Rui Boaventura graduated in Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) in 1969 and joined the Department of Chemical Engineering of FEUP as Research Technician in 1972. In 1979 he moved to the research career starting as Research Assistant. Later in 1986 he obtained the PhD degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Porto after defending a thesis on Biological Denitrification in Biofilm Reactors. He continued the research career until 2010, the year he retired as Principal Investigator. However, he remains collaborating with FEUP as co-supervisor of doctoral theses and is an integrated member of LSRE-LCM.

He is co-author of 261 Scopus-indexed documents (h-index 46 and 8418 total citations), 15 book chapters, more than 350 communications in national and international meetings and of the EU Patent 2784031. He supervised or co-supervised 8 Postdoctoral research works, 25 PhD theses and more than 50 MSc dissertations and coordinated or was team member of 34 research projects funded by public and private organizations.

He was a member of the Assembly of Representatives and of the Scientific Council of FEUP, integrated the Executive Board of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and was Director of the Department of Chemical Engineering of FEUP, Director of the MSc in Environmental Engineering, Director of the Integrated MSc in Environmental Engineering and Director of the Doctoral Program in Environmental Engineering and more recently Executive Director of Ciência Viva Centre of Vila do Conde.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Pollution prevention and mitigation
Processes for pollution control: Advanced oxidation; Biosorption; Biodegradation
Waste minimization, recycling and reuse

PATENTS

I.M.A. Saraiva, M.A.F. Fonseca, V.J.P. Vilar, T.F.C.V. Silva, R.A.R. Boaventura, Method of treating leachate, phototreatment reactors and respective use. EU Patent 2784031, March 2014.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

A.I. Gomes, S.G.S. Santos, T.F.C.V. Silva, R.A.R. Boaventura, V.J.P. Vilar. Treatment Train for Mature Landfill Leachates: Optimization Studies. Science of the Total Environment, 673, 470-479, 2019 J.C. Espíndola, R.O. Cristóvão, D.A. Mayer, R.A.R. Boaventura, M.M. Dias, J.C.B. Lopes, V.J.P. Vilar. Overcoming limitations in photochemical UVC/H2O2 systems using a mili-photoreactor (NETmix): Oxytetracycline oxidation. Science of the Total Environment, 660, 982-992, 2019 A.M.A. Pintor, B.R.C. Vieira, S.C.R. Santos, R.A.R. Boaventura, C.M.S. Botelho. Arsenate and arsenite adsorption onto iron-coated cork granulates. Science of the Total Environment, 642, 1075-1089, 2018 L.P. Mazur, M.A.P. Cechinel, S.M.A.G.U. de Souza, R.A.R. Boaventura, V.J.P. Vilar. Brown marine macroalgae as natural cation exchangers for toxic metal removal from industrial wastewaters: A review. Journal of Environmental Management, 223, 215-253, 2018 B.A. Marinho, R.O. Cristóvão, R. Djellabi, A. Caseiro, S.M. Miranda, J.M. Loureiro, R.A.R. Boaventura, M.M. Dias, J.C.B. Lopes, V.J.P. Vilar. Strategies to reduce mass and photons transfer limitations in heterogeneous photocatalytic processes: Hexavalent chromium reduction studies. Journal of Environmental Management, 217, 555-567, 2018 A.M. Díez, F.C. Moreira, B.A. Marinho, J.C.A. Espíndola, L.O. Paulista, M.A. Sanromán, M. Pazos, R.A.R. Boaventura, V.J.P. Vilar. A step forward in heterogeneous photocatalysis: Process intensification by using a static mixer as catalyst support. Chemical Engineering Journal, 343, 597-606, 2018 A. Fonseca, R.A.R. Boaventura, V.J.P. Vilar. Integrating water quality responses to best management practices in Portugal. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25, 1587-1596, 2018 A.A. Nogueira, B.M. Souza, M.W.C. Dezotti, R.A.R. Boaventura, V.J.P. Vilar. Ferrioxalate complexes as strategy to drive a photo-FENTON reaction at mild pH conditions: A case study on levofloxacin oxidation. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 345, 109-123, 2017 G. Ungureanu, S.C.R. Santos, I. Volf, R.A.R. Boaventura, C.M.S. Botelho. Biosorption of antimony oxyanions by brown seaweeds: Batch and column studies. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 5, 3463-3471, 2017 B.R.C. Vieira, A.M.A. Pintor, R.A.R. Boaventura, C.M.S. Botelho, S.C.R. Santos. Arsenic removal from water using iron-coated seaweeds. Journal of Environmental Management, 192, 224-233, 2017 F.C. Moreira, R.A.R. Boaventura, E. Brillas, V.J.P. Vilar. Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes: A review on their application to synthetic and real wastewaters. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 202, 217-261, 2017 B.A. Marinho, R.O. Cristóvão, R. Djellabi, J.M. Loureiro, R.A.R. Boaventura, V.J.P. Vilar. Photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) over TiO2-coated cellulose acetate monolithic structures using solar light. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 203, 18-30, 2017

SELECTED PROJECTS

AdvancedLFT - Technology for the Treatment of Leachates from Landfill Leachates through Integration of Biological Oxidation and Photo-Chemical Oxidation Processes, combining Natural and Artificial Radiation. Reference: SI IDT - 33960/2012 F2. Funded by: ANI – Agência Nacional de Investigação, Projectos de I&DT em Co-Promoção. Starting Date: 2013/06/30. Duration: 24 months. AQUAPHOTOBIO - Solar Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics: Chemical, Ecotoxicological and Biodegradability Assessment. Reference: PP-IJUP-2011-180. Funded by: Universidade do Porto Starting Date: 2012/12/31. Duration: 12 months. LFOTOBIO - Pre-industrial plant with an integrated photocatalytic (40 m2 CPCs)/biological oxidation (3 m3) systems for the treatment of leachates, installed at a sanitary landfill in the north of Portugal. Reference: FEUP/EFACEC/2012/05. Funded by: EFACEC Engenharia e Sistemas, S.A. Starting Date: 2012/07/31. Duration: 6 months. ValorPeixe - Valorization of byproducts and wastewaters from fish canning industry. Reference: SI IDT - 13634/2010. Funded by: Agência de Inovação, S.A., SI IDT - Sistema de Incentivos de I&DT - Projectos de I&DT em Co-Promoção. Starting Date: 2011/01/01. Duration: 30 months. Elimination of micropollutants with antimicrobial activity from wastewaters. Reference: PTDC/AAC-AMB/113091/2009. Funded by: FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, FCT Project. Starting Date: 2011/03/31. Duration: 36 months. HIDROCORK - Use of Cork Wastes and By-Products for the Elimination of Oils and Fats from Waters. Reference: SI IDT - 13493/2010. Funded by: Agência de Inovação, S.A., SI IDT - Sistema de Incentivos de I&DT - Projectos de I&DT em Co-Promoção. Starting Date: 2010/09/01. Duration: 27 months. FOTOSOLAR - Effluents Detoxification and Water Pre-Treatment by Solar Photocatalysis. Reference: FEUP/EFACEC/2009/03. Funded by: EFACEC Ambiente Starting Date: 2009/03/30. Duration: 9 months. NATURA MIÑO-MINHO - Valorization of the Natural Resources of the Minho/Miño Drainage Basin. Reference: 0234_NATURA_MIÑO_MINHO_1_E. Funded by: Autoridade de Gestão do Programa Operacional de Cooperação Transfronteiriça Espanha-Portugal Starting Date: 2009/01/01. Duration: 30 months. SOLÁGUA - Desinfection of water by solar photocatalysis using a pilot plant with Compound Parabolic Collectors (CPCs). Reference: FEUP/ADDP/2007/03. Funded by: Águas do Douro e Paiva, S.A. Starting Date: 2007/11/02. Duration: 12 months. Study of the Activated Sludge Process in Oxidation Ditches: Mass Transfer Enhancement and New Computational Tools for Simulation and Design. Reference: PTDC/AMB/65983/2006. Funded by: FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I&DT - Projectos de I&DT em Todos os Domínios Científicos. Starting Date: 2007/11/01. Duration: 39 months. Recycling of metal contaminated waters by biosorption on to marine algal biomass and industrial algal wastes. Reference: POCI/AMB/57616/2004. Funded by: FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I&DT - Projectos de I&DT em Todos os Domínios Científicos. Starting Date: 2005/01/01. Duration: 36 months. SWIM - Optimization of air quality in indoor swimming pools and its relation with water disinfection programme. Reference: POCI/AMB/59630/2004. Funded by: FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I&DT - Projectos de I&DT em Todos os Domínios Científicos. Starting Date: 2005/01/01. Duration: 36 months. Bioremediation of soils and waters contaminated with pesticides. Reference: POCI/AMB/59836/2004. Funded by: FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I&DT - Projectos de I&DT em Todos os Domínios Científicos. Starting Date: 2005/09/01. Duration: 41 months. Performance assessment and optimization of Lever WWTP as concerns nutrients removal. Reference: OF/QLD/83/05. Funded by: Águas do Douro e Paiva, S.A. Starting Date: 2005/04/18. Duration: 12 months. Hydrodynamic and chemical reaction studies on the pre-oxidation process in the contact tank of Lever water treatment plant. Reference: OF/ASE/119/04. Funded by: Águas do Douro e Paiva, S.A. Starting Date: 2004/06/01. Duration: 12 months.
Rui Boaventura
Inv. Principal Aposentado
bventura@fe.up.pt