Integrating Approaches to Predict How Contaminants Move in the Environment
Jan. 31, 2022
Brusseau working at field site in 1995.jpg
Project 4 of the University of Arizona Superfund Research Center (UA SRC) studies how hazardous materials move in the environment. The team does this by combining mathematical models with laboratory and field studies to better understand factors that cause contaminant cleanup to stall and identify cost-effective solutions protect human health.
Dr. Mark Brusseau, Co-Investigator from Project 4, studies the physical, chemical, and biological processes that control contaminant movement through the subsurface. For over 30 years, Brusseau and colleagues have focused on understanding the different factors that control the transport of chlorinated solvents, metals and mine tailings, and others, and therefore how much of the contaminant can reach groundwater.
"We need to know where contaminants are, what their concentrations are, and how fast they move," said Brusseau. "We can use that information to make predictions over time or about how different cleanup approaches will behave."
Legacy pollutants, like chlorinated solvents or mine tailings, remain in the environment long after they have stopped being produced or released. Emerging contaminants, like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are increasingly detected in the environment and have potential to harm human health.
By integrating advanced mathematical models, lab, and field studies, the team is better able to capture the complexities of the entire system, including contaminants, under realistic conditions and identify solutions.
Implementing efficient, cost-effective cleanup systems at a hazardous waste site depends on accurately characterizing the type and magnitude of contamination. Risk assessors and site managers must have a thorough understanding of how contaminants are distributed in the subsurface, how they are transported, and how they transform over time.
According to Brusseau, the NIEHS Superfund Research Program’s sustained support has been essential for moving this work forward. "SRP's support for basic science is unique among funding agencies," he said. "It has allowed us to understand these processes more deeply, and we've been able to leverage SRP funding to win or supplement other grants to apply our research in the field. Combining these factors with SRP's focus on research translation and working across disciplines has allowed us to apply this research and see real benefits for impacted communities."
"We utilize a lot of different skill sets to help tackle complex, real-world problems," he said. "All these disciplines are interconnected, and SRP has been a leader in recognizing the value of multidisciplinary research to solve pressing environmental health questions."
To learn more, please read the original NIEHS “Public Health Impact Story”.