Our research on transforming arsenic-laden water treatment sludge into amorphous metallic arsenic for potential use in semiconductors and other clean-energy materials was recently featured by the Canadian Light Source. The article highlights how we used advanced X-ray techniques at the CLS to study this glassy metal and discusses plans to scale the process toward real-world applications.

Our latest Perspective article has been published in Environmental Science & Technology. This piece explores how metal(loid) contaminants removed during drinking water treatment could be reconsidered as potential sources of critical raw materials. The article takes a forward-looking view on how unavoidable water treatment residuals might one day complement traditional supply chains, while clearly acknowledging the technical and economic challenges that remain. We were also pleased that the Perspective was selected for supplemental cover art!

Our research on transforming arsenic-laden water treatment sludge into metallic arsenic was recently featured by MAX IV, highlighting how advanced synchrotron techniques and collaborative science are helping turn a toxic waste stream into a potential resource for clean energy and semiconductor materials.

Our work on converting arsenic-bearing drinking water treatment sludge into high-purity metallic arsenic was recently featured in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN). The article highlights the novel two-step process developed in our lab that transforms hazardous sludge into a valuable feedstock for green technologies and discusses its potential to reduce environmental impacts and recover additional materials like phosphate.

In November, Case van Genuchten appeared on the Socializing with Scientists podcast to discuss how arsenic-laden drinking water waste can be transformed into a valuable raw material through environmental engineering

The PURE Lab will lead the Water4All project “Contaminant to Commodity (C2C)”, a European collaboration with Eawag, Wageningen University & Research, and MAX IV. The project will develop circular methods to recover valuable materials from arsenic in groundwater, supporting sustainable semiconductor production and Europe’s Green Transition.

Our latest paper in Science Advances shows how arsenic removed during groundwater treatment can be upcycled into valuable materials essential for clean energy and electronics.

Researchers Tinatin Tkesheliadze and Kaifeng Wang recently collected high-quality arsenic K-edge XAS data at MAX IV Laboratory to investigate how arsenic-laden wastes can be upcycled into semiconductor raw materials.

We just wrapped up a two-week course on synchrotron-based X-ray methods for soil analysis at the University of Vienna. From XAS principles to EXAFS fitting, the class offered students an in-depth look at molecular-scale analysis techniques for environmental systems.

Our team participated in the 2025 Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, co-convening a session on “Use-inspired geochemistry: the science underpinning environmental solutions” and presenting new results on arsenic waste upcycling and phosphorus recovery from groundwater treatment sludge.

Tinatin collected spatially resolved μ-XAS and XRF data at SSRL (beamlines 14-3 and 2-3) to investigate how phosphorus is distributed and transformed in chemically-processed groundwater treatment sludge..

Exciting start to an invited professorship at the University of Vienna. Thanks to Prof. Stefan Krämer for the invitation and warm welcome. Looking forward to continuing the collaboration in the future!

Congratulations to Tinatin Tkesheliadze, first-year PhD student at GEUS and UCPH-PLEN, for winning the Best Poster Award at the DanScatt Annual Meeting 2025. Her poster on phosphate recovery from arsenic-laden groundwater treatment sludge demonstrates innovative methods for recovering valuable resources from wastes viewed as burdens.

Congratulations to Dr. Case van Genuchten, PURE Lab Leader, for receiving the 2025 James A. Morgan Early Career Award from Environmental Science & Technology! His pioneering research on upcycling arsenic from groundwater into valuable materials highlights the intersection of water treatment, environmental remediation, and resource recovery.