MissMengru Qiu

As the most common types of on-site sanitation across large parts of the world, pit latrines and septic tanks face problems associated with effective emptying, sludge transport, treatment, and disposal, which come at a cost of money, health issues, and possibly land requirement. Biological and chemical additives have emerged on the market to reduce the volume of sludge and increase the usable lifetime of latrines. However, the effectiveness of many of the existing additives has not been rigorously tested. Moreover, the fundamental microbial and other processes at-play within latrines are highly variable.

This research project aims to investigate the effects of additives by conducting comprehensive trials under both laboratory and field conditions to explain and optimise the underlying mechanisms of these additives and ultimately improve the performance of on-site sanitation systems.

Mengru obtained a BEng in Environmental Engineering from Nanjing University of Information, Science and Technology and University of Reading in 2021 and then completed an MSc in Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London with Distinction in 2022. In 2023, she started her PhD at Imperial supervised by Prof Michael Templeton.