Detecting emerging contaminants in real time with AI-enabled sensors
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CME Assistant Professor Ahmed Abokifa and Chemical Engineering Professor Brian Chaplin are partnering with Jeffrey Elam at Argonne National Laboratory on a new research collaboration to accelerate discovery at the intersection of artificial intelligence, data science, and the natural sciences.
The researchers are combining AI with advanced multi-electrode sensor arrays to detect and quantify emerging chemical contaminants in complex water systems. Those contaminants include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in nature and are linked to health risks.
By using AI-based pattern recognition and advanced sensing tools, the project aims to improve the speed and accuracy of contaminant detection in real-world water samples.
“The goal is to enable faster and more accurate monitoring of water quality using advanced AI methods,” said Abokifa, director of the Smart Water Infrastructure Modeling Laboratory at UIC. “The long-term vision is to help utilities, regulators, and researchers identify contaminants more quickly and make better-informed decisions to protect water quality and public health.”
The collaboration will also benefit UIC students by creating opportunities to engage in hands-on laboratory research and by bringing emerging discoveries from the project into the classroom as the work progresses.
The project is one of three supported through the inaugural Convergence Intelligence Seed Funding Program, backed by the George Crabtree Institute for Discovery.
The program aims to spark high-impact ideas by bringing together Argonne’s expertise in advanced computing and UIC’s strengths across scientific and engineering disciplines. The project is supported by a two-year, $225,000-per-year joint investment from UIC and Argonne.
The institute honors the legacy of George Crabtree, a pioneering scientist at Argonne and UIC known for advancing energy storage and materials research while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. It continues that mission by supporting partnerships that push the boundaries of science and deliver tangible benefits to society.