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Prithvi Simha

Prithvi Simha
In my research group, we develop technologies that safely recover nutrients, water, and energy from wastewater. We perform both fundamental and applied science research that is of high relevance to society. We also prototype, field-test and implement technologies that are developed in the lab. We complement this with socio-technical studies that systematically analyse and identify ways to introduce technologies and new sanitation behaviours in real world settings.

Research

  • Urine Diversion 3.0 | Kamprad Family Foundation
  • Micropollutants-free sustainable beer production | Stiftelsen Lantbruksforskning
  • P2Green - Closing the gap between fork and farm for circular nutrient flows | EU H2020
  • RECAPTURE: Circular Economy Certification and Production of Urine Fertiliser | Formas
  • REWAISE - Resilient Water Innovation Economy | EU H2020

Background

Ph.D. Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Erasmus Mundus M.Sc. Environmental Sciences, Policy, & Management (MESPOM): University of ManchesterLund UniversityCentral European University, University of Aegean.

B. Tech. Chemical Process Engineering at VIT University, India.                                Indus–Magic scholar at National Chemical Laboratory, CSIR India.                          Summer Research Fellow at Institute of Chemical Technology, India.

Selected publications

Simha, P.*, Vasiljev, A., Randall, D. G., & Vinnerås, B. (2023). Factors influencing the recovery of organic nitrogen from fresh human urine dosed with organic/inorganic acids and concentrated by evaporation in ambient conditions. Science of The Total Environment, 163053.

Perez-Mercado, L. F., Perez-Mercado, C. A., Vinnerås, B., & Simha, P.* (2022). Nutrient stocks, flows and balances for the Bolivian agri-food system: Can recycling human excreta close the nutrient circularity gap? Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 956325.

Aliahmad, A., Harder, R., Simha, P., Vinnerås, B., & McConville, J. (2022). Knowledge evolution within human urine recycling technological innovation system (TIS): Focus on technologies for recovering plant-essential nutrients. Journal of Cleaner Production, 134786.

Simha, P.*, Deb, C. K., Randall, D. G., & Vinnerås, B. (2022). Thermodynamics and Kinetics of pH-dependent Dissolution of Sparingly Soluble Alkaline Earth Hydroxides in Source-Separated Human Urine Collected in Decentralised Sanitation Systems. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 889119.

Zhou, X., Simha, P.*, Perez-Mercado, L. F., Barton, M. A., Lyu, Y., Guo, S., ... & Li, Z. (2022). China should focus beyond access to toilets to tap into the full potential of its Rural Toilet Revolution. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 178, 106100.

Vasiljev, A., Simha, P.*, Demisse, N., Karlsson, C., Randall, D. G., & Vinnerås, B. (2021). Drying fresh human urine in magnesium-doped alkaline substrates: Capture of free ammonia, inhibition of enzymatic urea hydrolysis & minimisation of chemical urea hydrolysis. Chemical Engineering Journal, 428, 131026.

Simha, P.*, Barton, M.A., Perez-Mercado, L.F., et al. (2021). Willingness among food consumers to recycle human urine as crop fertiliser: Evidence from a multinational survey. Science of The Total Environment, 765, 144438.

Guo, S., Zhou, X., Simha, P.*, Mercado, L. F. P., Lv, Y., & Li, Z. (2021). Poor awareness and attitudes to sanitation servicing can impede China's Rural Toilet Revolution: Evidence from Western China. Science of the Total Environment, 794, 148660.

Simha, P.*, Friedrich, C., Randall, D. G., Vinnerås, B. (2020). Alkaline dehydration of human urine collected in source-separated sanitation systems using Magnesium Oxide. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 8, 619901. 

Simha, P.*, Lalander, C., Nordin, A., & Vinnerås, B., 2020. Alkaline dehydration of source-separated fresh human urine: Preliminary insights into using different dehydration temperature and media. Science of The Total Environment, 733, 139313.

Simha, P.*, Karlsson, C., Viskari, E-L., Malila, R., and Vinnerås, B. (2020) Field testing a pilot-scale system for alkaline dehydration of source-separated human urine: a case study in Finland. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 8, 570637. 

Simha, P.*, Senecal, J., Gustavsson, D. J., & Vinnerås, B. (2020). Resource recovery from wastewater: a new approach with alkaline dehydration of urine at source. In Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering (pp. 205-221). Elsevier.

Simha, P.*, Lalander, C., Ramanathan, A., Vijayalakshmi, C., McConville, J. R., Vinnerås, B., Ganesapillai, M., 2018. What do consumers think about recycling human urine as  fertiliser? Perceptions and attitudes of a university community in South India. Water Research 143, 527-538.

Simha, P.*, Senecal, J., Nordin, A., Lalander, C., Vinnerås, B., 2018. Alkaline dehydration of anion–exchanged human urine: Volume reduction, nutrient recovery and process optimisationWater Research 142, 325-336.

Senecal, J., Nordin, A., Simha, P., Vinnerås, B., 2018. Hygiene aspect of treating human urine by alkaline dehydrationWater Research, 144, 474-481.

Simha, P., Lalander, C., Vinnerås, B., Ganesapillai, M., 2017. Farmer attitudes and perceptions to the re–use of fertiliser products from resource–oriented sanitation systems–The case of Vellore, South IndiaScience of The Total Environment, 581-582, 885–896.

Simha, P., Zabaniotou, A., Ganesapillai, M., 2018. Continuous urea–nitrogen recycling from human urine: a step towards creating a human excreta based bio–economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 4152-4161.

Simha, P.*, Mutiara, Z. Z., Gaganis, P., 2017. Vulnerability assessment of water resources and adaptive management approach for Lesvos Island, GreeceSustainable Water Resources Management, 3(3), 283–295.

Simha, P., Yadav, A., Pinjari, D., Pandit, A. B., 2016. On the behaviour, mechanistic modelling and interaction of biochar and crop fertilizers in aqueous solutionsResource-Efficient Technologies, 2(3), 133-142.

Simha, P., Mathew, M., Ganesapillai, M., 2016. Empirical modeling of drying kinetics and microwave assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Adathoda vasica and Cymbopogon citratusAlexandria Engineering Journal, 55(1), 141-150.

Pillai, M. G., Simha, P., Gugalia, A., 2014. Recovering urea from human urine by bio-sorption onto microwave activated carbonized coconut shells: equilibrium, kinetics, optimization and field studies. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2(1), 46-55.

Links

Simha, P., Vinnerås, B. (2022). The disruptive opportunity for mainstreaming urine recycling. IWA Source Magazine. 

Simha, P., Buckley, C., Senecal, J. (2020) We developed a simple process to recycle urine. Here’s how it’s done. The Conversation Africa. 

Simha, P., Vinnerås, B., Senecal J. (2020) We found a way to turn urine into solid fertiliser – it could make farming more sustainable. The Conversation UK. 

Simha, P., Alkaline Urine Dehydration: How to dry source-separated human urine and recover nutrients? Doctoral Thesis, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae, 1652-6880. 

Google Scholar
Visit our Research Group's blog: blogg.slu.se/kretsloppsteknik/


Contact

Researcher at the Department of Energy and Technology; Environmental Engineering Unit
Postal address:
Inst för energi och teknik, Box 7032
75007 UPPSALA
Visiting address: Lennart Hjelms väg 9, Uppsala