Research interests
My research activities are primarily focused on two general areas: (1) conversion of waste into energy, and (2) characteristics, fate and transport, and treatment of surface runoff pollutants. Major research topics of interest include:
– Particle-bound organic and inorganic pollutant characterization;
– Mathematical modeling of roadway runoff pollutants;
– Source identification of non-point source pollutants from environments;
– Innovative stormwater runoff treatment;
– Permeable pavement for stormwater runoff management;
– High-solids bio-gasification of organic waste for energy recovery; and
– Methods to assess the biodegradability of organic wastes for bio-fuel production.
Recently Completed Research Projects
- Clogging investigation of open graded friction course under heavy vehicle simulator and rainfall simulations.
- Methodologies to identify sources of pollutants from highway runoff in Tahoe Basin.
- Micro particle (<20 mm) size fractionation and contaminates associated with them.
- Clogging investigation of porous asphalt and pervious concrete pavement surfaces.
- Methods to measure the permeability of permeable pavements.
- Mathematical modeling of pollutograph.
- Water quality and toxicity evaluation of leachate produced from open and dense-graded pavement materials.
- Hydrographic toxicity evaluation of urban highway runoff.
- First flush treatment strategies.
- Performance evaluation of detention basin based on the fine particles and toxicity removal.
- Hydraulic simulations of full depth permeable pavements on highway shoulder for stormwater runoff management.
- First flush characteristics of organic and inorganic pollutants generated from urban highway runoff.
Funded Research Proposals (as PI and Co-PI)
- Application of inclined plate settlers for stormwater runoff treatment (PI)
- Ammonia toxicity in high-solids anaerobic digestion process (PI).
- Characterization of California statewide highway runoff from construction sites (Co-PI).
- Clogging investigation of porous asphalt and pervious concrete pavements in parking lots (PI).
- Clogging study of open graded porous asphalt under heavy vehicle and rainfall simulations (C0-PI)
- Comprehensive California statewide highway runoff characterization studies (Co-PI).
- Computer model to estimate the quality and quantity of biogas from municipal landfills (Co-PI).
- Continuous on line flow-through particle size measurement (PI).
- Development of data analysis software to analyze censored water quality data (Co-PI)
- Evaluating field and laboratory data for developing surrogate indicators to monitor fine sediment in the Tahoe Basin (Co-PI)
- Guidance for permeable pavement systems (Co-PI)
- Hydraulic performance evaluation of permeable pavements under heavy traffic and load (PI).
- Fate of wastewater nitrogen discharged to the aquatic and soil environment (Co-PI).
- First flush highway runoff characterization (PI)
- Impact of annual average daily traffic on highway runoff pollutant concentration (PI).
- Importance of nutrients availability on the performance of high-solid anaerobic digestion (PI).
- Isotopic approach to identify sources of nitrogen and phosphorus from Tahoe basin (Co-PI).
- Kinetic model to simulate the biodegradation of a high-solids anaerobic digestion process (PI).
- Managing biosolids by using the biodegradable organic fraction of MSW as a primary substrate and source of energy in a high-solids anaerobic composting process (PI).
- Mass balance modeling approach to identify sources of pollution from highway runoff (PI).
- Mathematical model to predict chemical constituents’ pollutographs (PI)
- Methods to fractionate particle size distribution and contaminants associated with them (PI).
- Methods to measure the biodegradability of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (PI).
- Micro-particles processing and analysis guidance manual for Tahoe Basin (Co-PI).
- New method to measure C/N for design and performance evaluation of biogasification (PI).
- Numerical methodology to define first flush pollutants mass loading (PI).
- Nutrient requirements for methanogens in high-solids anaerobic digestion (PI).
- Review of particle size distribution and contaminants associated with them (Co-PI)
- Source identification of total phosphorus originated from motor oil (PI).
- Source identification of nitrate and phosphate and fine sediments from highway runoff (PI)
- Structural performance evaluation of permeable pavements under heavy traffic and load (C0-PI).
- Technical assistance on stormwater runoff management and BMP treatment (Co-PI)
- Toxicity evaluation of highway stormwater runoff (PI)
- municipal solid waste as a fuel supplement in a fluidized bed (PI).
- Water quality of leachate produced from asphalt and concrete surfacing materials under control laboratory investigations (PI).
- Utilization of humus produced from anaerobic composting of the biodegradable organic fraction of
Research Funding Sources (over $23,000,000)
- California Department of Air Resources Board
- California Department of Health
- California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
- California Energy Commission
- California Integrated Waste Management Board
- California Prison Industry (PIA)
- California Waste Recovery Systems Inc.
- City of San Diego
- Delta Diablo Sanitation District
- Integrated Recycling Inc.
- Microgen Corporation
- Minnesota Department of Transportation
- National Science Foundation
- Protech Inc.
- Richmond Sanitary Services
- UC Davis Academic Federation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
- U.S. Forest Services (USFS)
- University of California Energy Institute
- Vector Engineering, Inc
- Water Environment Federation
- West County Agency
- West County Wastewater District
- Wildermuth Environmental, Inc.
