Professor Inez Hua

What’s New

Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) Opportunity: Available August 2007

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Research

Dr. Hua has secured funding for and completed research projects on various aspects of industrial ecology and sustainability, water pollution control technologies, environmental chemistry, contaminant fate, and remediation technologies. Dr. Hua’s publications have been cited over 500 times since her first publication appeared in 1995. One major theme in Dr. Hua’s research is technology development for water pollution control. Dr. Hua’s work during the past decade has significantly advanced the choice of viable technologies. She has conducted research on innovative technologies such as supercritical water oxidation, ultrasonic irradiation, and engineered photochemical systems. The outcomes of her research provide information on the mechanisms by which water pollutants are destroyed by specific technologies. This information is crucial for optimizing treatment efficiency.

Abstracts of Current Projects:

1. Photochemical Fate of Manufactured Carbon Nanomaterials in the Aquatic Environment

Chad Jafvert (lead PI), Inez Hua (co-PI)

The overall objective of the proposed research is to investigate photochemical transformation of buckminsterfullerene (C₆₀) and single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) under conditions of environmental relevance. Due to the strong light absorbance of these materials within the solar spectrum, photochemical transformation in the environment may lead to potentially more water soluble and easily bioaccumulative products.

2. Ecotoxicology of Brominated Flame Retardants in Great Lakes Biota (Sponsor : U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office)

Inez Hua (lead PI), Hugo G. Ochoa-Acuña, Maria S. Sepúlveda, and Trent M. Sutton (co-PIs)

Brominated flame retardants, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are currently the subject of intense scrutiny in the United States and Europe. In the Great Lakes basin, there is increasing concern about PBDEs because high concentrations have been detected in water, sediments and fish. This project will study the biotransformation and biomagnification of PBDEs in fish and other aquatic organisms sampled from Lake Michigan. These outcomes will be very important because biota transfer models for estimating risks from PBDEs must consider bioaccumulation and biotransformation to estimate “safe” media concentrations.

3. MUSES: Life-Cycle and Policy Aspects of Brominated Flame Retardants (Sponsor: National Science Foundation)

Inez Hua (lead PI), Leigh Raymond, and Thomas P. Seager (co-PIs)

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) enable manufacturers of plastics, furniture, and other products to meet stringent fire resistance requirements in an economical manner. However, BFRs have also been measured in the fatty tissues of animals and humans in increasing concentrations. Concern about the environmental safety of BFRs has lead to the prohibition of some formulations in some jurisdictions, including California. This research project investigates potential pathways of BFRs to the environment from products during use or after disposal, as well as the perspectives of different stakeholder groups involved in manufacture, use, and regulation of BFRs and products that contain them. While all parties stress the importance of safety, it is hypothesized that different groups will emphasize different dimensions of the so-called “precautionary principle” in their BFR arguments. For example, manufacturers may frame the issue politically in terms of “caution” about risks from fire, while environmental groups may emphasize “caution” regarding the unknown health risks posed by bio-accumulation of these nearly ubiquitous compounds. To better understand the role of these overlapping ideas of “precaution” in the political process, and possibly identify opportunities for mutual advantage, the research team will apply multi-criteria decision analysis in search of BFR formulations that best address each group’s concerns. The results will contribute to development of educational programs in sustainable engineering and policy, aid regulators with pressing policy decisions, strengthen ties between academia, government, industry and non-governmental organizations, and result in a more robust framework for investigation of other environmental policy and decision making problems.

4. Improved Detection and Remediation of NBC/CBRN/TIC/TIM Contaminants in Potable Water (Advanced Concepts and Technologies, International)

Inez Hua (lead PI), Chad Jafvert, and Ron Turco (co-PIs)

5. Innovative Remediation Technology Implementation Plan for the Crawfordsville INDOT ROW Site

Inez Hua (lead PI), P. Suresh C. Rao, and Linda Lee (co-PIs)

Purdue University, in partnership with other universities and state/federal agencies, has been conducting research involving: (1) design and implementation of innovative groundwater cleanup technologies at selected sites to establish their performance and cost under local conditions; (2) evaluating the performance of these innovative technologies using multiple metrics to provide guidance to regulatory agencies and site owners; and (3) testing innovative site monitoring technologies that assist in determining the level of cleanup required for remedial design and in assessing the performance of the remedial technology. The primary purpose of the proposed field implementation is to demonstrate innovative site characterization and remediation technologies at an Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) site to achieve site closure in an accelerated time frame (< 5 years).

Research Group Members

Juan Cesar Bezares Cruz (Doctoral Student; co-advised with Prof. Chad Jafvert) Irene Poyer (MS student)

Yin Ming Kuo (Doctoral student) Brianna Dorie (Doctoral Student)

Kristin Rogers (MS student; co-advised with Prof. Thomas Seager)

Below, pictured on right

Professor Inez Hua

Interim Head, Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering

Professor Hua's Civil Engineering Web page