Water Chemistry: Current Challenges and Opportunities

Water Chemistry is a subset of environmental chemistry that has been systematically lectured on for a few decades in colleges and universities with a very good rate of success in terms of its application for industry. Advancements in detection technology have allowed us to identify various compounds that even at low concentrations can harm biological organisms and impact human lives. This creates a need for better understanding water chemistry across fields such as environmental and chemical science and engineering.

In this colloquium, the application of water chemistry in both water and wastewater will be discussed, along with better management of water resources and available tools. In addition to routine tests for water and wastewater, special tests can be required to identify chemicals that are not regulated by government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency.

As our understanding about these unregulated chemicals is limited, constant exploration of new methods and techniques is essential, using simple-to-use and cost-effective equipment.

Universities are best positioned to explore new methods as it is very costly for industry to pursue on its own. In this seminar students will also become familiar with industry expectations, so they can better prepare themselves for the job market in the field of water chemistry.