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The WIRLAB team, Spring 2019
PictureThe San Diego River during low flow has stagnant pools harboring diverse microbial and algal communities
PictureCheck out Lauren and Fed's outreach video!
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Stephanie and Lauren install outside-in hollow fiber membrane for NSF project on transformation of chemicals of emerging concern in water reuse systems

The Water Innovation 
and Reuse Lab (WIRLAB)

WIRLab trains and mentors undergraduate and graduate students from diverse groups to take on environmental challenges in water scarce environments by conducting research on sustainable water and sanitation technologies and biogeochemical processes in natural and engineered systems. Current projects investigate the transformation and persistence of emerging chemicals in anaerobic and aerobic decentralized water reuse systems, sources of anthropogenic contaminants in urban rivers,  water quality response to stream restoration, and rapid fluorescence-based tracking of organic contaminants in source waters, streams, and groundwater.
SAN DIEGO RIVER WATER QUALITY
Recent research
  • Concentrations and loadings of anthropogenic contaminants during storm events in the San Diego River and its tributary, Pinongcos et al. (2019), presented at the ACS Summer Conference.
  • San Diego River Water Quality, SDRC Project Website
IN THE NEWS
September 2019
  • WIRLab is recruiting MS students for new research projects
  • Fed Pinongcos awarded the Scholarship. Congratulations Fed!
  • Clack et al. paper on bacteria transferred to duckweed in wastewater polishing ponds is published in Bioresource Technology Reports
  • Steinberg presents poster on CECs in US and South Africa wastewater at the WateReuse Conference, San Diego  
August 2019
  • Mladenov presents to the CHEM Business division on decentralized water reuse at ACS San Diego
  • Steinberg presents about non-targeted analysis collaboration and Pinongcos presents poster on anthropogenic contaminants in the San Diego River at ACS, San Diego
June/July 2019
Congratulations WIRLab Grad Students!
  • Fed Pinongcos receives ASCE Pipeline Environmental Scholarship!
  • PhD candidate Rachel Astete Vasquez receives SDSU University Graduate Fellowship!
  • PhD candidate Rachel Astete Vasquez receives American Water Works Association Woodard & Curran Scholarship!
  • PhD candidate Rachel Astete Vasquez receives Society of American Military Engineers Jackie Price Dunn scholarship!
May 2019
Congratulations WIRLab Graduates!
  • Anita Sanchez, BS in ENVE: going on to PhD Program at Cornell!
  • Lorelay Mendoza, BS in ENVE: going on to PhD Program at Stanford!
  • Kristen Snyder, MS in ENVE: starting new position at Langan Engineering & Environmental Services!
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