Research
The
research interests of our EWRE faculty cover a broad range of
areas, including treatment of water, wastewater and sludges,
assessment and remediation of environmental contamination,
pollutant transport in surface and subsurface waters,
environmental chemistry, groundwater hydrology, and mechanics
of fluids in porous media. The dedication of undergraduate
and graduate students has been key to research progress in
these areas. Examples of current and past research projects
are described below. These and other projects can be seen in
our research slideshow.
Removing Copper from Roof Runoff
Copper
roofing is attractive and long lasting, but can result in
unwanted copper emissions to streams through rainfall runoff.
To mitigate environmental impacts, alternative filter media
are evaluated to remove copper from polluted rainwater. Here,
an X-ray photo electron spectroscope is used to characterize
copper precipitate on one such filter medium - crushed
concrete (courtesy Dr. Opila’s research
group).
Nanoparticles in the Environment
Research on the effect of
nanoparticles on aquatic organisms. The information
gathered by this study will assist regulatory agencies in
benchmarking the risks of nanomaterials to the aquatic
environment.
Models for Dissolution of Organic Liquids in
Aquifers
Soils are frequently contaminated
with liquid organic pollutants (e.g., dry cleaning fluids,
industrial solvents). Water flowing through these
contaminated soils leaches pollutants out. Laboratory
experiments (left) and computer simulations (above) are used
to develop models to describe this process.
Drinking Water Technology
Research led by Pei Chiu (left) and Yan Jin has led to the discovery of a highly reactive iron based method of water purification. This nonchlorine-based solution is effective against microorganisms and viruses. Their research has been named one of the seven top innovations by NASA's Tech Briefs publication.
Research Centers
Center for Applied Coastal
Research
Center for the Study of Metals in the
Environment
Delaware Center for Transportation
Studies
Resiliency of Transportation Corridors (a Tier
II University Transportation Center)