The Shah lab focuses its research and educational efforts to better understand how various physical and chemical processes affect water quality in both natural and engineered systems.  Specific interests include (i) evaluating the impact disinfectants have on disinfection by-product (DBP) formation under varying water quality regimes (ii) understanding how photochemical pathways related to UV treatment and during sunlight photolysis alter the fate of contaminants in aqueous systems, (iii) evaluating how chemical and physical properties of contaminants can affect their removal during membrane filtration, especially in nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) treatment, (iv) and investigating how disinfectant application during membrane filtration pre-treatment can alter membrane performance in compromised waters. 

To achieve success in such efforts, we have begun to develop advanced analytical techniques to quantify contaminants at low concentrations in complex matrices so that a fundamental understanding of the reaction kinetics, reaction mechanisms, and mass transport mechanisms involved in these systems can be derived.  It is believed that gaining fundamental understanding of these areas has direct applications to water treatment, water reuse, and desalination.

The lab contains approximately 600 sq. ft of space in Hampton Hall on the West Lafayette campus of Purdue University.  It is equipped with an Agilent 6420 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS including a photodiode array detector wtih ESI and APCI ionization capabilities, an Agilent 7000C Triple Quadrupole GC/MS including a ECD detector with liquid, headspace, and SPME injection capabilities, and a OIA solar simulator.