Area of Study / Keywords

Anaerobic Digestion Microbial Electrochemical Technologies Dark Fermentation Bioenergy Resource Recovery Waste and Wastewater Treatment Environmental Engineering and Science

About

Research Group Website

Education

• Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2016
• M.E.Sc., Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Western University, 2011
• B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2008

Selected Awards, Honors & Recognitions

• Petro-Canada Emerging Innovator Award, University of Alberta, 2021
• APEGA Summit Early Accomplishment Award, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), 2020
• National Research Award (For Best Published Research on Environmental and Biological Resources field; Collaborative work with Sultan Qaboos University), Oman, 2020
• Engineering Early-Career Research Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, 2018/2019
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2016 (declined)
• Philip H. Jones Award, Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ), 2016
• Laurence Hamlin Memorial Award for classroom teaching, University of Waterloo, 2015
• NSERC PGS, 2013-2016
• President’s Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo, 2013-2016
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), Canada, 2013 (declined)
• Chandrashekar Memorial Award in Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, 2013

Professional Services

• Regional Director (Western Canada), Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ), 2021-2022
• Editorial Board Member, Scientific Reports, 2021-Present
• Editorial Board Member, Applied Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 2021-Present
• Member, Research Themes Advisory Council, Future Energy Systems, October 2020-Present
• Conference Co-chair, 1st Virtual Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, July 23-24, 2020.
• Guest Editor to Water Environment Research: Special issue on ‘Anaerobic Treatment in Canada’, expected to be published in 2020.
• Editorial Board Member, Processes (2020-2021)
• Conference Chair, 11th Western Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, May 10, 2019, Edmonton, Canada.
• Member, Environment Panel for Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence (ORF-RE), Government of Ontario, Canada, 2019.
• Scientific Committee Member and Session Chair, 54th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, Toronto, Canada, February 2019.
• Scientific Committee Member and Session Chair, 53rd Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, Toronto, Canada, February 2018.
• Program Co-organizer (Environmental Engineering and Waste Management/Oil Spill Recovery) and Session Chair, 67thCanadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Edmonton, Canada 2017.
• Scientific Committee Member and Session Chair, 52nd Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, Toronto, Canada, February 2017.

Professional Memberships

• Professional Engineer, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA)
• Member, Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ)
• Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP)
• Member, International Water Association (IWA)

Research

Broad Research Interests

Dr. Dhar's research program focuses on bioenergy and resource recovery from organic waste and high-strength wastewater. His research areas include microbial electrochemical technologies (METs), anaerobic digestion (AD), dark fermentation, and physicochemical processes.

Journal Publications

1. Mirsoleimani-Azizi, S.M.; Dastyar, W.; Meshref, M.; Maal-Bared, R.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). Low-temperature thermal hydrolysis for anaerobic digestion facility in wastewater treatment plant with primary sludge fermentation, Chemical Engineering Journal, 130485.

2. Chung, T.H.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). A multi-perspective review on microbial electrochemical technologies for food waste valorization, Bioresource Technology, 125950. 

3. Bose, R.S.; Chowdhury, B.; Zakaria, B.S.; Tiwari, M.K.; Dhar, B.R. * (2021). Significance of different mixing conditions on performance and microbial communities in anaerobic digester amended with granular and powdered activated carbon, Bioresource Technology, 341, 125768.

4. Ahamed, N.; Dhar, B.R.; Pramanik, B.K.; Perez, P.; Price, W.E.; Hai, F.I. (2021). A cookbook for bioethanol from macroalgae: review of selecting and combining processes to enhance bioethanol production, Current Pollution Reports, 1-18.    

5. Meshref, M.; Mirsoleimani-Azizi, S.M.; Dastyar, W.; Maal-Bared, R.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). Low-temperature thermal hydrolysis of sludge prior to sludge anaerobic digestion: principal component analysis (PCA) of experimental data, Data in Brief, 38, 107323.

6. Chung, T.H.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). Paper-based platforms for microbial electrochemical cell-based biosensors: a review, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 113485.

7. Dastyar, W.; Mirsoleimani-Azizi, S.M.; Dhadwal, M.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). High-solids anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste: effects of feedstock to inoculum ratio and percolate recirculation time, Bioresource Technology, 125335.

8. Chung, T.H.; Meshref, M.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). A review and roadmap for developing microbial electrochemical cell-based biosensors for recalcitrant environmental contaminants, emphasis on aromatic compounds, Chemical Engineering Journal, 130245.

9. Dastyar, W.; Mirsoleimani-Azizi, S.M.; Meshref, M.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). Powdered activated carbon amendment in percolate tank enhances high-solids anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste, Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 151, 63-70.

10. Chung, T.H.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). A mini-review on applications of 3D printing for microbial electrochemical technologies, Frontiers in Energy Research, 9, 679061.

11. Zakaria, B.S.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). Significance of extracellular polymeric substances, reactive oxygen species, and expression of extracellular electron transfer genes on methanogenic activity in biocathode, Scientific Reports, 11, 7933.

12. Bose, R.S.; Zakaria, B.S.; Tiwari, M.K.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). High-rate blackwater anaerobic digestion under septic tank conditions with the amendment of biosolids-derived biochar synthesized at different temperatures, Bioresource Technology, in press.

13. Allam, N.E.; Romaniuk, N.; Tate, M.; Meshref, M.; Dhar, B.R.; Ulrich, A. (2021). Impact of lime treatment on tailings dewatering and cap water quality under an oil sands end pit lake scenario, Science of the Total Environment, 781, 146699.

14. Huang, Q.; Liu, Y.; Dhar, B.R. (2021). Pushing the organic loading rate in electrochemically assisted anaerobic digestion of blackwater at ambient temperature: Insights into microbial community dynamics, Science of the Total Environment, 781, 146694.

15. Mirsoleimani-Azizi, S.M.; Hai, F.I.; Lu, W.; Al-Mamun, A., Dhar, B.R.* (2021). A review of mechanisms underlying the impacts of (nano)microplastics on anaerobic digestion, Bioresource Technology 124894.

16. Hosseini Koupaie, H.; Lin, L.; Azizi, A.; Bazyar Lakeh, A.A.; Dhar, B.R., Hafez, H., Elbeshbishy, E. (2021). Performance evaluation and microbial community analysis of mesophilic and thermophilic sludge fermentation processes coupled with thermal hydrolysis, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 141, 110832.

17. Fida, Z., Price, W.E., Pramanik, B.K., Dhar, B.R., Kumar, M., Jiang, G., Hai, F.I. (2021). Impact of sludge interchange rate on sludge yield reduction by membrane bioreactor coupled with anoxic sidestream reactors, Journal of Environmental Management 281, 111919. 

18. Rahman, S.; Al-Mamun, A.; Jafary, T.; Baawain, M.; Saif, H.K.; Choudhury , M.R.; Alhaimali, H.; Siddiqi, S.; Dhar, B.R.; Lam, S. S.; Aghbashlo , M.; Tabatabaei, M. (2021). Towards Upscaling Microbial Desalination Cell Technology: A Comprehensive Review on Current Challenges and Future Prospects to Achieve Low-Carbon Water Production, Journal of Cleaner Production, 125597.

19. Zhou, P.; Meshref, M.; Dhar, B.R.*(2021). Optimization of thermal hydrolysis process for enhancing anaerobic digestion in a wastewater treatment plant with existing primary sludge fermentation, Bioresource Technology 321, 124498.

20. Zakaria, B.S.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). An intermittent power supply scheme to minimize electrical energy input in a microbial electrolysis cell assisted anaerobic digester, Bioresource Technology, 319, 124109.

21. de Albuquerque, F.P.; Dhadwal, M.; Dastyar, W.; Mirsoleimani-Azizi, S.M.; Karidio, I.; Zaman, H.; Dhar, B.R.* (2021). Fate of disposable face masks in high-solids anaerobic digestion: experimental observations and review of potential environmental implications, Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 100082.       

22. Dhadwal, M.; Liu, Y.; Dhar, B.R. * (2021). Coupling microbial electrolysis cell and activated carbon biofilter for source-separated greywater treatment, Processes 9 (2), 281.

23. Ting, H.N.J.; Lin, L.; Cruz, R.B.; Chowdhury, B.; Karidio, I.; Zaman, H.; Dhar, B.R.* (2020). Transitions of microbial communities in the solid and liquid phases during high-solids anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste, Bioresource Technology, 317, 123951.

24. Huang, Q.; Liu, Y.; Dhar, B.R.*(2020). A critical performance review of microbial electrolysis cells coupled with anaerobic digester for enhanced biomethane recovery from high-strength feedstocks, Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, in press.

25. Huang, Q.; Zakaria, B.S.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, Y.; Dhar, B.R.* (2020). A high-rate anaerobic biofilm reactor for biomethane recovery from source-separated blackwater at ambient temperature, Water Environment Research, (Cover article).

26. Chung, T.H.; Meshref, M.; Hai, F.I.; Al-Mamun, A.; Dhar, B.R.* (2020). Microbial electrochemical systems for hydrogen peroxide synthesis: Critical review of process optimization, prospective environmental applications, and challenges, Bioresource Technology 313, 123727.

27. Chung, T.H.; Meshref, M.; Dhar, B.R.*(2020). Microbial electrochemical biosensor for rapid detection of a naphthenic acid model compound in water samples, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 873, 114405.

28. Chowdhury, B.; Magsi, S.B.; Ting, H.N.J.; Dhar, B.R.* (2020). High-solids anaerobic digestion followed by ultrasonication of digestate and wet-type anaerobic digestion for enhancing methane yield from OFMSW, Processes, 8(5), 555 (Featured article).

29. Zakaria, B.S.; Dhar, B.R.* (2020). Changes in syntrophic microbial communities, EPS matrix, and gene-expression patterns in biofilm anode in response to silver nanoparticles exposure, Science of the Total Environment, 734, 139395.

30. Jafary, T.; Al-Mamun, A.; Saif, H.K.; Baawain, M.; Rahman, S.; Rahman, S.; Dhar, B.R.; Aghbashlo, M.; Tabatabaei, M. (2020). Enhanced power generation and desalination rate in a novel quadruple microbial desalination cell with a single desalination chamber, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 127, 109855.

31. Al-Mamun, A.; Jafary, T.; Saif, H.K.; Baawain, M.; Rahman, S.; Tarpeh, W.; Dhar, B.R.; Kim, B. (2020). Novel two-chamber tubular microbial desalination cell for bioelectricity production, wastewater treatment and desalination with a focus on self-generated pH control, Desalination, 481, 114358.

32. Ryue, J.; Lin, L.; Kakar, F.L., Elbeshbishy, E.; Al-Mamun, A.; Dhar, B.R.* (2020). A critical review of conventional and emerging methods for improving process stability in thermophilic anaerobic digestion, Energy for Sustainable Development, 54, 72-84.

33. Lin, L.; Chowdhury, B.; Zakaria, B.S.; Dhar, B.R.* (2020). Temperature-dependent (20-55°C) electrocatalytic characteristics during ethanol/propionate degradation by methanogenic communities grown on conductive carbon fibers, Chemical Engineering Journal, 391, 123566.

34. Lin, L.; Zakaria, B.S.; Hosseini Koupaie, H.; Bazyar Lakeh, A.A.; Hafez, H., Elbeshbishy, E.; Dhar, B.R.* (2019). Evaluation of sludge liquors from acidogenic fermentation and thermal hydrolysis process as feedstock for microbial electrolysis cells, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 44 (57), 30031-30038.

35. Chowdhury, B.; Lin, L.; Dhar, B.R.*, Islam, M.N.; McCartney, D.; Kumar, A. (2019). Enhanced biomethane recovery from fat, oil and grease through co-digestion with food waste and addition of conductive materials, Chemosphere 236, 124362.

36. Zakaria, B.S.; Dhar, B.R.* (2019). Progress towards catalyzing electro-methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion process: fundamentals, process optimization, design and scale-up considerations, Bioresource Technology 289, 121738.

37. Zakaria, B.S.; Lin, L.; Dhar, B.R.* (2019). Shift of biofilm and suspended bacterial communities with changes in anode potential in a microbial electrolysis cell treating primary sludge, Science of the Total Environment 689 (1), 691-699.

38. Barua, S.; Zakaria, B.S.; Chung, T.; Hai, F.I.; Haile, T.; Al-Mamun, A.; Dhar, B.R.*(2019). Microbial Electrolysis Followed by Chemical Precipitation for Effective Nutrients Recovery from Digested Sludge Centrate in WWTPs, Chemical Engineering Journal 361, 256-265.

39. Lin, L.; Hosseini Koupaie, H.; Azizi, A.; Bazyar Lakeh, A.A.; Dhar, B.R., Hafez, H., Elbeshbishy, E. (2019). Impact of pre- and post-hydrothermal treatment on acidogenic fermentation of source separated organics for volatile fatty acids production, Molecules 24, 1446.

40. Lu, W.; Chao, P.; Lama, A.; Xindi, F.; Rong, Y.; Dhar, B.R. (2019). Effect of pre-treatments on biological methane potential of dewatered sewage sludge under dry anaerobic digestion, Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 52, 224-231. 

41. Barua, S.; Zakaria, B.S.; Lin, L.; Dhar, B.R.* (2019). Magnetite doped GAC as an additive for high-performance anerobic digestion, Material Sciences for Energy Technologies 2 (3), 377-384 (Invited article).      

42. Ryue, J.; Lin, L.; Liu, Y.; Lu, W.; McCartney, D.; Dhar, B.R.* (2019). Comparative Effects of GAC Addition on Methane Productivity and Microbial Community in Mesophilic and Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste, Biochemical Engineering Journal 146, 79-87.

43. Barua, S.; Zakaria, B.S.; Al-Mamun, A.; Dhar, B.R.* (2019). Anodic performance in microbial electrochemical cells in response to ammonia nitrogen, Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science 14(1), 37–43 (Invited article).

44. Dhar, B.R., Park, J.H., Park, H.D., Lee, H.S. (2019). Hydrogen-based syntrophy in an electrically conductive biofilm anode, Chemical Engineering Journal 359, 208-216.

45. Barua, S.; Zakaria, B.S.; L., Lin; Dhar, B.R.* (2019). Shaping Microbial Communities with Conductive Carbon Fibers to Enhance Methane Productivity and Kinetics, Bioresource Technology Reports 5, 20-27. 

46. Barua, S.; Zakaria, B.S.; Dhar, B.R.* (2018). Methanogenic co-degradation of propionate and butyrate by anaerobic microbiome enriched on conductive carbon fibers, Bioresource Technology 266, 259-266.

47. Zakaria, B.S.; Barua, S.; Sharaf, S.; Liu, Y.; Dhar, B.R.* (2018). Impact of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles on anode respiring bacteria in a microbial electrolysis cell, Chemosphere 213, 259-267.

48. Asif, M.B.; Hai, F.I.; Dhar, B.R.; Ngo, H.H.; Guo, W.; Jegatheesan, V.; Price, W.E.; Nghiem, L.D.; Yamamoto, K. (2018). Impact of simultaneous retention of micropollutants and laccase on micropollutant degradation in enzymatic membrane bioreactor, Bioresource Technology 267, 473-480.

49. Al-Mamun, A., Ahmed, W., Baawain, M.S., Khadem, M., Dhar, B.R. (2018). A Review of Microbial desalination cell technology: configurations, optimization and applications, Journal of Cleaner Production 183, 458-480.

50. Dhar, B.R., Ren, H., Chae, J., Lee, H.S. (2018). Recoverability of electrical conductivity of a Geobacter-enriched biofilm, Journal of Power Sources 402, 198-202.

51. Barua, S.; Dhar, B.R.* (2017). Advances towards understanding and engineering direct interspecies electron transfer in anaerobic digestion, Bioresource Technology 244, 698-707.

52. Elbeshbishy, E., Dhar, B.R., Nakhla, G., Lee, H.S (2017). A critical review on inhibition of dark biohydrogen fermentation, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 79, 656–668.

53. Dhar, B.R., Sim, J., Ryu, H., Ren, H., Santo Domingo, J. W., Chae, J., Lee, H.S. (2017). Microbial activity influences electrical conductivity of biofilm anode, Water Research 127, 230-238.

54. Al-Mamun, A., Baawain, M.S., Dhar, B.R., Kim, I.S. (2017). Improved recovery of bioenergy and osmotic water in an osmotic microbial fuel cell using micro-diffuser assisted marine aerobic biofilm on cathode, Biochemical Engineering Journal 128, 235-242.

55. Dhar, B.R., Ryu, H., Ren, H., Santo Domingo, J. W., Chae, J., Lee, H.S. (2016). High biofilm conductivity maintained despite anode potential changes in a Geobacter-enriched biofilm, ChemSusChem 9, 3485 –3491.

56. Lee, H.S., Dhar, B.R., An, J., Rittmann, B.E., Ryu, H., Santo Domingo, J. W., Ren, H., Chae, J. (2016). The roles of biofilm conductivity and donor substrate kinetics in a mixed-culture biofilm anode, Environmental Science & Technology 50(23), 12799–12807.

57. Dhar, B.R., Ryu, H., Santo Domingo, J. W., Lee, H.S. (2016). Ohmic resistance affects microbial community and electrochemical kinetics in a multi-anode microbial electrochemical cell, Journal of Power Sources 331, 315-321.

58. Dhar, B.R., Elbeshbishy, E., Hafez, H., Lee, H.S. (2015). Hydrogen production from sugar beet juice using an integrated biohydrogen process of dark fermentation and microbial electrolysis cell, Bioresource Technology 198, 223-230.

59. Elbeshbishy, E., Dhar, B.R., Hafez, H., Lee, H.S. (2015). Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol production in a novel continuous flow system, Bioresource Technology 190, 315-320.

60. Elbeshbishy, E., Dhar, B.R., Nakhla, G. (2015). Assessing non-biodegradable fraction of the thickened waste activated sludge, Water Environment Research 87(8), 707-711.

61. Dhar, B.R., Lee, H.S. (2014). Evaluation of limiting factors for current density in microbial electrochemical cells (MXCs) treating domestic wastewater, Biotechnology Reports 4, 80–85.

62. Qiaosi, D.; Dhar, B.R.; Elbeshbishy, E., Lee, H.S. (2014). Ammonium nitrogen removal from the permeates of anaerobic membrane bioreactors: economic regeneration of exhausted zeolite, Environmental Technology 35(16), 2008-2017.

63. Dhar, B.R.; Gao, Y.; Yeo, H.; Lee, H.S. (2013). Separation of microorganisms using anaerobic membrane bioreactors as pretreatment to microbial electrochemical cells, Bioresource Technology 148, 208-214. IF 9.642

64. Dhar, B.R.*, Lee, H.S. (2013). Membranes for bio-electrochemical Systems: challenges and research advances, Environmental Technology 34, 13-14, 1751-1764 (Invited article).

65. Dhar, B.R., Elbeshbishy, E., Nakhla, G. (2012). Influence of iron on sulfide inhibition in dark biohydrogen fermentation, Bioresource Technology 126, 123-130.

66. Dhar, B.R., Nakhla, G., Ray, M. B. (2012). Techno-economic evaluation of ultrasound and thermal pretreatment for enhanced anaerobic digestion of municipal waste activated sludge, Waste Management 32(3), 542–549.

67. Dhar, B.R., Elbeshbishy, E., Hafez, H., Nakhla, G., Ray, M. B. (2011). Thermo-oxidative pretreatment of municipal waste activated sludge for volatile sulfur compounds removal and enhanced anaerobic digestion, Chemical Engineering Journal 174 (1), 166-174.

68. Dhar, B.R., Youssef, E., Nakhla, G., Ray, M. B. (2011). Pretreatment of waste activated sludge for volatile sulfur compounds control in anaerobic digestion, Bioresource Technology 102 (4), 3776-3782. IF 9.642

69. Elbeshbishy, E., Hafez, H., Dhar, B.R., Nakhla, G. (2011). Single and combined effect of various pretreatment methods for biohydrogen production from food waste, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 36 (17), 11379-11387.

70. Dhar, B.R., Kirtania, K. (2009). Excess methanol recovery in biodiesel production process using a distillation column: a simulation study, Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 13(2), 45-50.

CIV E 628 - Municipal Solid Waste Management

Principles of municipal waste management to protect public health, municipal waste streams, waste stream analysis and prediction. Refuse collection, storage and hauling methods, and facilities. Engineering design and operation of solid waste processing, treatment and disposal methods: resource recovery, recycling programs, incineration, composting, landfilling, and novel techniques. Solid waste legislation and policies. Environment impacts, impact management and facility siting of waste facilities.

ENV E 421 - Municipal Systems

Detailed and advanced design of water supply systems, sewerage, and storm drains. Rates of flow and hydraulics of networks and sewers, rainfall-runoff analysis, storm water storage, and loads on conduits. Extensive computer simulation of systems. Prerequisites: CIV E 331.

ENV E 432 - Solid Waste Management

Principles of solid waste management to protect public health. Study of solid waste components, refuse collection, storage, and handling. Design and operation of solid waste transfer and disposal facilities including transfer stations, resource recovery and composting facilities, incinerators, and landfills. Prerequisites: ENV E 324.

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