Tzahi Y. Cath
Ben L. Fryrear Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Contact
Chauvenet Hall 128
303-273-3402
Fax: 303-273-3413
tcath@mines.edu
Personal Web Page
In the area of desalination, my student and I investigate novel thermally driven membrane processes such as membrane distillation and osmotic distillation. Specifically, we investigate the potential implementation of these processes in industrial settings where low grade heat and impaired water are readily available and high quality water is needed. We also investigate the utilization of the process for harvesting of minerals during desalination of brines. Also in the area of desalination we investigate novel thermally and chemically resistant nanofiltration membranes for various industrial applications. In particular, we study the occurrence, characteristics, and treatment of produced water from gas and oil exploration, and specifically coal-bed methane produced water.
Labs and Research Centers
Education
- PhD Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Nevada, Reno, 2003
- MS Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Nevada, Reno, 2001
- BS. Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, 1992
Publications
- Crosson, C., et al., Net zero urban water from concept to applications: Integrating natural, built and social systems for responsive and adaptive solutions, ES&T Water 1 (3) (2021) 518-529.
- Nicholas, E.R., Cath, T.Y., Evaluation of sequencing batch bioreactor followed by media filtration for organic carbon and nitrogen removal in produced water, J. Water Process Eng., 40 (2021) 101863.
- Newhart, K.B., et al., Prediction of peracetic acid disinfection performance for secondary municipal wastewater treatment using artificial neural networks, ES&T Water 1 (2) (2020) 328-338.
- Klanderman, M.C., Newhart, K.B., Cath, T.Y., Hering, A.S., Case studies in real-time fault isolation in a decentralized wastewater treatment facility, J. Water Process Eng., 38 (2020) 101556.
- Sedlacko, E.M., et al., Effect of produced water treatment technologies on irrigation-induced metal and salt accumulation in wheat and sunflower, Science of the Total Environment, 740 (2020) 140003.
- Klanderman, M., Newhart, K.B., Cath, T.Y., Hering, A.S., Fault isolation for a complex decentralized wastewater treatment facility, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 69 (2020) 931-951.
- Newhart, K.B., et al., Hybrid statistical-machine learning ammonia forecasting in continuous activated sludge treatment for improved process control, J. Water Process Eng., 37 (2020) 101389.
- Jassby, D., Cath, T.Y., Buisson, H., The role of nanotechnology in industrial water treatment, Nature Nanotechnology, Vol. 13, August 2018, 670–672.
- Hancock, N.T., Xu, P., Roby, M.J., Gomez, J.D., and Cath, T.Y., Towards direct potable reuse with forward osmosis: Technical assessment of long-term process performance at the pilot scale, Journal of Membrane Science (2013) Accepted.
- Xu, P., Tzahi Cath, T.Y., Robertson, A.P., Reinhard, M., Leckie, J.O., Drewes,J.E., Critical review of desalination concentrate management, treatment and beneficial use, Environmental Engineering Science, (2013) Accepted.
- Coday, B., Heil, D.M., Xu, P., Cath, T.Y., The effects of transmembrane hydraulic pressure on performance of forward osmosis membranes, Environmental Science and Technology, 47 (5) (2013)2386-2393. Supporting Information.
- Siegrist, R.L., McCray, J.E., Lowe, K.S., Cath, T.Y., Munakata-Marr, J, Onsite and decentralized Wastewater Systems: Advances from a decade of research and educational efforts, WATER,February 2013.
- Cath, T.Y., Elimelech, M, McCutcheon, J.R., McGinnis, R.L., Achilli, A., Anastasio, D., Brady, A.R., Childress, A.E., Farr, I.V, Hancock, N.T., Lampi, J., Nghiem, L.D., Xie, M., Yip, N.Y., Standard methodology for evaluating membrane performance in osmotically driven membrane processes, Desalination 312 (2013) 31-38.
- Hickenbottom, K.L., Hancock, N.T., Hutchings, N.R., Appleton, E.W,. Beaudry, E.G., Xu, P., Cath, T.Y., Forward osmosis treatment of drilling mud and fracturing wastewater from oil and gas operations, Desalination, 312 (2013) 60-66.
- Hancock, N.T., Black, N., Cath, T.Y., Life cycle assessment of hybrid osmotically driven membrane processes for seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation, Water Research, 46 (4) (2012)1145–1154. Supporting Information.
- Hancock, N.T., Phillip, W., Elimelech, M., and Cath, T.Y., Modeling bi-directional solute permeation in osmotically driven membrane processes, Environmental Science and Technology, 45 (24) (2011) 10642–10651. Supporting Information
- Nghiem, L.D., Hildinger, F., Hai, F.I., Cath, T.Y., Treatment of saline aqueous solutions using direct contact membrane distillation, Desalination and Water Treatment, 32 (2011) 234–241.
- Hancock, N.T., Xu, P., Heil, D.M., Bellona, C., and Cath, T.Y., A comprehensive bench- and pilot-scale investigation of trace organic compound rejection by forward osmosis, Environmental Science and Technology, 45 (19) (2011) 8483-8490. Supporting Information
- Cath, T.Y., Drewes, J.E., Lundin, C.D., Hancock, N.T., Forward osmosis–reverse osmosis process offers a novel hybrid solution for water purification and reuse, IDA Journal on Desalination and Water Reuse, Fourth Quarter 2010, January 2011.
- Nghiem, L.D., Cath, T.Y., A scaling mitigation approach during direct contact membrane distillation, Separation and Purification Technology, 80 (2) (2011) 315-322.
- Cath, T.Y., Osmotically and thermally driven membrane processes for enhancement of water recovery in desalination processes, Desalination and Water Treatment, 15 (2010) 279–286.
- Cath, T.Y, Hancock, N.T., Lundin, C.D., Hoppe-Jones, C., and Drewes, J.E., “A multi barrier hybrid osmotic dilution process for simultaneous desalination and purification of impaired water”, Journal of Membrane Science, 362 (2010) 417–426.
- Achilli, A., Cath, T.Y., Childress, A.E., “Selection of inorganic-based draw solutions for forward osmosis applications”, Journal of Membrane Science, 364 (2010) 233–241.