Water and Environment

Developing sustainable engineering solutions for clean water and the protection of environmental and human health.

Bioremediation

Bioremediation research conducted by the environmental engineering faculty involve the use of microorganisms to transform legacy and emerging contaminants to nontoxic products. Focus areas include aerobic cometabolism and anaerobic halorespiration of legacy contaminants, such as trichloroethene (TCE), and emerging contaminants, such as 1,4-dioxane. Advanced processes are being developed for sustainable and low cost in-situ and ex-situ treatment of contaminated groundwater and soil. Investigations over abroad range of scales are conducted that include laboratory kinetic studies with pure and enriched cultures to field scale demonstrations of advanced bioremediation technologies. Numerical models and novel molecular methods are also developed and applied to investigate bioremediation.

Processes for Clean and Sustainable Water

Development of effective and energy efficient processes and technologies for the creation of clean water, the recovery of nutrients and the generation of energy. The processes and technologies are grounded in biological, chemical and physical treatment concepts. Work focuses on drinking water, wastewater and stormwater treatment.

Emerging Contaminants

Our environmental engineering faculty and their research teams investigate the fate, transport and effects of emerging contaminants like perfluorinated or chlorinated compounds, nanomaterials, and micro-and nanoplastics. We work to develop remediation strategies to effectively remove contaminants from aquatic environments to mitigate their impacts on aquatic life and human health.

Environmental Health

Study of microbial communities in environmental reservoirs such as water, wastewater, and soil combined with indicators of human health such as fecal pathogens and hand hygiene. Culture and molecular-based techniques are applied to investigate disinfection technologies,as well as growth and persistence of pathogens and emerging contaminants.

Contaminant Fate and Transport

Analytical measurement and mathematical modeling of the processes governing pollutant transport and transformation in environmental systems. Work is performed at the lab, pilot and field scale focusing on both legacy pollutants and emerging contaminants.