WaterCAMPWS Research
WaterCAMPWS researchers are committed to solving the world's water supply problems through the development and application of new technology. New technology will enable the creation of a sustainable new water infrastructure, whereby wastewaters are locally purified without discharging harmful wastes to the environment, energy and valuable minerals are recovered, and waters are conserved and used locally. WaterCAMPWS nurtures novel ideas and facilitates supply-enhancing technologies for creating potable water via desalination and reuse, disinfection, and decontamination.
New water purification technologies focused on the nexus between Water and Energy and Water and Health have the potential to reduce the quantities of energy and chemicals now used to treat water and can create new methods to desalinate, reuse, decontaminate, and disinfect waters, enabling nations to gain new waters for human use from different types of source waters, including those that are not now considered usable. [Source: Shannon, M. A., P. W. Bohn, M. Elimelech, J. G. Georgiadis, M. J. Mariñas, and A. M. Mayes, "Science and Technology for Water Purification in the Coming Decades," Nature 452, p. 301-310, 2008.]
Water and Health
WaterCAMPWS research in the theme area ofWater and Health, led byBenito Mariñas (UIUC),seeks to remove contaminants from all types of water sources and to disinfect water from current and potentially emerging pathogens without producing toxic substances.
Research Highlights
- Today's commercial membranes commonly suffer from fouling by dissolved or suspended biological molecules and a limited ability to reject uncharged solutes, limiting their viability for complete wastewater treatment.Nonfouling, size-selective nanofiltration membranesdeveloped by WaterCAMPWS researchers provide new capabilities for staged separation of industrial byproducts and more complete removal of small contaminants from wastewater in membrane bioreactors. The membranes completely inhibit the adsorption of biomolecules and use a nanosieving process that rejects molecules based on size at an adjustable, sub-nanometer level of precision.
- An unintended consequence of disinfecting water is the production of toxic disinfection byproducts (DPBs). Although more than 700 DBPs have been identified, little is known about their biological activity and toxicity. To address this problem, scientists atWaterCAMPWShave produced the world's largestmammalian cell toxicity database for DBPs. It can be used to direct human cell toxicogenomic studies on DBPs to determine biological mechanisms of toxicity, select specific DBPs for future in vivo animal toxicity studies, and aid in the processes to rationally regulate drinking water contaminants to protect the environment and human health.
- WaterCAMPWS researchers have successfully transitioned patented sensor technology developed in a laboratory at UIUC into commercial production. Theportable fluorometer with sensorsenables rapid, on-site and real-time detection and quantification of toxic metal ions such as lead, uranium, mercury in water and other environmental samples, down to 11 parts-per-trillion, much lower than the EPA's maximum contamination levels. This technology will change the way water testing is carried out, making it possible to identify water contamination issues rapidly, monitor the progress in decontamination efforts, and ensure the safety of drinking water.
- In the first fundamental study of its kind, WaterCAMPWS scientists have identified a critical factor in understandinghow viruses attach to each other and to natural organic matter(NOM). Their research suggests that the hardness of water and the presence of NOM play an important role in virus aggregation and attachment. Understanding these virus interactions can lead to significant improvements in drinking water disinfection practices and reduced incident of a variety of pathogen-related illnesses, including diarrhea, which kills one person every minute worldwide (90% of these deaths are children under the age of 5 in developing countries).
Research Efforts
- Selective adsorption and sensing: Design and synthesis of selective sensors and adsorption materials for trace contaminants based on fundamental understanding of water-pollutant-materials interactions.
Ryan Bailey, UIUC: label-free analysis
Paul Bohn, Notre Dame: molecular recognition and transport of constituents in nanopores
David Cahill, UIUC: absorption studies at surfaces and transport coefficients within nanopores
James Economy, UIUC: synthesis of carbon fiber adsorption and exchange fibers
Yi Lu, UIUC: synthesis of catalytic DNA for sensing compounds in water
Benito Mariñas, UIUC: testing and characterization of hybrid membrane adsorption systems
Mark Shannon, UIUC: fabrication of micro-nano capillary arrays for use with molecular recognition and catalytic DNA
Yuen-Ron Shen, UC Berkeley: sum frequency vibrational spectroscopy of aqueous interface
Vernon Snoeyink, UIUC: testing and characterization adsorption materials systems - Catalytic Destruction and Photon (UV-Vis) and Photocatalytic Control of Pathogens: Selective catalytic destruction of difficult-to-treat oxyanions and persistent organic contaminants; inactivation of waterborne microbial contaminants, including emerging viral and protozoan pathogens, without producing disinfection by-products, by photolytic, photocatalytic, and synergistic hybrid photo(cata)lytic/chemical disinfection processes.
James Economy, UIUC: synthesis of silver nanoparticle coated fiberglass)
Conrad Ingram, CAU: Chem, materials synthesis of metal oxides and catalyst supports)
Yi Lu, UIUC: molecular sensors for viral pathogens)
Benito Mariñas, UIUC: disinfection studies and system analysis of inactivation via UV and hybrid processes)
Eric Mintz, CAU: synthesis of TiO2and TiON nanoparticles on alumina, study of photocatalyst applications to disinfection)
Michael Plewa, UIUC: cyto/genotoxicity and genomic response to disinfection by-products)
Alex Scheeline, UIUC: generation of OH* + H2O to H2O2on photocatalysts)
William Schneider, Notre Dame: simulation of aqueous catalytic reduction reactions)
Jian-Ku Shang, UIUC: synthesis of M-TiON photocatalysts)
Mark Shannon, UIUC: Synthesis and testing of Ta2O5/SiO2and TiON nanoparticles on alumina)
John Shapley, UIUC: heterogeneous catalyst development and characterization)
Joanna Shisler, UIUC: inactivation studies of viruses under UV and photocatalytic processes
Timothy Strathmann, UIUC: system design and analysis of inactivation and organic contaminant degradation via UV and Vis photocatalysis in different source waters
Charlie Werth, UIUC: testing and characterization of adsorbents and catalysts used in drinking water - Electrostatic Adsorption and Trapping of Pathogens: To remove emerging waterborne pathogens from source streams using robust colloidal electrostatic filters.
Yi Lu, UIUC: molecular sensors for viral pathogens
Benito Mariñas, UIUC: disinfection studies and system analysis of electrostatic colloids
Helen Nguyen, UIUC: mechanistic elucidation of electrostatic adsorption of biomolecules and pathogens
Joanna Shisler, UIUC: trapping and inactivation studies of viruses in electrostatic colloids
Gerard Wong, UCLA: synthesis of electrostatic colloidal filters
