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Drinking water cleaner thanks to Chemistry graduate’s research

09 December 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs

“Chemistry chose me,” says Dr Refilwe Mogale, who wanted to enrol for Psychology years ago when she decided to study at the University of the Free State (UFS).

“On the day of registration, however, as I was standing in the queue, something inside me said this was not the right choice for me. Ultimately, I chose my second option, which was a BSc degree majoring in biology, physics, and chemistry.”

“Once I started the BSc programme, I gravitated towards chemistry, and as difficult as it was juggling classes and six-hour practical sessions, I loved it. I am fascinated by the ability of chemistry and science in general to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues, such as water scarcity, alternative generation, access to antibacterial hygiene products, as well as novel strategies to cure diseases, among many other things.”

The UFS awarded Dr Mogale a PhD in Chemistry on 9 December 2022.

Addressing a global challenge

Being passionate about applied chemistry – where scientific research can be used to create products to address everyday problems – Dr Mogale focused her thesis on Aluminium- and Zirconium-based metal organic frameworks with azobenzene and stilbene dicarboxylate ligands for use in wastewater treatment.

She has also published multiple articles on topics of environmental chemistry and wastewater management in international journals.

Dr Mogale is of the opinion that water pollution by financially lucrative industries and access to clean drinkable water is one of our planet’s most challenging environmental and health issues. “The waste generated by some of the industries that contribute heavily to our country’s economy, such as the textile, agricultural, and medical industries, may end up in the limited drinking water resources we have. I chose my research topic because I wanted to positively contribute to this global challenge,” she says.

“My research was based on making highly porous metal-organic frameworks (MOF) to be used in the wastewater treatment technique called adsorption,” explains Dr Mogale, describing MOFs as “really cool three-dimensional ‘sponges’ that can suck up very high amounts of gases and pollutants, trapping them in their pores. These trapped materials can later be released from the pores to be re-used when MOFs are exposed to certain stimuli.”

She continues, “Low cost and simplicity make this method attractive for industrial use. Considering our current energy crisis, other methods are not ideal, since they require large amounts of energy.”

Focused on developing highly effective adsorbent for wastewater purification systems, Dr Mogale synthesised a novel MOF with one of the highest adsorption capacities compared to existing counterparts.

According to her, should MOFs with their incredibly high surface areas – which allow them to absorb more waste than their existing counterparts – be implemented in wastewater purification systems, they would be able to address the environmental issue of water pollution and the health issue of access to drinkable water.

Tackling everyday societal issues

She is currently doing a postdoctoral fellowship in the UFS Department of Chemistry – to broaden her knowledge in chemistry beyond MOFs. Her plans are, however, to transition to industry and ultimately entrepreneurship, where she will be able to develop scientific products that can tackle everyday societal issues.

Dr Mogale dreams of adding value to society by practically contributing to the water crisis issue through the development of low-cost water generation and purification products.

News Archive

Getting out of the dark

2015-04-28

Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Since 2008, the University of the Free State has been busy with the planning and implementation of projects to reduce the impact of load shedding. To date, the cost of these projects has run to R6 million. They have been done primarily to ensure that the academic programme does not suffer damage as a result of the increasing interruptions in the power supply that are continuing this year.

The university’s greatest concern has been the provision of emergency power to the lecture halls and laboratories.

Thus far, 35 generators are servicing 55 buildings on the three campuses of the UFS. This includes 26 generators on the Bloemfontein Campus, eight on the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State, and one generator on the South Campus in Bloemfontein. The generators are already in service, and are maintained in working order.

Since 2010, the university has also ensured that all newly-built academic buildings are equipped with emergency power supplies.

On the South Campus in Bloemfontein, the new lecture-hall building and the computer laboratory are equipped with emergency power, while the installation of emergency generators in other buildings is under way. The majority of the buildings on the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State are equipped with emergency power supplies.

In the meantime, the UFS management has approved a further R11 million for the installation of additional generators on the three campuses. A further R1.5 million has also been approved for the purchase of two mobile generators.

To extend the work already done, the main task will be the installation of more generators on the Bloemfontein Campus to ensure that lecture halls with emergency power will be available for the centrally-arranged timetables, and to ensure that more of the critical laboratories will be provided with emergency power.

There are still some important buildings and halls on the Bloemfontein Campus that must be supplied with emergency power. However, it is a costly process and must be brought into operation gradually. The further implementation of emergency power depends on the delivery of equipment. The university is also investigating alternative solutions for power provisioning, including solar power.

Generators with spare capacity are optimally deployed to satisfy the lower needs of the campus, including the Odeion, the ANNEX at Microbiology, the Stabilis ANNEX, the Agriculture Building, the UV-Sasol library, and the Francois Retief Building.

In addition, the UFS is busy on all campuses, coupling area lighting, including

street lights and pedestrian walkways, to existing generators. Procedures for the operation of mechanical equipment, such as entrance gates, lifts, and so on, are currently being dealt with on all campuses. Continuous power sources for certain ICT equipment will be installed on all campuses to protect it against power surges.

Staff and students can also equip themselves with the necessary knowledge to manage load shedding in their specific areas of work and study. It is always helpful to know who to contact. The following list with guidelines and contact numbers has been compiled to assist you:

1. In an emergency, call Protection Services. This line will continue to operate, regardless of whether the power is on or off.
2. Avoid using lifts just before planned load shedding. Some lifts have emergency power packs which will bring the lift to the nearest floor and open the doors. If you still get stuck in a lift during a power outage, use your cellphone to call Protection Services. While you're waiting, stay calm and be patient.
3. If the access control systems in your building stop working after load shedding, contact Protection Services.
4. The students and staff members who are most at risk during load shedding are those in wheelchairs or with other mobility limitations. As far as possible, plan ahead to avoid being stuck on a floor or in a room that is difficult to access when load shedding is imminent. Please contact Protection Services if you need assistance.
5. During a fire, alarms WILL go off. Alarms are not power driven, but battery driven. For assistance, contact Protection Services.
6. The main UFS Switchboard (Bloemfontein Campus +27(0)51 401 9111 and Qwaqwa Campus +27(0)58 718 5000) will continue to operate during load shedding.

Contact details of Protection Services:

Bloemfontein Campus: +27(0)51 401 2634/2911
Qwaqwa Campus: +27(0)58 508 5460/5175
South Campus: +27(0)51 5051217

Communication and Brand Management will make information available on the UFS web, Facebook page, Twitter, Blackboard and the intranet. Get the load shedding schedule from Eskom’s webpage (http://loadshedding.eskom.co.za/). The Bloemfontein Campus falls in group 4 and the South Campus falls in group 2 in Centlec’s load shedding schedule.

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