PFI-TT: A Rapid Multi-Contaminant Degradation System for Water Wells

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to improve the quality of well water for drinking. As of 2019, 43 million Americans do not have access to public water and rely on private sources. Unlike public water systems, private wells are not regulated, placing these Americans at an increased health risk from waterborne contaminants. This lack of access results in socioeconomic health disparities. Treating odorous water and other organic and biological contaminants requires multiple treatment systems that add significant complexity and costs. This project will develop a new water treatment system that simultaneously treats odorous water, recalcitrant organics (e.g., pharmaceuticals), and biological pathogens without the addition of chemicals.The proposed project will advance the understanding of inhibiting agents in photocatalytic water treatment systems. Understanding these fouling mechanisms is critical to developing a robust photocatalyst for water treatment. This project will identify the primary photocatalyst inhibitors in groundwater sources and determine the mechanism for their inhibition, e.g., bulk quenching or surface fouling. Analytical techniques to study the binding between fouling agents and photocatalyst surfaces include several surface-sensitive spectroscopy methods, such as nano-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (nano-FTIR) and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.