Project Outline:

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Biofilters remove contaminants, reduce colour, odour and taste, and prevent the formation of disinfection by-products in water. The effects of nutrient augmentation on the efficiency of biofiltration will be determined in a laboratory scale setup for application in plant-scale water treatment processes. 

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Reasons for applying for fellowship:

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The Australia-APEC Women in Research Fellowship is an opportunity for me to pursue advanced research in water quality management which is relevant to my current work and research interests. Hopefully, the findings of the research will be beneficial to the water treatment industry in Australia and in the Philippines. 

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Past Achievements:

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Not only were the fellowship judges impressed with Pythias's expertise and years of experience in her field, they were also drawn to the critical need of her research in providing high quality water supplies to support rapidly expanding urban populations. Good management of water resources results in good water quality that is important in sustaining a healthy populace and consequently strong, productive economies.  

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Pythias has shared her knowledge in many publications both in local and international refereed journals, indicating her capability and knowledge in this field of study. She has lectured university courses and presented at conferences and workshops in Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, France, P.R. China and Switzerland.  

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She has worked at the Danish Hydraulics Institute - Water and Environment in Copenhagen as a UNESCO scholar and completed postdoctoral research at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology where she studied UV-radiation treatment of persistent organic pollutants, some of which are common water contaminants. She has also completed a short-term role at the Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Karl Franzens University in Graz, Austria. 

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