Research

SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance and Epidemiology

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended how we live, work, and interact with one another. In addition to vaccination and masking measures, robust testing is crucial for bringing the pandemic under control. Monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 virus shed in human feces can be a powerful approach to augment clinical testing for potential COVID-19 outbreaks. Our lab is working on the vanguard of wastewater surveillance and epidemiology to monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater of congregate living facilities on the JHU campus. Our integrated approach from sample collection to viral RNA detection actively protects the health of our university community members and is breaking new ground on the science of wastewater surveillance.

Fate and Treatment of PFAS in the Water Cycle

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) a.k.a. “forever” chemicals are wide-ranging group of contaminants of emerging concern. Due to the strength of the carbon-fluorine bond intrinsic in these chemicals, PFAS are resistant to typical water and wastewater treatment processes and can persist in the global water cycle for centuries. A wide-ranging and growing list of health concerns have been associated with PFAS exposure, particularly in drinking water. Concentrations in the part-per-trillion range have been associated with negative health effects. In order to protect public health, it is crucial for scientists, policymakers, and communities to better understand potential exposure, negative health effects, and methods to mitigate exposure and treat existing contamination.

Our lab investigates the incidence of PFAS in diverse in environmental matrices including drinking water, packaged food and beverage products, wastewater, and landfill leachates. Additionally, we evaluate the use of adsorptive media such as granular activated carbon (GAC) and ion exchange (IX) resins to remove PFAS from these media at the bench scale and in pilot studies for full-scale deployment.

Read out recently published article in Water Research on PFAS in bottled water here.

Learn more about our pilot PFAS water treatment study with Stantec here.