Temple environmental engineering professor Rominder Suri, Ph.D. is developing new water treatment techniques. With the help of a grant from the National Science Foundation, Suri works in Temple’s Water and Environmental Technology Center searching for alternative water purification methods.
One such method involves the use of Ozone gas and ultraviolet light to destroy foreign contaminates. This method, known as advanced oxidation, has already had a great deal of success in the laboratory and is in the process of being tested on a larger scale.
One of these projects utilizes selective absorbance to purify water. In his lab, Suri has transformed water-soluble glucose molecules into insoluble forms to help remove organic compounds including estrogen from the water. Estrogen hormones have become a problem as they make their way into the water system and have actually led to the feminization of some fish.
Various personal care products and pharmaceuticals used at home eventually find their way into the water system. This holds true for antibacterial soap as well, when it is washed down household sinks into water ways. This could be responsible for increased antibacterial resistance.
The hope is that new treatment methods such as ozone, UV, membranes, and ion exchange will continue to work and be cost-effective when they are introduced on a larger scale.