PhD Student Amanda Sain Travels to the 2014 Water Quality Technology Conference to Present on the Chemical Properties of 4-MCHM

Amanda Sain, Water Interface PhD student, recently traveled to New Orleans, LA to present her research at the 2014 Water Quality Technology Conference ®. The research she presented is an overview of the techniques used to analyze the chemical properties of 4-Methyl-Cyclohexane Methanol (4-MCHM), better known as the chemical that spilled into the Elk River on January 9th of this year. There were many unknowns at the time of the spill including many key properties that define the fate and transport of a chemical after it is introduced to the environment. This research highlighted some of the technical challenges faced when trying to measure those chemical properties and how well predicted values match those measurements. She presented techniques for measuring the octanol-water partitioning coefficient, water solubility, and Henry’s Law constant for 4-MCHM.  These properties have important implications for how 4-MCHM may interact with soils and pipe materials, how much can dissolve in water, and how much will enter the air resulting in odor complaints in the community.

This research was a collaborative effort spearheaded by two Water Interface faculty: Dr. Andrea Dietrich and Dr. Daniel Gallagher.