Bio
Hometown: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Beckman Scholars Program Project Title: “Degradation of Perfluoroalkyl compounds by interfacial reactions between a non-equilibrium plasma and water.”
Mentor: R. Mohan Sankaran, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Beckman Scholars Program Project Details
Elevator Speech
Drinkable water is a precious commodity: though the majority of our planet is covered with water, only 2.5% is freshwater. These freshwater supplies are further polluted by artificial contaminants such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical used in industry. Our lab is currently developing a system that utilizes atmospheric plasmas to break down these contaminants, using PFOA as a basis. These results demonstrate that plasmas can provide sufficient energy to break down these contaminants, but we still need to investigate the plasma-formed species that degrades these chemicals. Through this project, we hope to introduce a system that can eradicate several contaminants, ensuring the cleanliness of one of our most valuable resources.
Reflection
"Through my time as an undergraduate researcher, I’ve learned how to organize my time effectively. After talking with my PIs, I began to create a separate document outlining my tasks and how they fit into weekly and overall goals of the project. In addition, I write a reflection after I finish experiments about what I did and items I should complete next, as well as anything unexpected that occurred.
Part of the research experience is to experience setbacks: my own experiments conflicted with what the literature stated from time to time, which required further investigation. Over time, I’m still learning to accept that I may have erred in some step of my experiment, which may have compromised the results I’m obtaining. Despite this, I’m also learning to have more trust in my own ability. As a researcher, my own duties are to study and contribute to my specialized field, which may include disputing or adding onto other findings."
Presentations
- Pataroque, Kevin. "Affinity-based purification of Actinides and Lanthanides. Oral Presentation, CWRU Intersections: SOURCE Symposium and Poster Session, Cleveland, OH, May 2021.
- Pataroque, Kevin; Sankaran, Mohan; Duval, Christine. “Elucidation of Radical Species in an Electrolytic Non-equilibrium Plasma-Water System” American Institute of Chemical Engineers Poster Symposium, San Francisco, CA, November 2020.
- Pataroque, Kevin; Sankaran, Mohan; Duval, Christine. “Elucidation of Radical Species in an Electrolytic Non-equilibrium Plasma-Water System” CWRU Intersections: SOURCE Symposium and Poster Session, Cleveland, OH, December 2020.
- Pataroque, Kevin; Sankaran, Mohan; Duval, Christine. “Degradation of Perfluoroalkyl Compounds by Interfacial Reactions between a Non-Equilibrium Plasma and Water” Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation, Irvine, CA, August 2020.
- Pataroque, Kevin; Mann, Aaron; Thompson, Peter; Rhoads, Kurt. “No Waste, Problem Aced: Optimizing Beneficial Reuse of Biosolids Prior to BNR Upgrades.” Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference, New Orleans, LA, August 2020.
- Pataroque, Kevin; Sankaran, Mohan; Duval, Christine. “Degradation of Perfluoroalkyl Compounds by Interfacial Reactions between a Non-Equilibrium Plasma and Water” CWRU Intersections: SOURCE Symposium and Poster Session, Cleveland, OH, May 2020.
Honors and Awards
- AICHE Environmental District: 1st Place Undergraduate Poster Award
- CWRU ChBE Communication to Public Award, NESOWEA Student Design Challenge Winner: Wastewater District
- Case Alumni Association Junior/Senior Scholarship
- Staff Reporter for The Observer, Case Western Reserve University student-run newspaper