Research Areas (all)
General Drinking Water and Wastewater Research
- US EPA Small Systems Center - WINSSS, (with John Tobiason, Caitlyn Butler, Chul Park & Prashant Shenoy) US Environmental Protection Agency, 7/1/2014-6/30/2017
- Innovative Treatment Technologies, various sources of support, on-going
- Piloting Facility, various sources of support, on-going
Disinfection Byproducts 
Human exposure to disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in tap water has been associated with elevated incidence of cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes. Reducing this exposure is a major challenge to the drinking water industry. Current and recently completed projects on DBPs include:
- Targeted Studies on DBP Chemistry & Toxicology, several sponsors, on-going
- Fate of Non-Regulated DBPs in Distribution systems, (with Chul Park) Water Resarch Foundation, 5/1/2010-10/31/2012
- Impacts of Chlorine addition to NYC's Catskill Aqueduct, NYC DEP, Hazen & Sawyer Engineering, 10/3/2012 - 3/31/2014
- Assessment of Unregulated Disinfection Byproducts in Philadelphia’s Water, PWD, 10/21/2012-6/30/2015
- DBPs in Domestic Hot Water Systems, ongoing
- Risk Based Prioritization of Disinfection Byproducts (with Richard Bull & Vince Rotello) Water Research Foundation
- Characterization of TOX Produced During Disinfection Processes,Water Research Foundation
- New Analytical Methods for DBPs, unsponsored, ongoing
- Control of Manganese, Natural Organic Matter and Disinfection By-Products for Mystic, CT (John Tobiason, PI) Aquarion Water Company, 4/06-05/08.
- Chloramination Feasibility Study for NYC, (with John E. Tobiason) Hazen & Sawyer Engineering, City of New York, 8/22/2006-8/21/2009
Pharmaceuticals & Personal Care Products
Over the past 10 years, we have begun to recognize the extent to which PPCPs and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are found in the aquatic environment.
- EDC/PPCP Benchmarking and Monitoring for Drinking Water Utilities, (with Mi-Hyun Park & Michael Lavine) Water Research Foundation, 9/1/2010-12/1/2013
- Onsite Septic Systems for the Removal of Selected Micro-Constituents and Contaminants of Emerging Concern, Barnstable County Dept of Health, 6/2010-6/2015
- Establishing Guidelines for the use of Ozone-GAC for Control of Endocrine Disruptors and Related Compounds in Water (with Kathleen Arcaro) Water Research Foundation, 7/15/2008-12/30/2011
- GUUS: GrowFood Northampton - UMass Urine Study (with Monika Roy, Caitlyn Butler & Om Parkash) Water Resources REsearch Center, 2/1/2019-2/1/2020
Advanced and Innovative Oxidants
Oxidation processes are critical for destruction of organic and reduced inorganic pollutants. Some current and recent projects in this area is:
- Use of Ferrate in Small Drinking Water Treatment Systems, (with John Tobiason) US EPA, 12/1/2011-present
- Assessment of Ozonation Impacts on Taste and Odor Compounds, (with John Tobiason & Mi-Hyun Park) MA DCR, 7/1/2014-6/30/2015
- Strategies for Minimizing Adverse Impacts of an Oil Spill in Wachusett Reservoir , (with John Tobiason) MWRA, 7/1/2015-6/30/2020 (see all MWRA-UMass Drinking Water projects)
Natural Organic Matter
All surface and groundwaters have dissolved natural organic matter (NOM) derived from aquatic and terrestrial plants.
- On-line NOM Characterization: Advanced Techniques for Controlling DBPs and Monitoring for Changes in NOM Under Future Climate Change Scenarios , Water Research Foundation, NYC DEP and Hazen & Sawyer, 9/1/2012-12/31/2013
- NOM Monitoring on the Mill River, several sponsors, on-going
- Climate Change and Water Quality - Impacts and Adaptation Strategies for NYS Utilities, NYSERDA and Hazen & Sawyer, 1/1/2013-12/31/2014
- Evaluation of NOM and DBP Precursors in SWSC West Parish Raw Water Sources, (with John Tobiason) Springfield Water and Sewer Commission
- Water Quality in Massachusetts Reservoirs, (David P. Ahlfeld, John E. Tobaison, Mi-Hyun Park & David A. Reckhow) Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Watershed Sources and Long-term Variability of BDOC and NOM as Precursors Water Research Foundation
Other
- Evaluation of Compost for Erosion Control, (Carlton Ho, David A. Reckhow), Massachusetts Highway Department
- Rainwater Constituents as Indicators of Drought Stress, unsponsored, 9/2014-present
- MRI: Acquisition of a Versatile High Resolution MS System for Determination of Small Molecules of Environmental and Health Concern (with 15 co-PIs), National Science Foundation, 7/1/2014-6/30/2016
- Impact of Environmental Estrogens on Epigenetics: Bisphenol A in Breast Milk and Promoter Methylation of Exfoliated Breast Epithelial Cells (Kathleen Arcaro, PI), Avon Foundation, 7/1/2010-6/30/2012
- Plan for the Blackstone River EFF and the next Generation Cyberinfrastructure, (with Paula Rees, Sharon Long, James Kurose, Allen Hansen, Edward Riseman, Howard Schultz, Charles Schwiek, Leon Osterweil), National Science Foundation
- STEM Digital Images in Geoscience Investigations: Teaching Analysis with Light (STEM DIGITAL), (with Morton Sternheim, Stephen Schneider and others), National Science Foundation, 9/15/2010-8/31/2013 (STEM Water Quality Page)
Personnel
Current Research Graduate Students (former)
Yanjun Jiang (PhD Student)
Rassil Sayess (PhD Student)
Yun Yu (PhD Student)
Ran Zhao (PhD Student)
Soon-Mi Kim (PhD Student)
Aarthi Mohan (PhD Student)
Julie Bliss Mullen (PhD Student)
Xian Ma (MS Student)
Santhosh Sekar (MS Student)
Research Staff
Celina Dozier (WINSSS Research Associate)
Kaoru Ikuma (WINSSS Research Associate Emeritus)
Patrick Wittbold (WINSSS QC Manager)
Sherrie Webb-Yagodzinski (EWRE Lab Manager)
Kathy Whynott (EWRE Grants Manager)
Larry Kramer (Research Associate Emeritus)
Others
Joshua Cunningham (co-advised MS Student)
Arianne Bazilio (affiliated PhD Student)
Joseph Goodwill (affiliated PhD Student)
Varun Srinvasan (affiliated PhD Student)
Stephanie Zimmers (affiliated PhD Student)