Instituto de Ingeniería, UNAM > English > Research > Laboratories

Academic Unit in Juriquilla

______________________________________________________________

Research Laboratory for
Advanced Processes for
Water Treatment (LIPATA)
Academic Unit in Juriquilla
Campus UNAM, Juriquilla, Querétaro
http://sitios.iingen.unam.mx/LIPATA

This unit consists of 5 laboratories: Electronics, Microbiology, Pilots, Chemical and Physical Analysis, and Instrumental Analysis. It is part of the Environmental Engineering Department . It began operations in 2009. The head of the unit is Dr. Germain Buitron, and the directors for each of the laboratories (in the order listed above) are Dr. Germain Buitron, Dr. Alejandro Vargas, Dr. Ivan Moreno, M.Sc.. Gloria Moreno Rodriguez and M.Sc.. Jaime Perez Trevilla. The unit is in Juriquilla, Querétaro, México.

SCOPE AND ACTIVITIES

  • Design and assembly of the hardware developed in the LIPATA
  • Construction of the necessary instrumentation for online monitoring of the processes studied
  • Construction of data acquisition cards
  • Calibration of electronic equipment (sensors and transmitters)
  • Analysis of heterotrophic count on plates, coliforms, microscopic analysis, isolation and characterization of microorganisms
  • Specific tests of toxicity and biodegradability
  • Identification and quantification of microorganisms used in the consortia for water treatment
  • Physic-chemical analysis used for the control of water treatment processes such as DQO, DBO, suspended solids, phenols, respirometry, determination of pH, nitrogen, sulphates, preparing solutions, etc.

MAJOR WORKS AND RECENT PROYECTS

  • Efficient operation of SBR Processes for Water Treatment
  • Development of a photochemical-biological hybrid system for the treatment of textile effluents
  • Membrane Reactor for the downgrading of micropollutants
  • Discontinuous bioreactor with submerged membrane
  • Mathematical modeling for the sulfate-reducing and sulfide-oxidizing processes
  • Sulfate and sulfide bioelimination in wastewater
  • Biopolymer production in discontinuous bioreactors
  • Hydrogen production from wastewater
  • Assessment of the nonylphenols removal in water treatment plants in Mexico
  • Characterization of microbial communities by molecular biology techniques
  • Development of an automated device for biodegradability tests
  • Microbial fuel cells.

EQUIPMENT

  • Multimeter, oscilloscope, soldering iron bench, electronic load devices, power supply, various electronic material
  • Thermocycler
  • Equipment for DGGE with real-time PCR
  • Photo logger for analysis of gels
  • Microscope equipped with a video camera
  • Stoves, autoclave, refrigerator, deep freezer (-80 ° C) incubator, Microtox analyzer, biosafety hood and diverse respirometers.
  • Pumps
  • Sensors of oxygen, pH, redox potential
  • Mass flow meters
  • Shakers, bioreactors with biocontrol, stoves, biodegradability testing equipment
  • Prototype reactors for biological wastewater treatment, meters and mass flow controllers, centrifuge machine.
  • Flask, analytical balance, pH meters, dissolved oxygen, respirometers, glassware for chemical analysis, jar test, turbidity testers, DQO reactors, water deionization equipment, fume hoods
  • Gas chromatographs with the following detectors: mass spectrometer, flame ionization, thermal conductivity
  • Ion chromatograph, liquid chromatograph (HPLC)
  • Organic Carbon Analyzer
  • Infrared spectrophotometer, spectrophotometer in line
  • Equipment for determination of organic carbon and nitrogen in line
  • Atomic absorption spectrometer (flame, hydride generator, graphite furnace), microwave generator for digestion of samples.