April 15, 2015
Exponent Principal Scientist Dr. Charles Menzie, in collaboration with Dr. Upal Ghosh at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, recently won the Honor Award (University Research category) for the Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science™ Competition, hosted by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.
The competition exists to identify and reward the best of today's environmental engineering and science. Its criteria defines what it takes to be the best in environmental engineering and science practices: a holistic environmental perspective, innovation, proven performance and customer satisfaction, and contribution to an improved quality of life and economic efficiency.
Dr. Ghosh, Dr. Menzie, and their collaborators research is entitled, "Development of In-Situ Remediation of Contaminated Sediments With Activated Carbon and Transition to Practice." Traditional approaches for remediation of contaminated sediments include dredging and capping which are disruptive of the natural ecosystem, often do not achieve risk reduction goals, and can be expensive.
This research developed and demonstrated a novel in-situ management approach for contaminated sediments that is based on reducing pollutant bioavailability that is applicable to PCBs, pesticides such as DDT, PAHs, and dioxins. This work has led to a US patent and is being demonstrated in several pilot-scale research projects funded by the DoD, NIEHS, and private industry. To read more about Dr. Menzie's research and co-authored paper, visit here.