Successful Doctorate of Diana Estefania Carpio Vallejo at Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Waste Management

The Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Waste Management at Leibniz University Hannover extends its heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Diana Estefania Carpio Vallejo on the successful defense of her doctoral thesis on September 30, 2025. The title of her dissertation is "Urban Water in Hannover for Recreational and Climate-Resilient Use: Microbial Quality and Health Risk Assessment."

In her dissertation, Ms. Carpio Vallejo examined the microbial quality and health risks of rainwater collected from roofs and used in urban blue-green infrastructures through field observations and Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) in Hannover, Germany. Her research findings indicate that untreated systems often exceed international risk thresholds, pathogens are frequently detectable, and risks are influenced by design, maintenance, and user behavior. The work calls for improved monitoring, regulation, and multidisciplinary approaches to ensure the safe and sustainable reuse of urban water.

As part of her doctoral studies, Ms. Carpio Vallejo published several scientific articles:

• Microbiological water quality and derived health risks from exposure to ornamental water fountains in the city of Hannover
• Contribution of rooftop rainwater harvesting to climate adaptation in the city of Hannover: Water quality and health issues of rainwater storage in cisterns and ponds
• Rainwater management and associated health risks: case study on the Welfengarten campus of the Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany

We wish Ms. Carpio Vallejo all the best and much success in her future career endeavors.