BRIGE: Sorption Behavior of Contaminants to Manufactured Nanomaterials for Potential Use as Remediation and Water Treatment Technologies

CBET-0823685 ShipleyBRIGE奖项通过增加ENG研究人员的多样性来保持全球竞争力，这些研究人员在职业生涯的早期就开始了研究项目。 BRIGE奖项通过增加工程专业毕业生的数量，提高女性和少数民族在工程领域的代表性，以及了解如何提高工程专业学生的招聘和保留率，进一步扩大了工程研究人员的参与。该BRIGE奖项将调查纳米材料吸附特定污染物的机制和能力。 该研究旨在进一步开发高效和具有成本效益的水处理和修复技术。 大量的工作已经在批量工艺中完成，在散装晶体（活性炭，氧化铁，氧化铝等）的能力，吸附特定的污染物。 但是在纳米材料上进行的相应工作很少;许多纳米材料的高表面积使它们成为污染物的理想吸附剂。 PI旨在研究环境和工程条件下污染物的解吸，以更好地理解和模拟独特的吸附剂。 PI使用德克萨斯州布朗斯维尔的地下水进行的初步研究表明，纳米材料可用于去除砷、几种天然存在的放射性核素和重金属。 但其他人没有从解决方案中删除，差异还没有被理解。 了解这种差异，可以更好地预测吸附行为，并将其应用于环境工程技术。PI将通过吸附和解吸的批处理和柱实验确定纳米颗粒和吸附物的相互作用。 PI将使用平衡等温线、吸附和解吸动力学以及比表面分析工具来表征吸附和解吸机制。 吸附物将包括重金属，如汞、铅、镉和砷。 UTSA是一个少数民族机构，拥有28，500名学生，其中大约一半是西班牙裔背景。这项工作促进了工程研究项目，使用创新方法来解决工程问题，同时培训下一代工程师。 它还创造了新的研究机会，同时鼓励来自传统上代表性不足的学生群体的本科生和研究生的参与。该研究将为污染物在纳米材料上的吸附行为提供基础性的认识。这些成果将产生的理解，可以应用于水处理和修复技术，可以为小型个人处理系统和/或中央公有处理设施使用纳米材料的独特属性的功能未来的发展。这BRIGE赠款将扩大参与和增加机会，为所有工程师，包括那些来自工程学科代表性不足的群体。 该BRIGE赠款还将鼓励PI作为独立调查员积极参与研究。

CBET-0823685ShipleyBRIGE awards maintain global competitiveness by increasing the diversity of ENG researchers, who are initiating research programs early in their careers. BRIGE awards further the broaden participation of engineering researchers by increasing the number of engineering graduates, by improving the representation of women and minorities in engineering, and by understanding how to improve recruitment and retention of engineering students.This BRIGE award will investigate the mechanisms and the ability of nanomaterials to adsorb specific contaminants. The research seeks to further the development of efficient and cost effective water treatment and remediation technologies. A significant amount of work has been done in batch processes on bulk crystals (activated carbon, iron oxides, aluminum oxides, etc) ability to adsorb a specific contaminant. But little corresponding work has been conducted on nanomaterials; the high surface area of many nanomaterials makes them ideal sorbents for contaminants. The PI seeks to study the desorption of contaminants under environmental and engineered conditions to better understand and model unique adsorbents. Preliminary research by the PI using groundwater from Brownsville, TX has suggested that nanomaterials can be used to remove arsenic, several naturally occurring radionuclides, and heavy metals. But others were not removed from solution and the difference is not yet understood. Understanding the difference, leads to better prediction of sorption behavior and application to environmental engineering technology. The PI will determine the interaction of nanoparticles and adsorbates with batch and column experiments for both adsorption and desorption. The PI will use equilibrium isotherms, sorption and desorption kinetics, and specific surface analysis tools to characterize the mechanisms of sorption and desorption. Adsorbates will include heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic. UTSA is a minority institution with a population of 28,500 students of which roughly half are of Hispanic background. The work promotes engineering research projects using innovative methods to address engineering problems while training the next generation of engineers. It also creates new research opportunities while encouraging the involvement of both undergraduate and graduate students that are from a traditionally underrepresented student population. The research will provide fundamental understanding on the sorption behavior of contaminants to nanomaterials. These outcomes will yield understanding that can be applied to the future development of water treatment and remediation technologies that could be functional for small individual treatment systems and/or for central publicly owned treatment facilities using the unique properties of nanomaterials.This BRIGE grant will broaden the participation of and increase opportunities for all engineers including those from groups underrepresented in the engineering disciplines. This BRIGE grant will also encourage the PI to become actively and competitively engaged in research as an independent investigator.