Identification of disinfection byproducts from JP-5 jet fuel

In 2021, thousands of gallons of JP-5 jet fuel accidentally released from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam contaminated the base water supply, displacing thousands of families from their homes in on-base housing and impacting up to 93,000 people who live and work on or near the base. The disinfection byproducts formed from reaction of the fuel contaminant with chlorine added for water treatment have not been studied in depth and may have significant implications for the health of the exposed community.  Our lab works to identify petroleum compounds present in JP-5 jet fuel that are transformed by reaction with free chlorine in drinking water and the products that they form, helping to inform public health efforts and provide a better understanding of the scope of contamination to which the community was exposed.

Funding source: USGS

Red Hill Water Crisis - environmental exposure assessment and science communiation

As part of the Red Hill Registry's science team, our lab works to collect and understand available data that can be used to better understand contaminant exposure in the impacted community. We provide environmental engineering and chemistry knowledge to the registry's broad-based science team and work with our cross-disciplinary colleagues to communicate science and data to the community.

For more information about the Red Hill Registry, visit redhillregistry.org.

Funding source: DHA/USUHS/Henry M. Jackson Foundation

Characterizing the mechanisms of carbonyl compound formation during water reuse

Potable water reuse employs a series of advanced treatment steps to reliably reuse wastewater effluent for drinking. Oxidants (e.g., chlorine and ozone) are frequently added during treatment and can react with different constituents in water, resulting in the formation of undesirable and potentially toxic byproducts. Our lab seeks to identify relevant precursors and track the fate of these byproducts throughout treatment to ensure final product water safety! Specifically, we focus on the formation and fate of low molecular weight carbonyl compounds, like aldehydes and ketones.

Funding source: NSF

Identification and quantification of surfactants and their oxidation byproducts 

Surfactants are frequently detected in wastewater due to their widespread use as antibacterial agents and detergents in industrial and household applications. These surfactants can pose a risk to systems designed for water reuse, especially when additional oxidation can transform parent compounds into new, previously-unidentified byproducts. Our lab hopes to better understanding surfactant transformation and subsequent fate in downstream treatment in systems intended for water reuse.

Funding source: US Bureau of Reclamation