Wastewater Treatment in Electroplating Operations by Alkaline Chlorination Process", "Chromium Reduction by Chemical Precipitation and Chromium Recovery By Ion-Exchange Method," "Solidification of Hazardous Sludge: An Alternative Method to Sanitary Landfill," "High-rate Bio-filtration: An Alternative Wastewater Treatment Technology for Domestic Sewage," and "Biological Nitrogen Removal of a Nutrient-Rich Industrial Wastewater using Modified Ludzack-Ettinger Systems."
According to Gaspillo, the researches were conducted in collaboration with undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students of the University. She began some of them 15 years ago.
Launched in 2001, the Hugh Greenwood Environmental Science Awards is given annually in celebration of Earth Day. It recognizes outstanding specific and technological works that contribute to environmental protection and conservation.
