Department Seminar Series, Kirin Emlet Furst, Ph.D.

As fresh water supplies are degraded by climate change and industrialization, many communities must rely on drinking water sources containing complex contaminant mixtures. Extreme weather events further threaten drinking water quality through disruptions to water and sanitation infrastructure. These challenges strain the ability of even well-funded water systems to deliver safe water for all, and reveal the limitations of current regulations. 

My research group primarily addresses these challenges in relation to drinking water disinfection and two complex classes of organic contaminants, disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Both DBPs and PFAS widely occur in drinking water at levels of concern for human health and are now the major drivers of water treatment train design. Meanwhile, protection against microbial pathogens remains the most acute concern for many communities, especially low-income, rural, and those facing climate disruptions. 

In this talk, I will discuss ongoing research to mitigate DBP toxicity in wastewater reuse systems, quantify the efficacy of DBP risk indicators, and address impacts of extreme weather on distribution system water quality. I will also introduce some newer projects that focus on the fate and transport of PFAS in wastewater reuse (One Water) systems. Major takeaways are that levels of DBPs and PFAS at the tap are determined by the fate of precursors throughout the source watershed, treatment train and distribution system. Understanding the mechanisms throughout and how they vary with weather extremes is important. But ultimately, a systems-level framework incorporating all of these sub-systems is needed to identify interventions that minimize public health risk within the economic and technical constraints most communities face.