Environmental Studies

General Information About our Research Group

Environmental chemical engineering is that section of chemical engineering that focuses on both the aspects of pollution prevention and abatement within the plant boundary and the fate and transport of chemicals in the general atmosphere. Departmental research has traditionally focused on developing pollution control techniques for air, water and solid waste. There is also efforts directed towards sustainability and green engineering issues that are more important for chemical and petrochemical industries at the present time. Other efforts have been directed towards understanding atmospheric chemistry, sediment remediation and water treatment. Environmental chemodynamics is that part of chemical engineering which deals exclusively with fate and transport issues in the environmental compartments of air, water, soil, sediment and biota.

Professors Involved:

Prof. Kalliat Valsaraj

Current research projects:

1. Adsorption and photochemical reactions of PAHs on environmental air-water interfaces (fog, ice and snow). – Funded by NSF
   
   
2. Photonic crystals for air pollution control – Funded by NSF
   
   
3. Fate and transport of mercury in contaminated sediments – Funded by US EPA.
   
   
4. Contaminant transport by gas bubble ebullition in sediments – Funded by US EPA
   
   
5. Fate and transport of engineered nanoparticles in the environment.
   

Prof. Louis Thibodeaux

Prof. Karsten Thompson

Professor Thompson’s research group focuses on computational modeling of flow and structure in porous materials. Two projects related to environmental research are the quantitative modeling of contaminant trapping in the subsurface and quantitative modeling of marine sands and sediments. Both of these projects involve collaboration with colleagues who work in the area of x-ray computed tomography. Additional information can be found at www.poresim.org.

Prof. Ralph W. Pike (Sustainable Development)

Current research project:

Thermal Decomposer for Hydrogen Peroxide

Prof. Mary J. Wornat

This page was last updated on May 11, 2006.