Mark A Elliott

University of Alabama | UA · Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

Cationic methylene blue (MB) and anionic orange G (OG) dyes were adsorbed using the first-ever synthesized nanocomposite of MXene-AgMOF. At 200 mg/L and 0.01 g, GO-AgMOF, MXene-AgMOF, and AgMOF were able to adsorb 99.9%, 99.0%, and 98.0% of cationic MB dye, respectively, from water. The nanocomposites were characterized both before and after adsorp...

The mutations of bacteria due to the excessive use of antibiotics, and generation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have made the development of new antibacterial compounds a necessity. MXenes have emerged as biocompatible transition metal carbide structures with extensive biomedical applications. This is related to the MXenes' unique combination of...

Wastewater systems (sewered or on-site septic tanks) are failing across the U.S. Economically disadvantaged populations, communities of color, tribal lands, and rural/peri-urban areas are especially vulnerable. Efficient deployment of public and private capital to assure appropriate service levels and affordability is a critical need. We present a...

Biofouling is a pivotal problem for polymeric membranes used in water treatment and reuse. Surface functionalization is a promising practice to improve the resistance of membranes to biofouling. Diverse materials, synthesis methods, and functionalization techniques will be needed to address different applications. Herein, we employed a novel ultras...

Textile wastewater is one of the most challenging streams for wastewater treatment as it is heavily contaminated with solid pollutants such as dyes. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes are a promising method to protect water resources by removing dyes and other organic contaminants from wastewater. In this study, novel NF membranes composed of a thin lay...

Drinking water—a vital part of our ecosystem—is often exposed to contamination through industrialization. Halogenated compounds, for example, trihalomethanes (THMs), are among the most common contaminants, being by-products of water chlorination/treatment. The carcinogenic and health effects of these compounds have motivated scientists to work on t...

Herein, silver-based metal-organic framework (AgMOF) and its graphene oxide (GO)-decorated nanocomposite (GO-AgMOF) are proposed for use in emerging biomedical applications. The nanocomposites are characterized, and hence, in vitro apoptotic and antibacterial features of AgMOF and GO-AgMOF nanomaterials were investigated. An MTT cytocompatibility a...

In this study, modified loose nanofiltration membranes were prepared by in-situ decoration with Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-7 (ZIF-7) on the surface of porous polyethersulfone substrates functionalized with co-deposited sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) zwitterion (ZW) and polydopamine (PDA). With the aid of ZW/PDA active layer co-deposition unde...

It is widely acknowledged that three‐dimensional (3D) printing, or additive manufacturing, will revolutionize many industries. However, the broad implications of 3D printing on water treatment membranes are not appreciated. 3D printing will transform the traditional membrane fabrication methods, reducing costs and industrial waste from manufacturin...

MXenes have significantly impacted materials science and nanotechnology since their discovery in 2011. Theoretical calculations have predicted more than 100 possible compositions of MXenes and lab-scale fabrication of more than 40 MXene structures has been reported to date. The unique characteristics of MXenes have made them an ideal fit for a wide...

The household sanitation target during the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) period used a binary “Improved”/”Unimproved” metric to evaluate progress. The “Unimproved” category was divided into three service levels: Shared Sanitation (facilities acceptable), Unimproved Facilities, and Open Defecation (no facility). Despite these data being publicly...

Membrane fouling is the main bottleneck that restricts the practical applications of membrane processes. In this work, we report an effective and scalable method to reduce the fouling of polyamide thin film composite (TFC) membranes by grafting amine-functionalized nanodiamond (ND) particles. The surface chemistry of ND was modified to improve the...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) encompass a wide range of compounds containing carbon–fluorine bonds. Due the strength of this bond and the high electronegativity of fluorine atoms, PFAS display stability, wettability and other characteristics that are unique for industrial applications and products. However, PFAS induce adverse effects...

Biofouling is a major challenge for desalination, water treatment, and water reuse applications using polymer-based membranes. Two classes of novel silver-based metal azolate frameworks (MAF) are proposed to decorate polyamide (PA) forward osmosis membranes and to improve numerous aspects of fouling and transport. Membranes functionalized with two...

This case studied the treatment of cheese whey wastewater (CWW) from the Kalleh® dairy industry using a membrane bioreactor (MBR). The coagulation process and activated sludge sections eliminated 26% and 75% of organic matter from CWW with chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 10,000 mg/l, respectively. In the MBR, metal-organic framework (MOF)-modified...

Agricultural land use leads to significant changes in both the quality (e.g., sources and compositions) and quantity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems. However, the effect of agricultural activities often interacts with those of hydroclimatic drivers, making it difficult to delineate agriculture-induc...

Ultrafiltration membranes with antifouling and antibacterial properties are greatly beneficial for all industrial applications and to supply safe water worldwide. Improving these properties while maintaining both high productivity and high product water quality remains a challenge. This work proposes the surface functionalization of an ultrafiltrat...

Produced water (PW) generation has been increasing recently due to the expansion of fossil fuel extraction and the aging of oil wells worldwide, especially in the United States. The adverse health risks, seismicity, and environmental impacts associated with PW have become a challenging concern. Therefore, there is increased demand for improved PW t...

Roughly ¼ of U.S. residents (80 million people) lack access to sanitary sewers and are required to treat their wastewater through a permitted onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS). The vast majority use conventional septic systems with subsurface infiltration, which work well under most conditions. However, certain geologic conditions (e.g., im...

In this work, nanorods with highly antibacterial properties were synthesized with silver acetate as a metal source and 2-aminoterephthalic acid as an organic linker, and were then embedded into thin-film composite (TFC) membranes to amend their performance as well as to alleviate biofouling. Silver metal-organic frameworks (Ag-MOFs) nanorods with a...

In this study, a polyamide forward osmosis membrane was functionalized with zwitterions followed by the in-situ growth of metal-organic frameworks with silver as metal core (Ag-MOFs) to improve its antibacterial and antifouling activity. First, 3-bromopropionic acid was grafted onto the membrane surface after its activation with N, N-diethylethylen...

This study investigates the effect of surface functionalization of a thin-film composite forward osmosis membrane with zwitterions and silver-based metal organic frameworks (Ag-MOFs) to improve the antifouling, anti-biofouling, and antimicrobial activity of the membrane. Two types of zwitterions, namely, 3-bromopropionic acid and 1,3-propane sulton...

Adaptation to drought is particularly challenging on remote island atolls, such as those found in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), a nation of 58,000 populating 29 low-lying coral atolls spread over >2 million km². Exposure to consecutive atmospheric hazards, such as meteorological floods and droughts diminish scarce water resources and...

The synthesis of nanostructures with tunable antibacterial properties using green solvents at room temperature is of environmental interest, and antibacterial nanomaterials have application in the fabrication of biofouling-resistant membranes for water purification and wastewater treatment. In this study, we investigate the effect of organic ligand...

Delivering water and sanitation services are challenging in data poor rural settings in developing countries. In this paper we develop a Bayesian Belief Network model that supports decision making to increase the availability of safe drinking water in five flood-prone rural communities in the Solomon Islands. We collected quantitative household sur...

Forward osmosis (FO) is an osmotically driven process widely studied for water desalination, wastewater treatment, and water reuse, as well as dilution and concentration of aqueous streams. However, its application is still hampered by the lack of ideal draw solutes, high-performance membranes, and fouling/biofouling. Biofouling is particularly cha...

The routine use of multiple water sources to meet household water needs is widely practiced and has been reported in many developing countries. However, it is typically neglected by implementers, development organizations, and researchers who tend to focus exclusively on the “main source of drinking water.” In this Perspective, we explain the natur...

Global water research and monitoring typically focus on the household's “main source of drinking-water.” Use of multiple water sources to meet daily household needs has been noted in many developing countries but rarely quantified or reported in detail. We gathered self-reported data using a cross-sectional survey of 405 households in eight communi...

Identifying the source and abundance of sediment transported within tidal creeks is essential for studying the connectivity between coastal watersheds and estuaries. The fine-grained suspended sediment load (SSL) makes up a substantial portion of the total sediment load carried within an estuarine system and efficient sampling of the SSL is critica...

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) lag behind global trends in water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) development. We conducted a systematic search of all English language papers (published before February 2015) about WaSH in PICs to evaluate the state of the peer-reviewed literature and explore thematic findings. A total of 121 papers met the criteria...

The investigation of multiple sources in household water management is considered overly complicated and time consuming using paper and pen interviewing (PAPI). We assess the advantages of computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) in Pacific Island Countries (PICs). We adapted an existing PAPI survey on multiple water sources and expanded it t...

Background: Community water supplies in underserved areas of the United States may be associated with increased microbiological contamination and risk of gastrointestinal disease. Microbial and health risks affecting such systems have not been systematically characterized outside outbreak investigations. The objective of the study was to evaluate...

Description of variables used in analysis. (DOCX)

Cross-sectional Study Questionnaire. (DOCX)

Cross-sectional Study Data Set. (DTA)

Global climate change is projected to adversely impact freshwater resources, and in many settings these impacts are already apparent. In Nigeria, these impacts can be especially severe because of limited adaptive capacity. Understanding the knowledge and attitudes of current and future Nigerian decision-makers is important to preparing Nigeria for...

The biosand filter (BSF) is an intermittently operated, household-scale slow sand filter for which little data are available on the effect of sand composition on treatment performance. Therefore, bench-scale columns were prepared according to the then-current (2006-2007) guidance on BSF design and run in parallel to conduct two microbial challenge...

Temporal and spatial trends for key water quality measures were evaluated in 12 rural drinking water systems within a threecounty study area in Alabama. The water systems varied in size from very small (25-500 people served) to large (10,001-100,000 people served). Large-volume water samples were collected from 10 diverse locations within each syst...

The Pacific region presents some of the lowest water and sanitation coverage figures globally, with some countries showing stagnating or even declining access to improved water and sanitation. In addition, Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are among the most vulnerable countries on the globe to extreme and variable climatic events and sea-level rise...

Household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) provides a solution, when employed correctly and consistently, for managing water safety at home. However, despite years of promotion by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments and others, boiling is the only method to achieve scale. Many HWTS programs have reported strong initial uptake...

Safe drinking water and sanitation are important determinants of human health and wellbeing and have recently been declared human rights by the international community. Increased access to both were included in the Millennium Development Goals under a single dedicated target for 2015. This target was reached in 2010 for water but sanitation will fa...

Although small, rural water supplies may present elevated microbial risks to consumers in some settings, characterizing exposures through representative point-of-consumption sampling is logistically challenging. In order to evaluate the usefulness of consumer self-reported data in predicting measured water quality and risk factors for contamination...

Global climate change (GCC) has led to increased focus on the occurrence of, and preparation for, climate-related extremes and hazards. Population exposure, the relative likelihood that a person in a given location was exposed to a given hazard event(s) in a given period of time, was the outcome for this analysis. Our objectives were to develop a m...

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) are at increased risk of diarrhoeal disease and enteric infection. This review assesses the effectiveness of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions to prevent disease among PLHIV. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, LILACS, Africa-wide, IMEMR, IMSEAR, WPR...

The Water Safety Plan (WSP) methodology, which aims to enhance safety of drinking water supplies, has been recommended by the World Health Organization since 2004. WSPs are now used worldwide and are legally required in several countries. However, there is limited systematic evidence available demonstrating the effectiveness of WSPs on water qualit...

Microbial drinking-water quality testing plays an essential role in measures to protect public health. However, such testing remains a significant challenge where resources are limited. With a wide variety of tests available, researchers and practitioners have expressed difficulties in selecting the most appropriate test(s) for a particular budget,...

Access to safe drinking water is limited in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) at household level is among the primary sources of drinking water in the region and is widely practiced throughout Southeast Asia. It has recently been increasingly advocated as an alternative or supplemental approach to household water supply...

The biosand filter (BSF) is a household slow sand filter that is operated intermittently such that an idle time of typically 18-22 h occurs in between daily charges of water. Virus attenuation during the idle time was investigated over repeated daily filtration cycles to capture the effect of media aging that encompasses processes occurring through...

Aims: Escherichia coli is the pre-eminent microbiological indicator used to assess safety of drinking water globally. The cost and equipment requirements for processing samples by standard methods may limit the scale of water quality testing in technologically less developed countries and other resource-limited settings, however. We evaluate here t...

More than one billion people in the developing world lack access to improved sources of drinking water. This leads to billions of cases of diarrhea and 1.8 million deaths annually. The ideal solution to the problem of unsafe water is to provide universal access to inexpensive, safe, reliable piped water. However, in many nations that reality is dec...

Virus challenge experiments were conducted at full-scale and bench-scale on an intermittently operated household scale slow sand filter popularly known as the biosand filter. Results reported here detail the effect of idle time on the concentration of coliphages PRD-1 and MS2. Benchscale experiments incorporated sampling within the sand bed during...

The lack of safe water creates a tremendous burden of diarrheal disease and other debilitating, life-threatening illnesses for people in the developing world. Point-of-use (POU) water treatment technology has emerged as an approach that empowers people and communities without access to safe water to improve water quality by treating it in the home....

Point-of-use (POU) drinking water treatment technology enables those without access to safe water sources to improve the quality of their water by treating it in the home. One of the most promising emerging POU technologies is the biosand filter (BSF), a household-scale, intermittently operated slow sand filter. Over 500,000 people in developing co...

More than a billion people in the developing world lack access to safe and reliable sources of drinking water. Point of use (POU) household water treatment technology allows people to improve the quality of their water by treating it in the home. One emerging POU technology is the biosand filter (BSF), a household-scale, intermittently operated slo...

Nearly one-fifth of the world's population lacks access to safe, reliable sources of drinking water. Point of use (POU) household water treatment technology allows people to improve the quality of their water by treating it in the home. A promising emerging POU technology is the biosand filter (BSF). The BSF is a household-scale, intermittently ope...