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Bhavya Joshi, Postgraduate Researcher

Bhavya Joshi - Water They Up To: CWS in the Spotlight

Find out more about Postgraduate Researcher Bhavya Joshi in this week's 'Water they up to: CWS in the Spotlight' feature.

What is your research about?

My research relates to the synthesis of various nanomaterials, including but not limited to graphene-based materials, as well as investigating the same for removal of emerging contaminants and organic dyes. I have focused my research on applying a greener route for the synthesis of graphene as an adsorbent material for water treatment applications. Since green synthesis is an emerging area in many scientific fields and provides economic and environmental benefits, therefore, my interest in for opting this route lies in providing economically efficient aid towards a greener and cleaner environment.

What is the most exciting part about your research?

The most exciting part of my research is working alongside and gaining work experiences from so many different post-docs who are highly qualified and brilliant in this field of water treatment. I was also excited and lucky enough to be provided with the opportunity to present my work, as well as to help organise the ‘AQUA-360 Conference’ held in August-September 2021, with my fellow PhD students and Professors. 

I am also excited to be part of the University’s CWS Department, which has a wide range of expertise, and over the past year, it has been an enthralling experience of learning and expanding my knowledge on various fields relating to water treatment applications.

Coming from India, I am aware of the acute paucity of potable drinking water across many states. I consider myself fortunate to be part of a research team that is working on providing eco-friendly water treatment solutions fordeveloping countries to offer to their people basic necessities such as safe and clean drinking water thus, leading to improved living standards.

When thinking about water, what place comes to mind first and why?

When thinking about water, the first place that comes to my mind is the river "Jhelum" that flows through Gulmarg; a small town in Kashmir, India. The water of this river is pristine white and almost transparent so much so that when seen from different angles, its colour changes to various shades of blue, complementing the hues of nature. On my visit to Kashmir, I was astounded to directly drink water from the tap in many cities/places where drinking water is sourced from the Jhelum River. Thus, further intriguing my interest in this particular area of research.  

Which movie or book character would you most associate with water?

I believe the word ‘Water’ can be associated with various movie and/or book characters. For example, my favourite character Mohan Bhargava, is from one of India’s most critically acclaimed movie ‘Swades’. The movie depicts the arduous and harsh reality of many small towns/villages in India, whereby the people do not have access to basic amenities such as electricity, water, etc. The movie shows the journey of Mohan, a project manager in NASA, upon his visit back to India realises that electricity inconsistency and frequent power cuts are a big problem in his home town, leading to various social disparities. Thus, he decides and successfully set up a small hydroelectric power generation facility from a nearby water source to improve the peoples living standards. 

Another character that I associate with the water is ‘Ocean Master, i.e. Orm Marius’ from a very famous DC Comic as well as the movie ‘Aquaman’, who initiates criminal activities to punish humans for their involvement in callous acts towards marine pollution. Though this is predominantly a villainous character and the approach towards the depicted social issue is evidently wrong, however, the message depicting failure on part of the human beings in performing their duty to protect aquatic animals as well as to preserve and not pollute the water resources is represented very clearly.

View Bhavya's profile.

Date: 11 October 2021

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