CEN Graduate Seminar Presentation Dr. Dokou
LIB 128
Nefeli Bompoti
5089996759
nbompoti@umassd.edu
Groundwater Resilience Under Environmental and Human Pressures: From PFAS Contamination to Post-Hurricane Recovery
Groundwater systems are increasingly threatened by the combined effects of human activities, climate variability, and extreme events. This presentation examines two complementary research efforts focused on groundwater contamination and aquifer recovery under different environmental and climatic conditions. The first project investigates the long-term behavior of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) released from historical firefighting activities in Killingworth, Connecticut. Through field characterization, laboratory adsorption experiments, and numerical modeling, the study evaluates PFAS retention in the vadose zone, leaching to groundwater, and the factors controlling contaminant persistence and plume evolution under changing precipitation and pumping conditions. The second project examines the recovery of groundwater resources on Grand Bahama following saltwater intrusion associated with Hurricane Dorian. Field observations, infiltration experiments, and groundwater flow and salt transport modeling are being used to assess the hydrologic controls on aquifer recovery. The project further integrates social-science methods to investigate how post-disaster decisions, stakeholder relationships, and community pressures influence long-term water-resource recovery.
Together, these projects demonstrate the importance of integrating field data, experimental methods, numerical modeling, and stakeholder knowledge to understand groundwater vulnerability and improve resilience. The findings contribute to improved prediction of contaminant movement and aquifer recovery and support the development of scientifically informed and locally appropriate strategies for groundwater management under changing environmental and societal conditions.