Dr Joshua Matesun
I am a Wastewater Process Engineer who has recently earned a Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town. My doctoral research focused on creating conceptual mathematical models to monitor target micropollutants in a wastewater treatment facility in Western Cape Province. I am affiliated with the International Water Association (IWA), Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA), and Young Water Professionals in South Africa (YWP-ZA), and hold the status of Candidate Engineering Technologist with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). I am thrilled to join the EHS community, where I can merge my engineering expertise with a humanities perspective on environmental issues. This is a unique opportunity to collaborate on urban African habitability challenges, share insights from my wastewater research and experience, and learn from the diverse scholars at EHS. In my new position at EHS as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, I will investigate micropollutant flows and urban catchment restoration. I plan to incorporate the Critical Zone Africa (CzA) framework to identify and address habitability disruptions caused by aquatic micropollutants in Cape Town's urban areas. By situating this research within broader discussions on 'green' and 'just' transitions, I will use a Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) as a point source and a stormwater retention pond as a downstream sink to trace contaminants like PFAS, heavy metals (e.g., Zn, Pb, Cu), and emerging concerns (e.g., triclosan, diclofenac, BPA). This serves as a starting point to explore broader issues regarding the limitations, alternative models, and opportunities of green transition in contexts different from the typical 'western European success story.' By analyzing material flows, assessing community health risks, engaging with local aspirations through workshops, and selecting an appropriate nature-based solution, the project aims to create habitability guidelines for local governance, in line with CzA's focus on vertical landscape processes, biogeophysical relationships, and reconnecting people with the planet.