Welcome to the Volponi Lab —  We predict contaminant fate and transport in waterways

From our rivers and lakes to the groundwater beneath our feet, human activities introduce a wide range of pollutants into the water we depend on. It is often hard to predict where these pollutants end up or how to control them. These environments are a patchwork of different physical, chemical, and biological conditions, so it's often hard to predict where pollutants will end up or how to control them. But that same variability also gives nature ways to trap and break down pollutants on its own. 

Our goal is to better understand how the environment naturally holds onto and breaks down pollutants, so we can build better tools to predict risk and design improved remediation strategies. 

The lab's current research explores riverbeds as hotspots for natural nitrogen degradation, uses DNA measurements in riverbed sediment to infer the location of rare species, examines the risk of antibiotic-resistant genes spreading through agricultural soil, describes chemical reaction delays due to the slow mixing of reactants in soils, and investigates the ability of soils to filter out small particles like microplastics and viruses.

To find out more about our projects, visit the Research page.

Our Approach

If you are interested in joining the team, email Dr. Volponi at svolponi@ksu.edu