Pharmaceuticals: Photochemical Fate and Engineered Water Treatment Systems

The presence of pharmaceuticals in water is an emerging environmental engineering issue that has raised concern among the public and scientists alike. This alarm resulted from the pharmaceuticals' possible adverse health and ecological effects---even at trace concentration levels. Two papers were published literature reviews, which laid the underpinning of my empirical studies. The first of three Ph.D. research projects examines environmental fate of selected pharmaceuticals. Knowledge of the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals in waters is critical to eventually predicting environmental risk. The next project bridges environmental science theory with practical, real-world application. In conjunction with the Orange County Water District, the project assesses the removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in reverse osmosis retentates using advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The last project involves cooperating with a local consulting company to evaluate ozone to removal color and bromated control method for groundwater in Costa Mesa.