Wolfgang Gernjak

Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA)

Engineering Sciences

2002 MSc in Analytical and Physical Chemistry from Vienna University of Technology, Austria 2006 PhD in Land and Water Management from BOKU Vienna, Austria 2000-2008 External Research Staff & post-doc, Plataforma Solar de Almería, Spain - Solar advanced oxidation & desalination 2008-2014 Senior research fellow, The University of Queensland, Australia - Group leader: Drinking and recycled water 2014-2015 Ramon & Cajal research fellow, Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) - Group leader: Water Supply and Advanced Treatment 2015- ICREA research professor at Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) - Group leader: Water Supply and Advanced Treatment


Research interests

I aim to innovate the ways we treat water applied to water reuse, desalination, and drinking water to realize a vision for smart and water sensitive cities and societies. Specifically, I am an expert on numerous novel advanced oxidation processes, membrane filtration such as reverse osmosis or membrane distillation, and solar technologies addressing the water-energy nexus. The focus of my research is on technology innovation. For example, I research novel membrane processes and applications such as forward osmosis. I am also deeply interested in exploring the possibilities offered by employing novel UV light sources based on the LED technology.  My research on water treatment technology is typically strongly connected with an emphasis on controlling water quality hazards to end-users, including trace organic contaminants, disinfection byproducts, and also pathogens.

Selected publications

– Liu P, Keller J & Gernjak W 2016, ‘Enhancing zero valent iron based natural organic matter removal by mixing with dispersed carbon cathodes’, Science Of The Total Environment, 550, 95 – 102.

– Gabarron S, Gernjak W, Valero F, Barcelo A, Petrovic M & Rodriguez-Roda I 2016, ‘Evaluation of emerging contaminants in a drinking water treatment plant using electrodialysis reversal technology’, Journal Of Hazardous Materials, 309, 192 – 201.

– Pype M-L, Lawrence MG, Keller J & Gernjak W 2016, ‘Reverse osmosis integrity monitoring in water reuse: The challenge to verify virus removal – A review’, Water Research, 98, 384 – 395.

– Liu P, Farre MJ, Keller J & Gernjak W 2016, ‘Reducing natural organic matter and disinfection by-product precursors by alternating oxic and anoxic conditions during engineered short residence time riverbank filtration: A laboratory-scale column study’, Science Of The Total Environment, 565, 616 – 625.

– de Vera GAD, Keller J, Gernjak W, Weinberg HS, Farre MJ 2016, ‘Biodegradability of DBP precursors after drinking water ozonation’, Water Research, 106, 550-561.

– Pype M-L, Donose BC, Martí L, Patureau D, Wery N & Gernjak W 2016, ‘Virus removal and integrity in aged RO membranes’,  Water Research 90; 167-175.


Selected research activities

– Research contract with ATLL Concessionaria de la Generalitat de Catalunya S.A. to study drinking water processes.