This is an award to support research the objective of which is to obtain a better understanding than now exists of chemical reaction mechanisms that influence the fate of pollutants in natural waters and in water being subjected to chemical treatment processes. The research focusses on photocatalytic degradation of hazardous chemicals that are adsorbed on surfaces of semiconductor particles and involves the application of dye sensitization to the semiconductor surfaces to enhance absorption of light and the chemical transformation process. This award provides initial base-level support for this Presidential Young Investigator and funds to match $37,500 of the total of $134,000 from the following sources: Lyonnaise des Eaux (France) - $39,000, Rhone-Poulenc (Connecticut) - $10,000, Midland Resources, Inc. (Kansas) - $5,000, and the Occidental Chemical Corp. (New York) - $80,000. Results are expected to advance the understanding we now have of chemical mechanisms that influence the fate of pollutants in natural waters and in engineering design of treatment processes for removing pollutants from water and wastewater.
