On September 7th, 2017, Karst Groundwater Contamination and Public Health published a study by former ROUTES Scholar Savannah Gregor, former PROTECT Trainee Noushin Fallahpour, PROTECT Associate Research Scientist Ljiljana Rajic, and PROTECT Co-Director Akram Alshawabkeh on a pilot scale study of electrochemical remediation of contaminated groundwater. This publication, which is titled “Electrochemical Remediation of Contaminated Groundwater: Pilot Scale Study” is Gregor’s first as a leading author. The goal of the study was to develop a sustainable in situ groundwater remediation technology to transform contaminants in mixtures, and it looked at two different groundwater chemistry manipulation techniques. These techniques included electrochemical reduction of contaminants using iron anodes and foam cathodes as well as electrochemical oxidation of contaminants by generation of reactive oxygen species using inert electrodes.
Gregor, who just graduated with her BS in Mechanical Engineering at Northeastern University, took part in the first cohort for the ROUTES Scholars Program, a Northeastern University co-op which began in 2015. Since her co-op with ROUTES, Gregor has made many efforts to share what she learned while working in the PROTECT lab. Gregor attended multiple symposia and conferences where she presented on her work regarding lab- and pilot-scale electrochemical treatment of groundwater. Findings gleaned from her co-op were also presented at MIT Water Night, a research showcase which provides an energizing platform for individuals and research groups to present their latest achievements and work in water-related fields. Additionally, Gregor presented on her work at the Boston Public Schools Science Fair, the annual Research, Innovation and Scholarship Expo (RISE), and the New England Water Environment Association: NEWEA annual meeting. Gregor’s poster can be found here.