Chloé Fandel, assistant professor of geology, has received a subaward from the University of Minnesota for a project led by Peter Kang, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences. Funded by the 2025 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), “Predicting Contaminant Movement in Minnesota’s Fractured Aquifers” aims to develop a user-friendly software program that will enable users to predict the travel time of contaminants in aquifers. Throughout the project, Fandel will provide technical assistance regarding hydrostratigraphic characterization, assist with data collection to support parameterization of groundwater flow models, and implement tracer tests using multilevel systems to quantify transport parameters and the behavior of aged source zones and plumes in sedimentary rock systems.
The software, which will be validated and packaged for use by state agencies and groundwater consulting companies, will provide water resource managers with critical information and making results more accessible to the public. Contaminants such as PFAS, pathogens, and other harmful compounds present a risk to public health and the environment as groundwater supplies about 80% of Minnesotans’ drinking water and is critically important for irrigation. By predicting the movement of contaminants in Minnesota’s groundwater, users will be better positioned to protect, remediate, and manage the state’s water resources.