Welcome to the Environmental Sustainability Lab
Over the past 40 years, the field of environmental engineering has evolved
from a discipline focused primarily on "sanitary engineering" to one that brings
a multidisciplinary approach to solve environmental problems in natural and
engineered systems. This multidisciplinary approach is essential for addressing
the growing need for sustainable approaches to using, managing and conserving
natural resources. Water is a critical resource requiring sustainable management
of both quantity and quality. One of the most critical threats to current and
future clean water supplies, and the underlying research theme of this proposed
project, is emerging contaminants, specifically engineered nanomaterials,
pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and pathogens.
Goals:
- Acquire fundamental knowledge for enhanced mathematical modeling of
engineered nanomaterial transport, distribution and persistence in multi-media
environmental systems
- Understand the influence of wastewater treatment operations and reactive
transport processes on the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals and personal
care products (PPCPs) in water reuse systems
- Develop real-time monitoring devices and modeling tools to assess the
prevalence and fate of waterborne pathogens in urban areas
- Create and implement multi-disciplinary undergraduate and graduate student
research training in environmental sustainability
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