Academic Building (B3)-Room 108
Department of Civil and Environmental Technology
Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Mahenwatte, Pitipana North
Homagama 10200
Sri Lanka

Email: nuwanasanka@sjp.as.lk

Dr. Nuwan A. Weerasekara is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Technology at University of Sri Jayewardenepura. For the past 10 years, Dr. Nuwan’s research has focused on the integration and hybridization of membrane technology with biological and physicochemical treatment for water quality enhancement and membrane fouling control. He is an author of 15 peer-reviewd articles and more than 30 international conference papers.

He received his B.Sc Degree (2006) in Chemical and Process Engineering from University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He completed both his M.Eng and Ph.D in Energy and Environmental Engineering at Kyungpook National University, South Korea. After receiving his postgraduate degrees, he worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the same institute before joining the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Membrane fouling

Energy Optimization

Membrane bioreactors

Quorum quenching

K.A.V. Miyuranga, U.S.P.R. Arachchige, B.M.C.M. Balasuriya, R.A. Jayasinghe, N.A. Weerasekara. (2023) Production of Biodiesel in the Presence of Co-Solvents in Transesterification: A Review. Asian J. Chem. 35(2), 254-276

KA Viraj, USPR Arachchige, D Thilakarathne, RA Jayasinghe, NA Weerasekara. (2022) Impact of the Chemical Composition of Oil for Biodiesel Production to Reduce Environmental Pollution. Nat. Environ. Pollut. 21(4), 1681-1687

K.A.V. Miyuranga, B.M.C.M. Balasuriya, U.S.P.R. Arachchige, R.A. Jayasinghe, N.A. Weerasekara. (2022) Comparison of Performance of Various Homogeneous Alkali Catalysts in Transesterification of Waste Cooking Oil. Asian J. Chem. 34(12), 3157-3161

KA Viraj Miyuranga, BMCM Balasuriya, USPR Arachchige, RA Jayasinghe, N.A. Weerasekara. (2022) A Comparative Analysis of Impact of Hexane, Diethyl Ether, Toluene and Acetone on Biodiesel Transesterification Process. Asian J. Chem. 34(10), 2545-2550

K.A. Viraj Miyuranga, S.J. De Silva, U.S.P.R. Arachchige, R.A. Jayasinghe, N.A. Weerasekara. (2022) Comparison of the Properties of Biodiesel-Bioethanol-Diesel Blended Fuel. Asian J. Chem. 34(7), 1809-1813

KA Viraj Miyuranga, USPR Arachchige, Danushka Thilakarathne, RA Jayasinghe, N.A. Weerasekara. (2022) Effects of Physico-Chemical Properties of the Blended Diesel and Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel. Asian J. Chem. 34(2), 319-323

KAV Miyuranga, D Thilakarathne, USPR Arachchige, RA Jayasinghe, N.A. Weerasekara. (2021) Catalysts for biodiesel production: A review. Asian J. Chem. 33(9), 1985-1999

USPR Arachchige, KA Viraj Miyuranga, D Thilakarathne, RA Jayasinghe, N.A. Weerasekara. (2021) Biodiesel-Alkaline Transesterification Process for Methyl Ester Production. Nat. Environ. Pollut. 20(5), 1973-1980

Thilakarathne, D., Miyuranga, K.A.V., Arachchige, U.S.P.R., Weerasekara, N.A., Jayasinghe, R.A. (2021) Production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil in laboratory scale: A review. IJSES. 5 (6), 28-34

Iqbal, T., Weerasekara, N.A., Lee, K., and Choo, K.H. (2020) Impact of encapsulated quorum-quenching bacterial dose and feed type on biofouling control in membrane bioreactors. J. Environ. Eng. 146 (2)

Weerasekara, N.A., and Choo, K.H. (2019) Clues to membrane fouling hidden within the microbial communities of membrane bioreactors. Environ. Sci. Water Res. Technol. 5, 1389-1399

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. (2016) Biofouling control: Bacterial quorum quenching versus chlorination in membrane bioreactors. Water Research. 103, 293-301

Weerasekara, N.A. and Choo, K.H. (2015). Synergistic combination of metal oxide adsorbents for enhanced fouling control and metal removal in a submerged membrane adsorber. Journal of Membrane Science. 490, 9-17

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. (2014). Hybridization of physical cleaning and quorum quenching to minimize membrane biofouling and energy consumption in a membrane bioreactor. Water Research. 67, 1-10.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Choi, S.J. (2013). Metal oxide enhanced microfiltration for the selective removal of Co and Sr ions from nuclear laundry wastewater. Journal of Membrane Science. 447, 87-95.

Weerasekara N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. Synergy of Microbial Quorum Quenching and Chemically Enhanced Backwashing for Biofouling Control in Membrane Bioreactors, 9th International Membrane Science and Technology Conference, 5-8 December 2016, Adelaide, Australia.

Tahir Iqbal, Weerasekara N.A., Abdur Rahim Khan, Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H.Microbial quorum quenching media encapsulating Rhodococcus sp. BH4 for biofouling control in membrane reactors. -Presented at IWA Science Sumit on Urban Water Conference, 28-30 November 2016, Bejing, China.

Weerasekara N.A., Tahir Iqbal, Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. A Combination of Bacterial Quorum Quenching and Chemically Enhanced Backwashing Controls Biofouling in Membrane Bioreactors, The 5th IWA Regional Conference on Membrane Technology, 22-24 August 2016, Kunmin, China.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. Biocatalytic degradation of signal molecules using Rhodococcus sp. BH4 to interfere with quorum sensing behaviours associated with biofouling. To be presented at International Water Nexus Conference, 28-30 October 2015, Daegu, Korea.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. A synergistic harmony of quorum quenching and membrane cleaning for membrane biofouling control. Second International Conference on Sustainable Urbanization, 7-9 January 2015, Hong Kong, China.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. Effects of mixed liquor biosolids characteristics on fouling behavior in a membrane bioreactor. IWA Regional Conference on Water Reuse and Energy, 21-24 October 2014, Daegu, Korea.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. Minimizing aeration and membrane fouling simultaneously with quorum quenching MBR. IWA Specialist Conference on Advances in Particle Science and Separation, 15-18 June 2014, Hokkaido, Japan.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. Minimizing of membrane biofouling and energy consumption with quorum quenching membrane bioreactors. International Workshop on MBR for the Next Generation and Waste-to-Energy Conversion, 12-14 February 2014, Gunsan, Korea.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. Effects of Physical Cleaning Methods on the Performance of a Quorum Quenching Membrane Bioreactor. 5th IWA-ASPIRE Conference and Exhibition, 8-12 September 2013, Daejon, Korea.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. Effects of Chemically Enhanced Backwashing on Quorum Quenching Activity in Membrane Bioreactor. 7th IWA Specialized Membrane Technology Conference and Exhibition for Water and Wastewater Treatment and Reuse, 26-29 August 2013, Toronto, Canada.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Choi, S.J. Adsorption-microfiltration system for the removal of Co and Sr species from aqueous solution. The 10th Nano Korea Symposium, 16-18 August 2012, Seoul, Korea.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Choi, S.J. Hybridization of adsorption and microfiltration for the removal of dissolved Sr and Co species from simulated radioactive laundry wastewater. IWA Regional Conference on Wastewater Purification and Reuse, 28-30 March 2012, Crete, Greece.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Lee, C.H. Quorum quenching and membrane bioreactors. To be presented on 1st International Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Medical Sciences, 24-25 October 2017, Karachchi, Pakistan.

Weerasekara, N.A., Choo, K.H., Choi, S.J. Two are better than one for metal removal and fouling control in a submerged membrane adsorber. Asia-Pacific Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Conference, 28-30 June 2015, Singapore, Singapore.