AWWA Water Science Author Spotlight: Mathieu Medina

Having recently published an article in AWWA Water Science, Mathieu Medina answered questions from the publication's editor-in-chief, Kenneth L. Mercer, about the research.

Risks of Stannous Chloride Without Filtration for Hexavalent Chromium Treatment

Anthony Kennedy, Brittany Gregory, Mathieu Medina, Douglas Whichard, Elaine Edjan, Tarrah Henrie, Chad Seidel, and Craig Gorman

Mathieu Medina hiking in Joshua Tree National Park (in California) at Warren Peak.

Mathieu visiting a pilot testing site for hexavalent chromium treatment in the Coachella Valley in Southern California.

Water we drink and use every day comes from somewhere: a lake, river, or underground. Before getting to our faucets, the water is treated to remove harmful or displeasing substances. After being treated, it travels through pipes to arrive at your home and other buildings for your day-to-day use. Whether investigating impacts on that water at the source, treatment techniques to remove substances from the water, or changes to the water as it travels to your home, my work as a water process engineer is to ensure access to safe and clean water for communities.

Working with students in an outreach program as part of the Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists, building their final project and presentation for their water engineering course.

Attending a Colorado Rockies baseball game with Corona colleagues, including coauthors Anthony Kennedy (front, right) and Brittany Gregory (front, third from left).

This study built on questions and concerns identified from previous bench-, pilot-, and full-scale testing to evaluate water quality, aesthetic, and performance impacts on representative premise plumbing materials, fixtures, and appurtenances. The additional analysis of heavy metals showed the accumulation of co-occurring heavy metals in the raw water, such as arsenic and manganese, with tin and chromium.

The speed and frequency of equipment fouling or failure was surprising. This required more day-to-day oversight at the pipe rig than initially expected, including the maintenance and replacement of faucet and sediment filters.

Further exploration with enhanced instrumentation to monitor key parameters in real time. Harvested pipe materials from the distribution system could be used to evaluate the impact of stannous chloride on legacy deposits. Pipe scale analyses in pipe rig studies could be evaluated to further understand tin scaling and plating.

I enjoy spending time outside at a park, on a hike, or biking. My inside hobbies include practicing yoga and trying out new vegan recipes or Caribbean-inspired dishes. During the school year, I volunteer as an advisor and tutor with the Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists outreach program for middle- and high-schoolers, teaching about water engineering and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) topics.

The passion and dedication of other professionals in the world of water excites me to support communities in providing an essential resource and continuing to grow in the field and in my career.

To learn more about Mathieu's research, visit the article, available online at https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1381.