Environmental & Water Resources

The Environmental & Water Resources research area within CECE's Environmental Engineering program is at the forefront of advancing environmental science and engineering through cutting-edge research initiatives. Our faculty are actively engaged in a wide range of interdisciplinary studies funded by federal agencies such as NSF, NIH, DoD, DoE, NASA, and SERDP. Research spans critical topics are associated with contaminants including but not limited to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), micro-plastics, arsenic and mercury, perchlorate, legacy trace organic chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, and chlorinated solvents. Ongoing research includes the fate and transport of emerging the above contaminants and the corresponding treatment technologies, employing risk-based tools and geospatial analyses to assess exposure (e.g., food web by EPA) and remediate impacted environments (e.g., sediments, groundwater, and stormwater). The second area is focused on sustainable water management and resource recovery. Our efforts are composed of novel membrane and sorbent-based technologies for water treatment and energy recovery. Through these comprehensive research endeavors, we aim to address supply chain challenges of critical materials, energy recovery and production (e.g., hydrogen production by DoE), and foster sustainable practices in water resources such as brine, oil and gas produced water. The department is also interested in developing novel and specialized biological wastewater treatment such as space-based wastewater treatment and investigating microbial response and interaction in the environment and engineering applications. Other critical topics are related to atmospheric aerosols, urban emission modeling, and geo-environmental systems, alongside advanced studies in hydrologic, hydraulic, and contaminant transport modeling for optimized water resource systems.