Professor F. Dilek Sanin is a graduate of Department of Environmental Engineering at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. She received her PhD from Duke University in USA in 1996. Professor Sanin’s current research covers microplastics and micropollutants in sludge treatment system, especially in sludge digestion process. Earlier she conducted work on the fate of nonylphenols, PCBs and other chemicals during sludge digestion. She is currently working on microplastics in sludge treatment process; particularly in sludge disintegration and subsequent digestion processes. Her research examines the fate of different microplastics, as well as the leaking additives from plastics, many of them considered as micropollutants. Her other research involved developing national sludge management plans for Turkey working with the public officials in different institutions and developing action plans for the coming years.
Dr. Sanin is the co-author of one international book on sludge engineering and over 60 research articles published in peer reviewed journals. She was invited as keynote speaker to overseas for several conferences on sludge management and has many national and international conference presentations made. She has more than 2500 citations made to her work.
Dr. Sanin is serving as an executive board member of IWA Specialist Group on Sludge Management. Between the years 2007 and 2019, she acted in the editorial board of Water Science and Technology, which is one of the journals of IWA. She is also in the editorial board of Journal of Residuals Science and Technology. Professor Sanin also acted as Vice Dean for the School of Engineering at Middle East Technical University between the years of 2015-2016, and Vice President of her university between the years 2016-2019.