BZU Ranks 1st Among Palestinian Universities in the 2011 Zuhair Hijjawi Competition - News

Saa’dia Abu Sirriyeh, a chemistry student in the Faculty of
Science at BZU, ranked 1st in the field of Water and Environmental Engineering
in the 2011 Zuhair Hijjawi Competition for her research on "Green
Manufacturing (Environmentally Friendly) for Iron Nano Particles Used as
Catalyst to Remove Ions of Water Dyes."

The research focuses on the production of nano-iron by using
green tea extract which is added to iron salts under appropriate laboratory
conditions. The result is the ability to remove blue and orange methylene
polluters, offering a model for responding to contaminated water. Further work
is possible to develop materials based on nano-iron for the removal of some
organic pollutants from water. The research project was funded by BZU and
supervised by BZU Professor of Chemistry Dr. Talal Shahwan.

As for the preparation of the research, Saa’dia confirmed
that the process was simple and didn’t require large technical devices;
further, teaching assistants and professors aided her by providing tools and assisting
in her work.

Dr. Shahwan expressed his pride, saying: "Saa’dia’s
receiving the Zuhair Hijjawi Award in the field of water and environmental
engineering and renewable energy is the culmination of our efforts, especially
since this is the second year in a row that a BZU student wins this same award over
competitors from other Palestinian universities.”

In fact, this is the second consecutive victory by a BZU
student. In 2010 Mu’ath Nei’rat won the Zuhair Hajjawi Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.