The Process and Environmental Technology Lab (PETLab) is a leading research group within the Chemical Engineering Department of KU Leuven and an active contributor to the NANAQUA doctoral network. PETLab has established strong expertise in resource recovery and in producing renewable chemicals and energy carriers from waste, by-products, and biomass streams. The group also develops advanced physicochemical processes for treating diverse wastewater streams and plays a key role in exploring the applications, fate, and behavior of nanoparticles in environmental systems. PETLab’s interdisciplinary team includes 4 Professors, 16 PhD researchers, and 11 Post-doctoral researchers working at the interface of ecological sustainability, technology development, and nanoscale innovation.

Our Mission

PETLab is dedicated to solving challenges in resource recovery, sustainable energy production, and next-generation wastewater treatment. Within NANAQUA, the lab’s mission includes designing, optimizing, and evaluating nanoparticle-enabled technologies and assessing their environmental implications. PETLab strives to deliver practical, technology-driven solutions that translate scientific progress into real-world ecological benefits.

Research Areas

    A) Biochemical Conversion

• Anaerobic fermentation for biogas and other value-added compounds.
• Recovery of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and volatile fatty acids.
• Study of interactions between biological systems and engineered nanoparticles.
• Advanced biological wastewater treatment (MBBR, CASP, UASB, MBR)
  
  B) Supporting Methods

• Pre- and post-treatment of wastewaters and organic by-products.
• Comprehensive analysis and characterization of complex influent and effluent streams.
• Microbial identification of key species, genes, and enzymes.
• Nanoparticle synthesis, functionalization, tracking, and environmental behavior assessment.

  C) Chemical Processes

• Advanced oxidation and reduction processes for removing micro- and macro-pollutants, including nano-enabled catalytic pathways.
• Hydrothermal extraction of valuable compounds from biomass.
• Electrochemical processes, and the role of nanomaterials in enhancing wastewater treatment performance.

PETLab remains committed to advancing science and technology for cleaner water, improved resource management, and a sustainable future—now further strengthened through its contribution to NANAQUA’s focus on nanoparticles in wastewater treatment.

2. About the Pharmaceutical Analysis Group

The Pharmaceutical Analysis Group at KU Leuven is a leading research unit within the Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, uniting advanced analytical chemistry with a strong mission to safeguard the quality, safety, and environmental impact of pharmaceuticals. The group is internationally recognized for its expertise in method development, impurity profiling, bioanalysis, and the characterization of complex drug products. In recent years, the team has expanded its focus to include the analysis of pharmaceuticals and emerging contaminants in environmental and wastewater systems, strengthening its role in public health and sustainability research.

Our Mission

The Pharmaceutical Analysis Group is committed to advancing reliable, cutting-edge analytical tools that support the full pharmaceutical lifecycle—from drug development to environmental monitoring. Its mission includes developing robust and regulatory-aligned methods, enabling the characterization of advanced therapeutics, and assessing the presence, transformation, and fate of pharmaceutical pollutants in wastewater. By bridging pharmaceutical quality science with environmental analysis, the group aims to translate analytical breakthroughs into safer medicines, improved regulatory frameworks, and a healthier environment.

Research Areas
     A) Pharmaceutical Analysis, Quality, and Regulatory Science

• Development and validation of advanced analytical methodologies using chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques (LC, GC, CE–MS).
• Impurity profiling, degradation studies, and stability assessment to ensure pharmaceutical quality and safety.
• Bioanalytical method development for small molecules, peptides, biologics, and advanced therapeutic modalities.
• Physicochemical characterization of complex and innovative drug products, including nanomedicines and long-acting formulations.
• Regulatory-aligned analytics supporting quality control, pharmacopeial standards, and science-based regulatory decision-making.
  
  B) Environmental and Wastewater Analysis
• Sensitive detection and quantification of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, PFAS etc. in wastewater and surface waters.
• Study of the fate, transport, and transformation of contaminants of emerging concern during wastewater treatment and in aquatic environments.
• Analytical support for wastewater treatment optimization and environmental risk assessment.
• Generation of high-quality data to inform environmental policy, public health surveillance, and sustainable pharmaceutical practices.