UL researcher Dr Joseph Mooney pushes the boundaries of carbon-free solar-water technologies

Dr Joseph Mooney has been working towards developing tech to deal with the rising global water crisis.

Dr Joseph Mooney believes strongly that everyone should have access to clean water

By I Love Limerick correspondent Ava O’Donoghue

UL researcher Dr Joseph Mooney has been working towards developing tech to deal with the rising global water crisis.

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Dr Mooney believes strongly that everyone should have access to clean water and has had a lifelong passion to pursue it.

After moving to Limerick to forge a career in swimming, Dr Mooney became increasingly interested in how he could make a positive difference in the world, and in 2018 completed an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at UL.

In 2022, while also carrying out postdoctoral work at Trinity College, Dr Mooney has been working with UL and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop desalination technologies for future freshwater production.

In 2019, he was awarded a three-year Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowship by the European Commission to work between the two colleges.

In collaboration with MIT, Dr Mooney has researched solar-water desalination, which has the potential to be the most promising green solution to providing clean water globally.

He makes the point that fresh desalinated water is available in countries with large electrical and resource-based infrastructures, but developing countries are not seeing the same benefits and are at risk of severe water shortages if not dealt with soon. He points out that inadequate sanitation and access to clean water affects 2.4 billion people, leading to diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever.

Dr Mooney hopes that through his research and work, all people and nations will benefit from clean, safe water – regardless of financial status. He will use online platforms to keep those interested up to date and to inspire youth to also get involved in research. 

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