Spotlight Profiles
Jian Luo: Modeling a Path to Safe Drinking Water
Hydrogeology expert Dr. Jian Luo joined the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Georgia Tech as an Assistant Professor in spring 2006. A native of Beijing, China, Luo obtained his Ph.D. from Stanford University. His body of research spans groundwater, surface water, hydrogeology, environmental engineering and earth sciences, adding to a strong interdisciplinary team in the Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Water Resources area.
Luo is tracking contaminated groundwater, using mathematical models and computing to assess the contamination process. This work plays a key role in stopping contaminants from spreading and aiding the design of groundwater remediation operations, ultimately making water safe for consumption or irrigation.
“In short, I provide information to experimentalists describing the process of contaminant transport and transformation such as how fast a contaminant is degrading,” said Luo. “Then, experts in other disciplines can design more efficient ways to remediate the subsurface.”
Luo is teaming up with scientists from several universities and governmental organizations tackling discarded uranium left over from the WWII Manhattan Project.
“In the 1940’s, we did not know how to treat or dispose of water contaminated with uranium,” said Luo. “The operation actually spanned 30 years, so this is a significant effort involving many scientists with very diverse expertise.”
Ultimately, the team aims to develop a remediation strategy that can be adopted for use at other sites requiring remediation.
In late 2007, Luo will apply his expertise in another, similarly important and collaborative project. Coastal regions worldwide, especially those susceptible to drought, often come dangerously close to pumping water beyond the natural aquifer, allowing saltwater to intrude fresh water resources.
“The study is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey, and will ultimately help to protect drinking water and crops in these areas.” he said. “My assignment will be to describe the process of saltwater intrusion, which will help others – mainly water resource management experts and policy makers – prevent it from happening.”
More information about Dr. Luo can be found on his CEE faculty page