Career
Dr. Dario Frascari is Associate Professor at the University of Bologna, in the ING-IND 25 scientific field (Chemical Plants).
From 1999 to 2003 Dr. Frascari collaborated with HEUREIN Engineering and with the multi-utility HERA AMI S.p.A. on the design of wastewater treatment plans, sewer systems and landfills, and on the elaboration of basin-scale plans for water management.
He obtained in 2002 a Ph.D. in Chemical, Environmental and Safety Engineering from the University of Bologna, with and experimental thesis on the biodegradation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (2002).
From 2002 to 2005 he worked for the Department of Chemical, Mining and Environmental Engineering of the University of Bologna, with a post-doc research contract. In 2005 he became Assistant Professor (Researcher) in the University of Bologna. He is currently Associate Professor.
Publications
He is author of 45 articles published in international peer-reviewed journals, 8 articles published in peer-reviewed series and international books and 20 extended manuscripts (> 4 pages) in international conference proceedings, in addition to numerous articles in Italian journals and Italian conference proceedings. He has a Scopus H-index equal to 22.
Research lines
1) Recovery of phosphate and ammonium from wastewater, for the production of fertilizers.
2) Biological production of succinic aicd, hydrogen and methane from organic wastes, in suspended-cell and attached-cell bioreactors.
3) Separation of polyphenols from olive mill wastewater by adsorption.
4) Aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of chlorinated organic compounds in wastewater and groundwater.
5) Transesterification reaction for biodiesel production, with particular focus on the mixing aspects.
The common elements in the different research lines of Dr. Frascari are the integration of the experimental activities with simulation activities aimed at process optimization, and the scale-up of the studied processes in pilot-scale reactors / plants.
Research periods abroad
- From February to July 2000, Dr. Frascari was visiting Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering of Oregon State University (USA), under the supervision of prof. Lewis Semprini.
- In July 2013, Dr. Frascari was visiting researcher and lecturer at the School of the Environment of Nanjing University (China).
Participation in research projects
Prof. Frascari is the technical-scientific coordinator of the MAR2PROTECT research project (Horizon Europe Program, www.mar2protect.eu, 2022-2026; general coordinator: NOVA University, Lisbon). The project aims at developing technological and societal engagement tools to protect aquifers from the negative impacts of climate change, through an holistic approach based on managed aquifer recharge.
He has been the scientific coordinator of the MADFORWATER Horizon project (GA n. 688320, budget 4M €, 18 partners, 2016-2020; www.madforwater.eu), focused on the development of technologies and management tools for wastewater treatment and reuse in North African countries (www.madforwater.eu ). In addition, he participates / has participated in 6 EU research projects (FIT4REUSE, RES URBIS, BIOCARD, MINOTAURUS, WATER4CROPS, BIOCLEAN), 6 peer-reviewed national research projects and one regional research project. He also participated in several research contracts with industries active in the fields of wastewater and groundwater treatment, waste valorization and anaerobic digestion.
Membership in scientific associations
- Member of the Sustainability Section of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE).
- Member of the Environmental Biotechnology section of the European Federation of Biotechnology.
- Member of the Italian Group of Researchers in Chemical Engineering (GRICU).
Participation to Editorial Boards
- Member of the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Wastewater Management, a specialty section of Frontiers in Environmental Science (http://www.frontiersin.org/Environmental_Science/about), since October 2013.
Reviewing activity
- Dr. Frascari acted as a reviewer for the following journals: Process Biochemistry; Biochemical Engineering Journal; Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research; Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology; Fuel Processing Technology; Environmental Science & Technology; Biotechnology & Bioengineering; Journal of Hazardous Materials; Biodegradation; New Biotechnology; Bioresource Technology.
- In 2011 and 2012, Dr. Frascari acted as a reviewer for research projects financed by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (PRIN and FIRB).
Tutoring of Ph.D. and undergraduate thesis
Dr. Frascari has been the main tutor of 3 Ph.D. thesis within the Ph.D. program in Chemical, Environmental and Safety Engineering, and of 15 undergraduate thesis of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering students of the University of Bologna.
Teaching activity
- Since the academic year 2017/18, Dr. Frascari has been teaching a 30-hour module on the design of wastewater treatment plants, within the course “Technologies for environmental protection”, attended by 5th year students in Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering of the University of Bologna.
- Since the academic year 2007/08, Dr. Frascari has been teaching the 60-hour course “Plants for the treatment of wastewater and flue gas”, attended by 3rd-year students in Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering of the University of Bologna.
- Since the academic year 2010/11, Dr. Frascari has been teaching the 40-hour course “Laboratory of chemical reactors and bioreactors”, attended by 5th-year students in Chemical Engineering of the University of Bologna (this course is taught in English, starting from the 2016/17 academic year).
- In July 2013, Dr. Frascari taught a 25-hour course on “Unit operations of wastewater treatment” at the School of the Environment of Nanjing University (China).
- From 2001 to 2007, Dr. Frascari taught specific modules in different courses of the University of Bologna, on the following topics: biological plants for wastewater treatment (for a total of 80 hours); remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater (for a total of 70 hours); ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis (for a total of 35 hours); cooling towers (for a total of 30 hours); concentration by evaporation (for a total of 25 hours).
Membership in research and teaching committees
- SInce 2021, he is member of the Panel of the PhD program Engineering and Information Technology for Structural and Environmental Monitoring and Risk Management (EIT4SEMM)
- Since 2012, Dr. Frascari is a member of the Editorial Commission of the Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering of the University of Bologna.
- Dr. Frascari has been a member of the Didactic Commission of the Chemical Engineering Degree Program of the University of Bologna from October 2012 to October 2019.
- He has been a member of the Commission for the final examination for the PhD in Chemical Engineering of the University of Rome La Sapienza, relatively to the XIX cycle.
- From 2012 to 2015, Dr. Frascari has been a member of the Board of the Ph.D. in Chemical, Environmental and Safety Engineering of the University of Bologna, relatively to the XXVII and XXVIII PhD cycles.
- From 2005 to 2010, Dr. Frascari acted as a member of the Committee for the qualification to practice the profession of chemical engineer.
Linguistic skills
- English: level C2 (TOEFL total score 670)
- French: level B1 (Diplome Universitaire de Langue de l'Université de Lille, option Francais Langue Etrangère, niveau 2)
