About

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

• APEGA Summit Early Accomplishment Award, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), 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

• Guest Editor to Frontiers Energy Research: Special issue on ‘Emerging Microbial Electrochemical Technologies’, expected to be published in 2021.
• 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)
• Member, Water Environment Federation (WEF)
• Member, 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 resources 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. Zhou, P.; Meshref, M.; Dhar, B.R. (2020). Optimization of thermal hydrolysis process for enhancing anaerobic digestion in a wastewater treatment plant with existing primary sludge fermentation, Bioresource Technology, in press.

2. Zakaria, B.S.; Dhar, B.R. (2020). An intermittent power supply scheme to minimize electrical energy input in a microbial electrolysis cell assisted anaerobic digester, Bioresource Technology, 319, 124109.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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, in press.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.  

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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. 

21. 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).        

22. 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.

23. 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 in a special issue on ‘Nutrient and energy recovery from wastewater’).  

24. 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.

25. 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. 

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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.

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

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. 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.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. 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.

42. 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 (invited).

43. 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.

44. 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 in a special issue on ‘Sustainable Technologies: Bioenergy and Biofuel from Biowaste and Biomass’).

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

46. 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.

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. 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.

50. 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.

CIV E 729 - Advanced Topics in Environmental Engineering

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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