Research
Robert S. Bowman, Professor of Hydrology
Over the past decade, much of my work has focused on applications of chemically modified zeolites for adsorption and destruction of water contaminants. Zeolites are naturally occurring minerals with high porosities, high permeabilities, and highly reactive surfaces. Coating zeolites with common surfactants, such as used in hair conditioner and mouthwash, creates a sorbent (surfactant-modified zeolite, or SMZ) which selectively removes many anions and dissolved organics from water. We have investigated the mechanisms of surfactant and contaminant sorption using techniques such as atomic forces microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and microcalorimetry. We have extensively tested the sorptive properties of the modified zeolites under laboratory conditions. We have performed pilot tests of SMZ as subsurface permeable barriers for groundwater contaminants, as water-well filter packs for pathogen control, and for removal of organics from oilfield wastewaters.
My graduate students and I are currently investigating surface water/groundwater interactions in the middle Rio Grande basin link (see Rio Grande project page). This stretch of the Rio Grande is of critical importance for endangered species, agricultural sustainability, and water resources issues. We are installing an extensive monitoring well network to determine the detailed response of the aquifer to changes in surface water flows. Using water chemistry, hydraulic testing, and high resolution water elevation data, we are working with our collaborators to refine a groundwater/surface water interaction model for this portion of the basin.
Other current projects include noninvasive methods to determine water
and solute distributions in the vadose zone, characterization of oilfield
reservoir wettability, and detection of chemical signatures of buried land
mines.
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Last Updated: March 30. 2005 by Webmaster |