Under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Ghassan Hamid Abdul-Majeed, Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Baghdad, and under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Abeer Ibrahim Musa, Head of the Department of Environmental Engineering, the Department of Environmental Engineering, in cooperation with the Continuing Education Unit, organized a scientific workshop entitled “The Use of Plant Waste in Industrial Wastewater Treatment” on Monday, 26 October 2026. The workshop was delivered by Lecturer Dr. Hadeel Mohammed Hussein in the department’s discussion hall and was attended by a number of faculty members.

The workshop aimed to demonstrate the potential of utilizing plant and agricultural waste, such as fruit peels and date pits, to produce activated carbon for removing heavy metals from industrial wastewater. It also explored the use of reeds, cattails, and Phragmites plants to absorb these metals and immobilize them in their roots, thereby reducing pollutants and improving the efficiency of environmental treatment processes.

The workshop recommended promoting the use of plants as bioindicators for pollution monitoring and utilizing plant waste to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly treatment solutions.

This workshop is part of the College of Engineering’s efforts to raise environmental awareness and apply innovative scientific solutions to industrial pollution treatment, thereby contributing to the protection of water resources and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.