CEE Seminar: Innovative Ion-exchange Processes to Address Grand Challenges in Environmental Engineering

Abstract: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are being increasingly regulated in drinking water to protect human health. At the same time, nitrogen and phosphorus need to be recovered from waste streams to offset the costs of ammonia production and demand on geospatially limited phosphate reserves. New strategies are needed to address these water quality issues. This seminar will describe our efforts to develop (1) ion-exchange membrane-based passive samplers for diverse PFAS and (2) tube-in-tube Donnan dialysis reactors for sustainable nutrient recovery. The outcomes of these projects highlight key opportunities to use ion-exchange membranes to overcome grand challenges in environmental engineering.

Bio: Lee received his B.S. (2005) and M.S. (2007) degrees in environmental engineering from Lehigh University. In 2011, he completed his Ph.D. in civil engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and started as an assistant professor of environmental engineering at UMBC, where he is now professor. Lee also serves as president-elect of AEESP and executive editor at the Journal of Hazardous Materials. He is the recipient of the ES&T James J. Morgan Early Career Award, the NSF Career Award and the AEESP Award for Outstanding Teaching in Environmental Engineering and Science.