As a high school student in China, I read a newspaper article about the groundbreaking environmental science book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, and it caught my attention.
During that time, China was experiencing rapid economic growth but was also beginning to face the consequences of environmental contamination. I remember thinking I might one day be able to contribute to a solution.
Fast forward to today, and human-caused contamination continues to wreak havoc, not just in China but around the world. My work focuses on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the human-made chemicals that are so difficult to break down in the environment that they’re often referred to as “forever chemicals.” These chemicals are so widely used and persistent that they can be found nearly anywhere: in water sources, soil, and even human blood.
This problem is staggering but also, to me, scientifically intriguing. I like a challenge, so I jumped at the chance to solve this dilemma.
With my background in chemistry and engineering, my colleagues and I at the University of Georgia have developed an eco-friendly process to destroy PFAS. This process, known as electrochemical oxidation, uses specially designed electrodes to break down the bonds of these chemicals in water streams.
Private industry took notice of our work, licensing our product/solution for use in wastewater facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Australia.
My lab still strives to develop more efficient and eco-friendly technologies to address contamination and protect human health. My dream is for these technologies to be widely adopted globally, eliminating these contaminants and proving that nothing bad has to last forever.
