Associate Professor Fernando Rosario-Ortiz's work was featured on NPR. Specializing in wastewater chemistry, Rosario-Ortiz has led two rounds of initial testing of Puerto Rico's water, showing possible lead contamination.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Rosario-Ortiz and his team led a project evaluating the changes in water quality in Puerto Rico. Together with Professor听Mark Hernandez and working with colleagues at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and the University of Texas, they evaluated the water quality at more than 50 sites throughout the island. The work, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, examined both chemical and microbiological water quality. As part of the work, the team evaluated the levels of lead in potable waters. Additional work is being conducted on this topic.