# Presentation: 160432

##          Research Opportunities in 

Environmental Engineering

Clark C.K. Liu

ccliu@nsf.gov 

Program Director

**Environmental Engineering**
**Clark C.K. Liu**
**ccliu@nsf.gov **
**Program Director**

## 1.  Tools and techniques becoming increasingly sophisticated in areas of measurements, analysis, modeling, and synthesis
2.  Interfacing with more science and engineering areas
3.  Refocusing on large natural systems and on more holistic (cross-media) studies at large spatial scales while also expanding in the opposite direction: nano-science, molecular dynamics
4.  Developing broad theoretical/conceptual underpinnings by embracing concepts of industrial ecology, sustainability, and ecological engineering

**2.****  Interfacing with more science and engineering areas**
**3.****  Refocusing on large natural systems and on more holistic (cross-media) studies at large spatial scales while also expanding in the opposite direction: nano-science, molecular dynamics**
**4.****  Developing broad theoretical/conceptual underpinnings by embracing concepts of industrial ecology, sustainability, and ecological engineering**

**Trends in**
**Environmental Engineering **
**Research and Education**

**Notes:**
Tools and techniques becoming increasingly sophisticated 
   in areas of measurements, analysis, modeling, and synthesis

Interfacing with more science and engineering areas,
   including electrical engineering (MEMS, sensors), computer science (cyberinfrastructure), molecular biology, nano-science and technology,as well as more traditional ties with environmental biology/ecology and chemistry, chemical engineering

Refocusing on large natural systems 
   and on more holistic (cross-media) studies at large spatial scales while also expanding in the opposite direction: nano-science, molecular dynamics

Developing broad theoretical/conceptual underpinnings
   by embracing concepts of industrial ecology, sustainability, and ecological engineering

## Environmental EngineeringProgram at NSF

**The *****Environmental Engineering***** program **
**supports innovative science-based engineering**
**research and education with the goals of:**
**(i) ****	****achieving sustainable development of natural  resources, **
**(ii) restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological quality of the Nation’s water, air and land environment, and**
**(iii) preventing human exposure to toxic chemicals and pathogenic bacteria.**

## Some “hot” topical areas in the 

**Some “hot” topical areas in the **
**Environmental Engineering programs**** **

**Pollutant Fate/Transformation**
***Environmental fluid mechanics and reaction kinetics concerning the persistence of antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and other emerging contaminants in the environment.***
**Nano- technology in Environmental Engineering**
***Applications of nano-materials in water and wastewater treatment, air pollution control, and ground-water remediation; environmental and health implications of nano-materials.***

**Slide 1 of 2**

## Some “hot” topical areas in the 

**Some “hot” topical areas in the **
**Environmental Engineering programs**

** ****Biotechnology in Environmental Engineering**
***Innovative coupling of physical-chemical and microbial processes***
** ****Information Technology in Environmental Engrng**
***Development of advanced sensors and data acquisition systems, internet-based data sharing and information processing***
** ****Complex Environmental Systems**
***Ability to model and predict across wide range of spatial and temporal scales; real-time measurement and management.***

**Slide 2 of 2**

## Env Engrg Unsolicited Research Projects: 

***Investigation of hydrologic and biogeochemical controls on arsenic***
*** ******	******mobilization at a field site in Munshiganj, Bangladesh***
***3. Like-Charge Electrostatic Attraction of Colloids in Aquatic Systems***
***4. Intimate Coupling of Photocatalysis and Biodegradation in a***
***    ******Photocatalytic Circulating-Bed Biofilm Reactor***
***5. Cometabolic Degradation of Estrogen Compounds in Activated***
***    ******Sludge Treatment Processes***
***6. Cohesive Strength and Detachment of Bacterial Biofilms***
***7. Correlation between Biomarker Concentrations and Hydrocarbon***
***    ******Biodegradation Rates to Enhance the Selection and Performance***
***    ******Assessment of Bioremediation and Natural Attenuation***

**Env Engrg Unsolicited Research Projects: **
**FY 2007 grants**

**Slide 1 of 2**

## Env Engrg Unsolicited Research Projects: 

***      ****** ******Perchlorate***
*** ******9.  Dechlorination of VC and cis-DCE by Reduced Iron Minerals Produced ***
***      ****** ******under Iron and Sulfate Reducing Conditions***
***10. Microbial Fuel Cell Architectures for a New Wastewater Treatment ***
***      ****** ******System***
***11. Exploring the physical factors and chemical interactions involved in ******	***
***      ****** ******the adsorption of synthetic aromatic compounds by carbonaceous***
***      ****** ******adsorbents***
***12. Effect of Surface Oxidation on the Colloidal Stability and Sorption***
***      ****** ******Properties of Carbon Nanotubes***
***13. Modeling gene networks in Dehalococcoides and development of ***
***      ****** ******bioindicator assays for bioremediation of chlorinated solvents***
***14. Tools for Environmental Observatory Design and Implementation:***
***      ****** ******Sensor Networks, Dynamic Bayesian Nutrient Flux Modeling, and***
***      ****** ******Cyberinfrastructure Advancement***

**Env Engrg Unsolicited Research Projects: **
**FY 2007 grants**

**Slide 2 of 2**

## Env Engrg Unsolicited Research Projects: 

***  ******2. Chromium oxidation and mobilization through coupled biotic/abiotic***
***      ****** ******processes***
***  ******3. Enhanced phytoremediation using endophytes***
***  ******4. Development of highly aquaporin based membranes for aqueous***
***      ****** ******separation ***
***  ******5. Bioaugmentation for emerging trace contaminants in wastewater***
***      ****** ******treatment***
***  ******6. Bacteria adhesion and metabolic activity ***
***  ******7. Use of chiral tracers to determine cycling of POPs in stream ******	******ecosystems***
***  ******8. Coliforms using engineered conducting membranes for water quality***
***      ****** ******control***
***  ***

**Env Engrg Unsolicited Research Projects: **
**FY 2008 grants**

**Slide 1 of 2**

## Env Engrg Unsolicited Research Projects: 

***10. Modeling microbial biogeochemistry in permeable reactive barriers***
***11. Environmental sustainability systems analysis of management ***
***      ****** ******decisions with watershed and groundwater applications***
***12. Debromination of PBDEs in aquatic sediments ***
***13. Assessing the bioavailability of effluent organic nitrogen along a***
***      ****** ******freshwater to saltwater continuum***
*** ***
***14. Methodological framework for real-world vehicle energy use and***
***      ****** ******emissions estimation at multiple temporal and vehicular scales***
***15. Advancing genome-enable tools: Guiding inoculum design for***
***      ****** ******sulfate-reducing mine drainage treatment systems***

**Env Engrg Unsolicited Research Projects: **
**FY 2008 grants**

**Slide 2 of 2**

## Enhancing Gas-Particle Transport Processes for Improved Mercury Emissions Control from Coal-fired Power Plants

**Herek Clack  -  Illinois Institute of Technology  **

**Figure 1:*****   Helium-Neon laser used for instantaneous particle Mass loading and***
***particle agglomeration measurements.***

**Figure 2:*****  The trajectories of 1, 5, and 10 micron particles in a turbulent round jet. ***
***(Computational resources provided by the ***
***Minnesota Supercomputing Institute).***

**In 2005, the U.S. EPA issued the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR), making the U.S. the first country to regulate mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants (CFPPs).  The CAMR emissions caps are designed to reduce total mercury emissions by 70% by 2018.  This project represents a combined experimental and numerical modeling collaboration between research groups at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (UM) to provide fundamental understanding of mercury removal processes and to develop enhanced mercury removal processes.**

**Highlight ID: 15480                                   CBET-0607292**

## Agent-based Modeling of Wastewater Bacteria

**Figure 1:*****  Hydraulic residence time (HRT) distributions for 1 completely mixed flow reactor (CMFR), 2 or 6 CMFRs in series.***

**Figure 2:*****  Predicted state (microbial storage product concentrations) variability in a bacterial population responsible for phosphorus removal in an anaerobic reactor.  Green squares are glycogen, blue triangles are polyhydroxyalkanoates, and red circles are polyphosphate.***

**Agent-based Modeling of Wastewater Bacteria**
**Andrew Schuler  -  Duke University **

**Design and operation of biological wastewater treatment systems relies on mathematical modeling of the biological processes of waste degradation.  This project is pioneering the use of agent-based modeling in these systems, which entails the modeling of individual bacteria as they move through bioreactors, as opposed to the conventional "lumped" approach, whereby bacteria are modeled with respect to their bulk**
**concentrations. **
**The Schuler lab has built and applied a new agent-based simulation program (DisSimulator), which can model thousands of bacteria as they move through a given system. Using this program they have revealed several "emergent behaviors" that may lead to improved system design and operation for improved plant performance.**
**Highlight ID: 15483                                                 CBET-0607248**