A matter of state

Oliver is a field geologist specialising in the study of sedimentary rocks and deposits. He is employed as the Regional Geologist for the Midlands and East Anglia at the British Geological Survey. In this role, Oliver researches the ancient landscapes and environments of the UK’s past to better understand how the rocks they formed impact us today in our modern lives. Locally this has included understanding how sandstone rocks hold and transmit water, enabling us to better manage underground drinking water resources.

Materials with very small pores can be useful for important applications such as capturing CO2. The exact width of the pores affects how effective a material is for, for example capturing CO2. Because the pores are so small (around a billionth of a meter!), their widths can be very difficult to measure. So, how do we do it?

Water is our global currency and we are all water consumers, but what happens to the water we use? Each of us interact with the water cycle and rely on it to provide quality water to meet our needs. Engineering plays a vital role in designing processes to clean up our used waste and water. But how are we managing global challenges that include drugs, sex hormones, and plastic pollution in our waters? And what will the wastewater treatment process of the future look like - where pollutants become products, and Planet Earth’s waste may also be its wealth?