ENTREVISTA AL DR. RALF DILLERT (Dr. en Química)

ENTREVISTA AL DR. RALF DILLERT (Dr. en Química

(╡s el segundo científico alemán que viene a "aprender" en el INTEC?)

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN ARGENTINA, AND PRECISELY HERE?

I'm learning about photo-chemical reactors' design, the analysis and design. I'm working in the area of photocatalytic or, better to say, light-induced degradation of organic compounds in waste-water. But I'm a chemist, and so I'm studying the chemistry of the degradation processes. But we have one project, and we hope that we will have some other projects in the future, when we have to make design of photo-chemical reactors for waste water treatment. And in this field of engineering science we have "lack" of knowledge, so I'm here to learn and also to speak with Prof. Cassano about possibilities of very near collaboration in this field.

IS THERE ANY KIND OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY (UNL) AND YOUR INSTITUTION IN GERMANY?, OR JUST BETWEEN THE CONICET AND ITS GERMAN EQUIVALENT?

I'm not informed about this case. But the situation is rather complex, because I'm working at the Technical University in Braunschweig, and there is no direct contact between this university and Intec. But my employer is not the University but the Institute of Solar Energy Research. I think there's a long collaboration between Dr. Bornemann (the leader of this research, he is working in photo-catalyzers with Prof. Cassano). Please, about details (since) I don't know the technical terms, ask Dr. Cassano.

My trip to Santa Fe has been organized by the KFK (in Karlsruhe?) on the base of collaboration between Argentinean scientists and Science organizations in Germany.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN GERMANY AT PRESENT?

I'm working in this very same field I work with Dr. Cassano.

WHICH ARE THE RESULTS OF THIS ACTIVITY IN GERMANY? WHEN DID YOU BEGIN?

At the Technical University I started with the investigation of photochemical wastewater treatment in 1988. Though not working on technical processes but investigating mechanical details of the reaction power and investigating the influences of, for example, pH, of temperature, of other components on the reaction, of organic-matter compounds, etc.

Two years ago we started with a project concerning the light-induced degradation of (nitro-aromatic?) compounds. In Germany we have the problem that, in many places, the soil and also the surface water is contaminated by (Nitro-aromatic) compounds. These compounds came from the production of explosives and it's necessary to clean ground water, surface water, also the soil, and we started to investigate on methods to clean this soil by chemical-oxidated processes like induced oxidation. At the Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISER) we started to work on this area of photocalytic wastewater treatment, I think also about 1988. In a very similar way, first working with metal compounds, but now, also at the Institute, doing more applied research using light-induced degradation for waste water treatment, and at the ISER, we are also investigation the possibility of using the solar energy (the solar photons) for destruction of organic compounds in waste water.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY YOU COME FROM?

The Technical University is mainly a university for engineerings and Sciences, such as Chemistry, Physics, Biology, etc.). There's also a Department for the Education of Teachers, but the most important faculties or schools are the ones for engineers dealing with electronics, with building houses, bridges, with mechanics, with the construction of cars and motors, etc., let's say, the "classical" engineers.

The other big part in the university is Natural Sciences, Biology, there is a big school of Chemistry (where I studied) and of Physics. Scientists make a lot of research in these places. There are several Institutes, too, e.g. of Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Ecological Chemistry, etc. Biotechnology is also taught, and students learn basic and applied research dealing, for instance, with waste water treatment. There is also an Institute for Agrotechnical Studies and Food Production.

IS THE UNIVERSITY WORKING FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES SUCH AS THE VEHICLES' MANUFACTURERS?

Yes, especially the mechanical and the electronic engineers; they make a lot of research for private companies.

WE KNOW THAT GERMANY SPENDS LOTS OF MONEY CARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, AND ALSO TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THE NEED TO DO SO. WHICH ARE THE RESULTS?

In the last 20 years there has been a change in the thinking about the environment problems. We take care of the environment but not in the way we should. An example: nobody will stop driving by car because we have problems of air pollution. To protect the environment is OK when it's not necessary to invest something or to give up part of comfort.

So, it's necessary that every person do much more for the protection of the environment. You've heard of the "Shell" problem, of the oil platform. In Germany, many people were against this problem of the sea platform, and so they didn't buy fuel at petrol stations from Shell. It doesn't mean that they stopped driving; they simply bought fuel from another company. It is not enough.

On the other side, when I look to the industry, the industry is doing a lot. For example, the chemical industry in Germany has invested many millions of German Marks in technology to protect the environment. And we are at a point when it becomes a problem, because in many countries the level of pollution control is not as high as in Germany, especially in the Eastern European countries. So, we really have the problem. The products the German industry is producing are too expensive as compared to the ones produced in the Eastern European countries, or other countries, because of the high level of environment protection technology. That's a real problem. The German industry knows she has to do it.

Nevertheless, I think there are many changes, but there's a need for modern technology and for a cheap technology; that's why the Federal Government is ready to pay money for research, but it's not enough. Luckily, private companies also have a share.

Besides, there are also many environmental projects which are supported by private organizations. For example, this research on nitro-aromatic compounds is financed by the company which is the owner of the soils where the nitro- aromatic compounds were found. So, the total cost of this project is divided into 2 parts: 40 % of the money comes from the owner and 60 % from the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology. Likewise, working for manufacturers of waste-water treatment plants gives us money to investigate in several problems of the industry producing a special sort of polymers to build photo-chemical reactors, suitable to use solar-energy, but, of course, most of our money to investigate comes from public sources.

APART FROM B.A. AND SANTA FE, ARE YOU PLANNING TO VISIT ANY OTHER PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY?

Certainly, I'm going to visit the Iguazú Falls.

Regreso a ARTICULOS