Research Interest

Professor Lin’s teaching and research interests cover number of different areas of environmental chemistry. Part of her research group is focused on advanced analytical chemistry, investigating and exploring the occurrence of trace emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, endocrine disruptors, microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. In addition, her research group has been examining the detailed photochemistry and natural attenuation of these contaminants in natural and built aqueous environments. Water/wastewater treatment technology using solar energy with oxidants have been investigated for the sustainable water reuse.  

Environmental occurrence of emerging contaminants (a.k.a. chemicals of emerging concern)   

​Professor Lin and her group established the Laboratory of Emerging Contaminants, which is capable of analyzing hundreds of chemicals—pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) such as antibiotics, painkillers, chemotherapeutic drugs, and hormones; abused substances; sunscreens/UV filters; per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); pesticides; nitrosamines (e.g., NDMA); anticorrosive substances; and nanomaterials—and their transformation byproducts at parts-per-trillion levels in serum, biotissues, sediments, and various aquatic environments.

Phototransformation of emerging contaminants in natural environmnts 

​Photodegradation may be one of the most important elimination process for emerging contaminants in surface waters. Professor Lin’s group investigates various aspects of phototransformation process including direct, indirect photolysis and self-sensitization as well as its interaction with other natural attenuation pathways.

• influence of HCO3- and photosensitizers in river waters 
• photochemistry in the water, solid and suspended phases  
• photolysis byproducts and their associated toxicity  ​

• impact of sunscreen compounds reducing the photochemical behavior of common photosensitizers and organic compounds  
• structure reactivity affecting the MnO2 oxidation 
• harnessing woodchips to remove emerging contaminants through biodegradation and sorption ​

Photochemical reactions and advanced oxidation process in the built systems ​​  

• enhanced photolysis in the presence of free chlorine  
• ​solar photochemical reactor with addition of oxidants   
• photocatalytic decomposition and ozonation of anticancer drugs: effect of common wastewater components and the change of toxicity 
• NDMA formation potential through treatment processes 

Ecotoxicity and human health risks of pharmaceutical mixtures and their transformation byproducts
​
​Hospital effluents are an important source of residual drugs and other classes of pharmaceuticals in aquatic systems. Professor Lin’s group investigates the acute toxicity of the hospital wastewaters as well as the chronic toxicity on the reproduction (first brood time, first brood number and the total live offspring, etc) of pharmaceuticals mixtures to fish.