CEE Seminar: Rapid Pre-screening of Emerging Aqueous Contaminants Via Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract: Emerging aqueous contaminants present significant risks to both ecosystems and public health due to their widespread presence in the environment and potentially high toxicity. Traditional methods for analyzing these contaminants often rely on costly and time-consuming liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, which may not meet the growing demand for pollutant monitoring. In this presentation, we will share our recent findings on utilizing Raman spectroscopy as a rapid and inexpensive tool for analyzing emerging aqueous contaminants. This field-deployable, rapid optical tool holds promise for providing high-resolution spatiotemporal monitoring of emerging contaminants. 

Bio: Wei joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an assistant professor in 2020. He earned his Ph.D. degree from Virginia Tech in 2018, following which he worked as a postdoctoral associate at Yale University before embarking on his independent academic journey. At the University of Wisconsin‒Madison, Wei leads the Environmental Analytical Technology Laboratory, a core component of the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program. His primary research interest is to develop advanced optical tools for emerging contaminant detection in drinking water supplies.