2024's Scholarship Winners Announced
The Water Quality Research Foundation is pleased to announce their first class of Scholarship winners. Congratulations to Fatemeh Zeidabadi of the University of British Columbia and Chantaly Villalona of Virginia Tech University for their research projects. More on each project can be found below.
Special thanks to all of those who submitted projects for consideration.
Special thanks to all of those who submitted projects for consideration.
Facing the Challenge of Per-and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Does Ion Exchange Process Offer a Solution for in-home Water Treatment
This study highlights the potential of Ion Exchange (IX) processes for removing various PFAS structures from contaminated waters, highlighting its suitability for use as in-home water treatment filtration. This study also reveals that IX resins, distinguished by kinetics and elevated PFAS removal capacity, particularly for short-chain variants, emerge as a highly recommended choice for in-home water treatment filters (POU/POE). Fatemeh is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical and Biological Engineering Department at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Fatemeh received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 2014 and 2017, respectively. During her study in Sharif, she was involved in several environmental projects focusing on micropollutants’ removal from water and industrial wastewater using membrane technologies. Her experience and passion in the water treatment field led her to join SWIRL team at UBC, working under the supervision of Prof. Madjid Mohseni. Her research aims to develop and assess novel technologies based on ion exchange and electrochemical processes for remediation of recalcitrant PFAS or “forever chemicals." 
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Differing Mechanisms for Lead Phosphate Particle Removal By Point-of-Use Media Depend on Particle Size and Lability.
The study aimed to understand Point-of-Use filter removal mechanisms for difficult-to-treat lead suspensions demonstrating the sometimes-complex chemistry of lead removal. Recent water crisises in Washington D.C. and Flint, Michigan have raised concerns about filter performance during lead contamination events. Chantaly Villalona is originally from Newark, NJ, and is currently in pursuit of world-class training in applied aquatic chemistry in drinking water systems. She is a second-year masters student in Environmental Water Resources in Dr. Marc Edwards’ lab in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her thesis research focuses on lead reduction methods, namely POU particle removal mechanisms and inhibition of lead-tin solder spallation in the presence of elevated nitrate. These interests arose in response to her community’s experience navigating the Newark Water Crisis. Her lived experience and commitment to her community are the driving force behind her dedication to science communication and the advancement of knowledge in the drinking water field.
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