Dr. Tao Ye, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Marine Engineering, received a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her research using AI to make public drinking water safer.
According to NSF, the award is offered “to support young faculty members who have the potential to serve as scholarly role models in research and teaching and to guide the advancement of the department’s or institutional mission.” Selection for the CAREER award is based on two criteria. One of these is “1) a track record of innovative research at the forefront of science, engineering, and technology that is relevant to the mission of the sponsoring organization or institution; and 2) demonstrated community service through scientific leadership, teaching, or community support.”
Ye’s award is titled “CAREER: Data-Driven Prioritization and Control of Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking Water” and consists of a $550,000 grant. His research focuses on detecting “disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which are produced when chlorine and other chemicals interact with organic materials in raw water.” The most commonly studied byproducts include trihalomethanes, such as chloroform and haloacetic acids, which are associated with increased bladder cancer risk and liver toxicity after long-term exposure. Other compounds, such as nitrosamines, are considered potent carcinogens even at very low concentrations, while certain brominated and iodinated byproducts, often associated with coastal or affected source waters, have shown increased toxicity in laboratory studies. ”
Although some DBPs are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they occur at very low concentrations, making them difficult to detect and study. Although researchers have spent decades studying how individual compounds are formed, there are so many possible combinations of chemicals that comprehensive testing is not possible. AI is used to limit the field to contaminants most likely to form under real-world conditions, allowing researchers to study those compounds first. Mr. Ye explains: “Machine learning provides a way to learn from this data, identify patterns, and focus experimental efforts where it matters most.”
After narrowing down the compounds to study, Yeh and his team can investigate why they form and determine how to prevent or mitigate them. Ye’s research findings, published in Environment Science & Technology Letters, can directly help guide water treatment facilities to reduce dangerous chemical reactions while maintaining disinfection effectiveness. Additionally, Yeh’s research findings can be used to shape funding, regulations, and laws, enabling “a future where healthy water is free and available to everyone, rather than limited to expensive bottled brands or mineral springs.”
Ye emphasized that while the focus remains on drinking water, AI will serve as a tool to help refine and drive research to achieve the goal. He summarizes: “AI gives us a clearer picture of our systems, and the deeper we understand them, the better we can protect people.”
It is clear that Ye’s interdisciplinary research demonstrates how the power of AI can be used to streamline the research process.
