
Prof.dr.ir. D. (Doris) van Halem
Prof.dr.ir. D. (Doris) van Halem
Profile
Biography
Doris van Halem is Professor in Drinking Water Quality & Treatment at Delft University of Technology. Her research focusses on understanding contaminant behaviour in natural waters towards development of innovative and sustainable water treatment technologies. As program leader of Delft Global Initiativeās programme TU Delft | Water for Impact, she is responsible for stimulating water research in and with the Global South.
Dr. van Halem graduated from Delft University of Technology in Civil Engineering and Geosciences with a cum laude MSc degree, for which she received the Gijs Oskam award. In 2011 she completed her PhD research (cum laude) on subsurface iron and arsenic removal for drinking water supply in Bangladesh under the guidance of prof. J.C. van Dijk (TU Delft) and prof. dr. G.L. Amy (Unesco-IHE). This research was executed in close collaboration with UNICEF Bangladesh and DPHE (GoB), and awarded with the Steven Hoogendijk award for best experimental PhD dissertation by āHet Bataafsch Genootschap der Proefondervindelijke Wijsbegeerteā. In 2015, she received the UNESCO-LāOreal For Women in Science award, followed by a research fellowship at KNAW NIAS. Dr. van Halem worked as a visiting researcher with the Sandec group at EAWAG (Zurich) and was visiting professor at Universidad de las AmĆ©ricas Puebla (Mexico). Since 2020, Dr. van Halem is NWO VIDI laureate, an excellence grant for academics. In 2022 she was appointed full professor.
The scientific research interests of Dr. van Halem are mainly related to the removal of contaminants of health concern for safe drinking water supply, where she is particularly intrigued how biological, chemical and physical mechanisms interact. Over the years she has worked on technologies, including, biological sand filters, ceramic membranes, dune/bank filtration, polymeric nanofiltration and electro-chemical water treatment.
Dr. van Halem is lecturing BSc course Introduction to Water Treatment (CTB3365) and she is responsible for the new MSc Environmental Engineering module Water Treatment Technologies (ENVM1600). Since 2013, Dr. van Halem has been a contributor to the development of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on drinking water treatment (Edx.org) to make water treatment knowledge freely available around the world.
Dr. van Halem is also active as speaker at popular events, such as her lecture āHow to make drinking water from ditch water?ā (in Dutch) for Universiteit van Nederland.
Expertise
Publications
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2023
Enhanced virus inactivation by copper and silver ions in the presence of natural organic matter in water
Mona Y.M. Soliman / Gertjan Medema / Doris van Halem
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2023
Meta-omics profiling of full-scale groundwater rapid sand filters explains stratification of iron, ammonium and manganese removals
Francesc Corbera-Rubio / Michele Laureni / Nienke Koudijs / Simon Müller / Theo van Alen / Frank Schoonenberg / Sebastian Lücker / Martin Pabst / Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht / Doris van Halem
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2023
Microbiome, resistome and mobilome of chlorine-free drinking water treatment systems
D. Calderon Franco / F. Corbera Rubio / M. Cuesta Sanz / Brent Pieterse / David de Ridder / Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht / D. van Halem / M. Laureni / D.G. Weissbrodt
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2023
Molecular-scale characterization of groundwater treatment sludge from around the world
Implications for potential arsenic recovery
K. Wang / P. E. Holm / U. Brinkmann Trettenes / S. R.S. Bandaru / D. van Halem / C. M. van Genuchten -
2023
The contribution of deeper layers in slow sand filters to pathogens removal
Shreya Ajith Trikannad / Doris van Halem / Jan Willem Foppen / Jan Peter van der Hoek
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Media
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2023-03-14
Doris van Halem in de media 2023
Appeared in: H20 waternetwerk
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2023-04-03
Dreigend drinkwatertekort in 2030: āEr moet veel meer gebeuren dan alleen zuiniger zijnā
Appeared in: Volkskrant
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2023-03-31
Dit moet je weten over de 700 afspraken op de VN-Waterconferentie van Nederland en Tadzjikistan
Appeared in: Change Inc.
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2023-03-07
Eight lecturers honoured with the Open Education Ambassador Award
Appeared in: TU Delft
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2022-09-26
Waterbedrijven trekken aan de bel: komt er straks nog genoeg water uit de kraan?
Appeared in: Volkskrant
Prizes
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2023
ES Open Education Ambassador Award
The award recognizes TU Delft educators/ lecturers who through their online courses and other teaching/learning practices are committed to openly share knowledge and resources with the world, and advocate for open education.
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2015
L'OREAL-KNAW For Women in Science Fellowship 2015
https://nias.knaw.nl/fellowships/loreal-unesco-women-science-fellowship-fwis/
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2013
Steven Hoogendijk Award
Read my Story of Science
Ancillary activities
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2022-01-31 - 2024-01-31
(Waste) water and sanitation
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2021-02-01 - 2025-01-31
(Waste) water and sanitation