Jules van Lier

Position/title: 
full professor
Institution: 
Delft University of Technology (TU delft)
Personal/department website
Research interests: 
Anaerobic digestion
high-rate anaerobic wastewater treatment
MBR & AnMBR technology
resource recovery
agricultural water reuse
sanitation
decentralised treatment
Short CV / biography / description of scientific focus and achievements: 

Jules van Lier is full professor “Wastewater Treatment /  Environmental Engineering” at the Section Sanitary Engineering of Delft University of Technology, with a 0.2 fte posted position at UNESCO-IHE. He received both his MSc and PhD from Wageningen University, The Netherlands, and is specialized in Anaerobic Treatment technology. He (co-) published over 170 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals and over 350 publications in conference proceedings and scientific books from 1988 onwards.

His research interest comprises the development of cost-effective technologies for (waste)water treatment, recovering resources such as water, nutrients, biogas, elements from waste streams. Research projects are focused on closing water cycles in industries and sewage water recovery for irrigated agriculture. He promoted 11 and co-promoted 5 PhD students and is supervising 15 PhD students at this moment.

From 1988 – 2008 he was working at Wageningen University, where he obtained an appointment as part time professor in Anaerobic Treatment Technology in 2005. In the period 1997 –2005 he also was director of the Lettinga Associates Foundation (LeAF). LeAF is a not-for profit organization that stimulates the application of appropriate environmental technologies for environmental protection and resource conservation, with anaerobic treatment as the core technology. At present he is Executive Board Member and Scientific Advisor to the LeAF Foundation.

Jules van Lier chaired the IWA Anaerobic Digestion Specialist group between 2001 and 2009. In 2011 he became nominated member of the IWA Fellow programme. He is associated editor of the scientific journals Water Science Technology and the Scientific World Journal. He is also member of the Paques’ Technological Advisory Board, and member of the Advisory Board of World-Waternet, Amsterdam.  Additionally, he is member of the Program Commission Wastewater Research of the Dutch Water Boards via STOWA foundation.

Relevant publications: 
Ersahin M.E., Y. Tao, H. Ozgun, H. Spanjers, and J.B. van Lier (2016). Characteristics and role of dynamic membrane layer in anaerobic membrane bioreactors. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 761–771.

van Lier, J.B., F. P. van der Zee, C.T.M.J. Frijters and M. E. Ersahin (2015). Celebrating 40 Years Anaerobic Sludge Bed Reactors for Industrial Wastewater Treatment. Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/technology, 14(4), 681-702. DOI 10.1007/s11157-015-9375-5
Lindeboom, R.E.F., Ferrer, I., Weijma, J., and J.B. van Lier (2013). Silicate minerals for CO2 scavenging from biogas in Autogenerative High Pressure Digestion. Water Research (11): 3742-3751.
Lutchmiah, K., K. Roest, D.J.H. Harmsen, J.W. Post, L.C. Rietveld, J.B. van Lier, E.R. Cornelissen (2014). Zwitterions as alternative draw solutions in forward osmosis for application in wastewater reclamation. J. Membr, Sci., 460: 82-90.
Van den Broeck, R., P. Krzeminski, J. Van Dierdonck, G. Gins, M. Lousada-Ferreira, J.F.M. Van Impe, J.H.J.M van der Graaf, I.Y. Smets, J.B. van Lier (2011). Activated sludge characteristics affecting sludge filterability in municipal and industrial MBRs: unraveling correlations using multi-component regression analysis, Journal of Membrane Science, 378 (1-2), pp. 330-338
Angelidaki I., M. Alves, D. Bolzonella, L. Borzacconi, J. L. Campos, A. J. Guwy, S. Kalyuzhnyi, P. Jenicek and J. B. van Lier (2009). Defining the biomethane potential (BMP) of solid organic wastes and energy crops: a proposed protocol for batch assays. Wat.Sci.Technol. 59(5): 927-934.
Jeison, D. and Van Lier J.B. (2006). Cake layer formation in anaerobic submerged membrane bioreactors (AnSMBR) for wastewater treatment. J. Membrane Sciences, 284: 227-236.
Dos Santos AB, Cervantes FJ and van Lier JB (2007). Review paper on current technologies for decolourisation of textile wastewaters: perspectives for anaerobic biotechnology. Biores. Technol., 98(12): 2369 -2385