Detection and removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): PFAS are a class of widely used compounds that are detected in the environment and in human blood throughout the world. Since many PFAS are proven or suspected to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, PFAS contamination has caused substantial environmental and human health concerns. My research focuses on developing and validating analytical methods to quantify total PFAS, developing and evaluating techniques to remove PFAS from water, investigating the fate and transport of PFAS in various environmental systems, and assessing novel sorbents and models for PFAS passive sampling from surface water and groundwater.
Disinfection byproduct (DBP) control in drinking water: carcinogenic DBP are formed during drinking water chlorination/chloramination. I am interested in exploring options for reducing the health risk associated with elevated DBP levels in drinking water by (1) removing precursors in source water and (2) transforming the DBP in finished water.
Contaminant removal from stormwater: Stormwater runoff carries a mixture of contaminants, such as suspended solids, heavy metals, nutrients, pathogens, and various organic compounds. Sand filters are a popular stormwater management tool for removing suspended solids, but they are incapable of removing other contaminants. I am working on a project to improve the stormwater filters using engineered media amendments for simultaneously removing multiple contaminants from stormwater.