The National Academy of Engineering has identified providing access to clean water, managing the nitrogen cycle, and improving urban infrastructure as three of their 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st century.
The Bell Lab at VT focuses on the development of resilient best management practices that inform decision-making and policies within the water-energy-food nexus. Specifically, our research investigates the efficacy of and biogeochemical processes underlying ecological engineered technologies, including treatment wetlands and subsurface bioreactors, to remediate urban and agricultural pollutants.
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
Remediation of Agricultural and Urban Pollutants
Using ecological engineered technologies, including treatment wetlands, subsurface bioreactors, and adsorptive filters
Flow Dynamics and Hydraulic Performance of Treatment Wetlands and Bioreactors
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Analyses of performance indices including hydraulic efficiency, effective volume ratio, and mixing index, to determine remediation efficacy and inform design methodologies
Biogeochemistry and Microbial Community Analyses
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Understanding the complex relationships and biogeochemical processes that exist between microorganisms, substrate, water, and plants within ecological engineered treatment systems
American Ecological Engineering Society Annual Meeting in Blacksburg, VA
May 29 - 31, 2024
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting in Anaheim, CA
July 28 - 31, 2024
UPCOMING EVENTS
