Prof.dr.ir. D. (Doris) van Halem
Prof.dr.ir. D. (Doris) van Halem
Profile
Biography
Doris van Halem is Professor in Drinking Water Quality & Treatment at Delft University of Technology. Her research focusses on understanding contaminant behaviour in natural waters towards development of innovative and sustainable water treatment technologies. As program leader of Delft Global Initiative’s programme TU Delft | Water for Impact, she is responsible for stimulating water research in and with the Global South.
Dr. van Halem graduated from Delft University of Technology in Civil Engineering and Geosciences with a cum laude MSc degree, for which she received the Gijs Oskam award. In 2011 she completed her PhD research (cum laude) on subsurface iron and arsenic removal for drinking water supply in Bangladesh under the guidance of prof. J.C. van Dijk (TU Delft) and prof. dr. G.L. Amy (Unesco-IHE). This research was executed in close collaboration with UNICEF Bangladesh and DPHE (GoB), and awarded with the Steven Hoogendijk award for best experimental PhD dissertation by “Het Bataafsch Genootschap der Proefondervindelijke Wijsbegeerte”. In 2015, she received the UNESCO-L’Oreal For Women in Science award, followed by a research fellowship at KNAW NIAS. Dr. van Halem worked as a visiting researcher with the Sandec group at EAWAG (Zurich) and was visiting professor at Universidad de las Américas Puebla (Mexico). Since 2020, Dr. van Halem is NWO VIDI laureate, an excellence grant for academics. In 2022 she was appointed full professor.
The scientific research interests of Dr. van Halem are mainly related to the removal of contaminants of health concern for safe drinking water supply, where she is particularly intrigued how biological, chemical and physical mechanisms interact. Over the years she has worked on technologies, including, biological sand filters, ceramic membranes, dune/bank filtration, polymeric nanofiltration and electro-chemical water treatment.
Dr. van Halem is lecturing BSc course Introduction to Water Treatment (CTB3365) and she is responsible for the new MSc Environmental Engineering module Water Treatment Technologies (ENVM1600). Since 2013, Dr. van Halem has been a contributor to the development of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on drinking water treatment (Edx.org) to make water treatment knowledge freely available around the world.
Dr. van Halem is also active as speaker at popular events, such as her lecture “How to make drinking water from ditch water?” (in Dutch) for Universiteit van Nederland.
Publications
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2024
A biotechnological perspective on sand filtration for drinking water production
Francesc Corbera-Rubio / Roos Goedhart / Michele Laureni / Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht / Doris van Halem
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2024
A difficult coexistence
Resolving the iron-induced nitrification delay in groundwater filters
Francesc Corbera-Rubio / Emiel Kruisdijk / Sofia Malheiro / Manon Leblond / Liselotte Verschoor / Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht / Michele Laureni / Doris van Halem -
2024
Biological arsenite oxidation on iron-based adsorbents in groundwater filters
Emiel Kruisdijk / Roos Goedhart / Doris van Halem
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2024
Bromate removal in an ozone - granular activated carbon filtration process for organic micropollutants removal from wastewater
Jan Peter van der Hoek / Tianyi Deng / Tiza Spit / Veerle Luimstra / Merle de Kreuk / Doris van Halem
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2024
Electrochemical arsenite oxidation for drinking water treatment
Mechanisms, by-product formation and energy consumption
E. Kraaijeveld / S. Rijsdijk / S. van der Poel / J.P. van der Hoek / K. Rabaey / D. van Halem -
Media
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2024-10-16
Dit jaar 'wel heel vaak' poepbacterie in drinkwater, regen speelt mogelijk rol
Appeared in: NU.nl
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2024-10-11
Feit of Fictie: Zit in bronwater meer 'medicijntroep' dan in kraanwater?
Appeared in: EenVandaag (radio 1)
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2024-03-24
Schoon Drinkwater 2024
Appeared in: NU.nl
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2023-03-14
Doris van Halem in de media 2023
Appeared in: H20 waternetwerk
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2023-04-03
Dreigend drinkwatertekort in 2030: ‘Er moet veel meer gebeuren dan alleen zuiniger zijn’
Appeared in: Volkskrant
Prizes
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2024-6-28
Fulbright Scholar
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2023-10-10
RELX Environmental Challenge
Each year the RELX Environmental Challenge is awarded to projects that best demonstrate how they can provide sustainable access to safe water or sanitation.
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2023
ES Open Education Ambassador Award
The award recognizes TU Delft educators/ lecturers who through their online courses and other teaching/learning practices are committed to openly share knowledge and resources with the world, and advocate for open education.
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2015
L'OREAL-KNAW For Women in Science Fellowship 2015
https://nias.knaw.nl/fellowships/loreal-unesco-women-science-fellowship-fwis/
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2013
Steven Hoogendijk Award
Read my Story of Science
Ancillary activities
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2021-02-01 - 2025-01-31
(Waste) water and sanitation
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2024-03-22 - 2026-03-20
Consultancy / research and other