The model combines real-time and historical data to predict outbreaks and protect public health

Every summer, beach closures disrupt families, harm local businesses and raise public health alarms. Most of the time, the warning comes after it is already too late.

A new artificial intelligence framework developed at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering aims to change that by alerting water managers to E. coli contamination risk before anyone falls sick.

Researchers led by Assistant Professor Nasrin Alamdari developed an AI-powered predictive modeling framework that uses environmental and hydrometeorological data to provide early warnings of Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination in recreational waterways, giving communities a window to act before health risks emerge.

Their model, which was published in Water Research, identified unsafe conditions with approximately 85% accuracy, demonstrating its potential to offer earlier warnings before levels reach unsafe thresholds.

“Beach closures often occur because we detect contamination after water conditions have already become unsafe,” said Alamdari, a researcher in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response (RIDER) Center. “Our goal is to move from a reactive approach to a predictive one, leveraging continuous environmental data, including rainfall, river flow, turbidity, temperature and upstream conditions, to estimate E. coli levels in near real time and up to a day in advance.”

How it works

Traditional water quality monitoring relies on manual sampling followed by laboratory analysis, a process that takes 18 to 24 hours to yield results. By the time a beach or river is closed, swimmers may have already been exposed to dangerous levels of contamination.

The framework developed by researchers uses current and historical environmental data to estimate contamination risk without waiting for lab results. Inputs include upstream hydrologic conditions, streamflow rates, rainfall totals, turbidity readings and water temperature. By combining these variables, the model can flag elevated E. coli risk with 24 hours advance warning.

A 2023 sewage spill that occurred after a malfunction at the Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility illustrates exactly the kind of scenario the model is built to address.

“The 2023 Big Creek sewage spill is an example of how a sudden treatment failure can rapidly contaminate downstream recreational waters,” said Ali Salou Moumouni, a graduate researcher on the project. “Our predictive models use current and past environmental and hydrometeorological data to estimate contamination risk before lab results arrive. By factoring in upstream hydrologic conditions, our model provides earlier warnings and more targeted monitoring, improving preparedness during sudden contamination events.”

Why it matters: Human health impacts and economic costs

E. coli contamination in recreational waterways can infect people swimming there, causing gastrointestinal distress, nausea or fatigue. Vulnerable populations, such as the very young or old, are at greater risk.

The consequences of delayed contamination alerts extend beyond public health. When closures happen unexpectedly, hotels, outfitters and water recreation businesses lose revenue with little warning. Municipalities absorb higher costs from emergency public notifications and increased health incident response.

“Delays expose the public to greater health risks and increase medical expenses from waterborne illness,” Alamdari said. “Local economies that depend on recreation and tourism suffer revenue losses when visitors cancel trips or avoid affected areas, while municipalities incur higher operational costs for water testing and emergency response. Repeated advisories can also erode public trust, leading to longer-term declines in visitation and further economic loss.”

Proactive alerts, by contrast, give businesses and government agencies advance notice, reduce unnecessary closures and help communities protect both public health and economic stability. By shifting from reactive to predictive monitoring, communities can better protect public health while reducing unnecessary closures and improving economic resilience.

Risk factors

The study also documents how land use changes intensify contamination. Between 2007 and 2023, urbanization in the study area increased impervious cover from 24% to 28%, altering runoff pathways, leading to more polluted runoff and higher and more variable E. coli levels in streams.

As precipitation patterns grow less predictable, even moderate rainfall events carry elevated contamination risk in urbanized watersheds. The model accounts for rainfall history, streamflow and watershed wetness indicators to improve prediction during those in-between conditions that traditional models often miss.

“Our findings show that every development decision influences water quality and public health, highlighting the need for green infrastructure,” said Imtiaz Syed Usama, a graduate researcher on the team.

Storms compound the problem. E. coli levels can spike within hours of heavy rainfall, but traditional lab testing is too slow to catch those surges before people enter the water.

“Our model flips the script: by combining rainfall, streamflow, turbidity and other hydrometeorological data, it helps predict E. coli risk in near real time and up to a day ahead, including during extreme weather,” said Nasr Azadani Mitra, a graduate researcher at RIDER. “Communities without routine lab testing can still issue early warnings and protect public health.”

This research was supported by grants from Florida State University.

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As rain falls, lurking within stormwater runoff are hidden microplastics, polluting the water sources they drain into. Even though microplastics originate in urban environments such as cities, existing data sets focus on marine and coastal areas. Without data sources on microplastics in cities, scientists are unable to develop models for predicting stormwater runoff that deal with this pollution.

In a multi-institutional study featuring the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, researchers compiled numerous data sources to develop the Dataset of Urban RUnoff Microplastics (DURUM), a standardized data set compiling research on microplastics in urban stormwater from around the globe. The research, which was published in Scientific Data, enables comparisons across studies and supports drainage infrastructure, urban planning and environmental policy and regulation.

“Plastic pollution creates issues in the environment and human health. To protect ourselves and the world around us, we need to be able to predict the conditions under which microplastics spread and pollute our water,” said study co-author Assistant Professor Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf. “This was not possible until now. We synthesized several different sources to create a standardized data set, DURUM, which will have global impacts.”

How it works

When it rains, stormwater runoff systems quickly drain excess water from streets, protecting buildings and their occupants. Stormwater systems also help filter pollution before it reaches rivers, lakes and oceans.

In the study, the researchers created a global, standardized data set of microplastics in urban runoff, combining information from 180 sampling procedures from 15 countries to create a centralized hub of information on microplastics.

Each entry includes information such as where samples were taken, what microplastics were found in samples, microplastic concentration and more. This study aims to fill the large gap in urban stormwater runoff modeling, which will help in designing reliable stormwater systems to reduce microplastic pollution impacts.

“There are already global data sets on microplastics in marine environments, but our study dives into a completely new area,” Ahmadisharaf said. “Urban areas are unique because they have high populations and high plastic consumption. With our current technology, we cannot quickly and reliably detect these high microplastic concentrations. We need to develop new models and validate them with adequate observed data to predict microplastics in urban stormwater runoff.”

Why it matters

Microplastics are everywhere, and cities are a major source. Wear from tires and plastic accumulation from littering release these tiny fragments into the environment. Effective drainage infrastructure can help prevent microplastic pollution.

By helping scientists understand how microplastics move through urban stormwater systems, DURUM can inform the design of drainage infrastructure and mitigation strategies that more effectively reduce microplastic pollution.

“Right now, there are no established water quality regulations addressing plastics,” Ahmadisharaf said. “As such regulations are developed, it will be essential to identify and understand the sources of microplastics and the pathways through which they are transported into water bodies. This will help us design mitigation and prevention infrastructure to limit export of plastic to water bodies. The data we compiled supports the models that will inform these crucial decisions.”

Future directions

The DURUM system is similar to a map that shows how pollution spreads, guiding researchers to new conclusions for developing improved urban stormwater transport systems.

The data set is public domain, so researchers all over the globe can access it. Ahmadisharaf and colleagues plan to update DURUM as more data is discovered, enhancing it to support modeling research.

“This data set enables new capabilities for validating predictive models. With DURUM, we can be more confident about what our models predict,” Ahmadisharaf said. “It also creates a new understanding of the key drivers of microplastics in urban stormwater runoff and could lead to new insight as we continue to update the data set.”

Acknowledgements

FSU doctoral student Abdul Mobin Ibna Hafiz in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering was the lead author of this work. FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Assistant Professor Jeffrey Farner was a co-author of the study. Researchers from the University of Missouri, Wageningen University, the University of Exeter, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Tsinghua University and Tulane University contributed to this study.

The FSU team’s research was supported by research grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation.

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Before rain begins to fall, scientists and engineers can predict where a storm might cause flooding thanks to advanced modeling and digital simulations that help guide billion-dollar decisions involving infrastructure design, emergency response, land-use planning, insurance, agriculture, water quality and public safety.

But as new models have evolved, they have diverged into narrow applications or found use beyond their intended scope. The result is a missed opportunity to integrate different methods and improve predictions for flood modeling across domains.

New research featuring the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Florida State University’s Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response Center examined several types of flood models to highlight their strengths and weaknesses and to propose a way forward to integrate development of different models. The research was published in Reviews of Geophysics.

The research supports critical decisions that protect the homes, livelihoods, emergency response, insurance markets and more.

“As scientists and engineers pushed forward innovation in flood modeling, their work has diverged into a variety of methods, each with their own strengths and weaknesses,” said Assistant Professor Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf, a co-author on the multi-institution study. “But integrating the improvements of various models is where we can really make the most impact across applications.”

How it works

Flood models are crucial to land use planning, emergency management actions and engineering design. Models can be classified into four types: physics‐based, data‐driven, observational and experimental, and conceptual.

Although all models approximate and simplify the reality of floods and are subject to uncertainty, some trade reliability for efficiency in their computations. Newer models are inclined towards simplified, data-driven methods rather than computational, physics-based approaches because they are easier to implement.

Data-driven models are useful for exploring complex patterns of data and comparing the relationship between flooding and other variables, but these models have limitations when it comes to operational forecasting, design purposes, regulatory hazard analyses and predicting events beyond the conditions represented in their training data because of weak or absent physical constraints. Their generalizability beyond the data they are trained for is also limited.

“These patterns have inherent limitations,” Ahmadisharaf said. “As new methods have developed in isolation from older paradigms, their improvements are siloed within their domains. That limits our ability to better prevent flood events.”

Future directions

The researchers suggest four key directives for future research and development: hybrid frameworks, enhanced physical representation, integration of data-based methods and bridging science and practice.

“We have high-performance computing resources, which could overcome barriers for flood inundation modeling, but there is a trend of using simplified models that don’t take advantage of these new advancements,” Ahmadisharaf said.

Rather than spending resources on overcoming the limitations of simplified methods of flood models, researchers recommended that future developments should emphasize promoting the integration of different methods.

“People use simplified methods because they are faster and easier to implement. With data-driven models, however, there is a greater risk when there are data limitations, because these models are fully dependent on the data. Computational methods understand the physics, but they take longer to run,” Ahmadisharaf said. “Integrating these different models would lead to improvements for both methods.”

Why it matters

Refining flood modeling systems is crucial to not overextending them beyond their actual capabilities. These systems support critical decision making, so they need to be accurate and reliable.

“Flood modeling supports decisions for damage reduction, infrastructure design and more,” Ahmadisharaf said. “We aim to make scientists rethink the direction that flood modeling is going, and not use simplified, data-driven methods as a replacement for computational models. We need to use these models to support each other, so that we can better predict flooding events and protect our infrastructure and communities.”

Researchers from Bristol University, University of Alabama, University of Central Florida, Purdue University, University of California, Irvine, U.S. Army Engineer Research Development Center, the University of Tokyo, US-based company Halff and UK-based company Fathom contributed to this study.

Ahmadisharaf’s research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

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Florida faces hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms and flooding almost every year. As the state continues to recover from natural disasters like these, scientists look for ways to reduce damage and improve preparedness.  

Eren Erman Ozguven is an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Director of the Resilient Infrastructure & Disaster Response (RIDER) Center. His research focuses on transportation engineering in crisis situations, especially amongst aging populations.  

Ozguven recently discussed how his research helps communities prepare for and recover from disasters. 

How does your research serve Floridians?
My research tries to answer the question: “How can we develop new, community-engaged analytical approaches for addressing complex disaster resilience problems that consider population density, environment and infrastructure, as well as compounding disasters such as hurricanes, pandemics and wildfires?” 

Florida is uniquely vulnerable to natural disasters. It is an ideal place to study the physical, social and environmental dynamics of resilience. The insight from my research improves our understanding of emergency response operations in both urban and rural areas and helps shape disaster management plans across Florida and beyond.  

Involving undergraduate and graduate students in this work has also helped develop a multidisciplinary workforce equipped to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world. 

I have built a collaborative research and education program that strives to address growing mobility, safety, accessibility, sustainability and resilience challenges facing communities. Through RIDER, I’ve formed partnerships with researchers in psychology, sociology, public policy, communications, urban and regional planning, geography, computer science, agriculture, medicine, social work, fine arts, history, interior design, oceanography and several engineering fields. Together, we work on projects that strengthen disaster resilience and inform targeted policies and plans. 

How can engineers help predict traffic patterns and routes in emergencies?
Engineers develop the technologies to track hurricanes and tornadoes that affect millions of people in the U.S. every year and cause billions of dollars in losses. Florida is especially vulnerable. Hurricanes Michael and Irma, for example, caused major damage to infrastructure.  

With support from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy, my team uses GIS-based spatial and statistical analysis to study how hurricane-related road closures affect communities. We factor in power outages, downed trees, storm surge and flood zones. By analyzing high-resolution satellite images, we develop models that strengthen transportation network resilience. 

These tools help us understand traffic patterns during past evacuations and apply data-driven methods to improve future emergency planning. 

How do RIDER Center resources enhance your research?
Our team at RIDER conducts research that has a real-world impact on communities facing challenges in the aftermath of a crisis, from hurricanes to pandemics. We take an interdisciplinary approach that combines technology, data and new methods for infrastructure management, economic efficiency and environmental protection. 

At the intersection of engineering, science and people, RIDER connects my research with partners across the public, private, nonprofit and academic sectors. The Center also offers cutting-edge tools such as driving simulations and virtual reality that support research in infrastructure operations, real-time monitoring and experimentation. 

How has RIDER partnered with governments and companies to improve disaster responses?
Communities face increasingly complex challenges from co-occurring or back-to-back disasters, and emergency plans must adapt. RIDER helps build multidisciplinary research teams that develop solutions to these problems. 

The center coordinates with local governments, state agencies and community partners to remove barriers and improve emergency response. We have 16 affiliated faculty researchers and five established research labs, including the Laboratory of Advanced Operations Research and Resilience Applications, the Methane Emission Reduction Initiative, the Laboratory for Resilient Materials and Structures, the Laboratory for Sustainable Infrastructure Management and the Water Sustainability and Coastal Hazards Laboratory. These partners focus on finding solutions to regional research matters such as designing resilient structures, improving roads, recycling hurricane debris, solving decision-making problems in supply chain management, improving water infrastructure in the face of floods and reducing methane emissions in landfills.  

RIDER recently received a grant under NSF’s Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education program. This project brings together FSU’s engineering, computer science, earth science and social work experts with regional planning councils and nonprofits to provide Florida agencies with science-based tools to better respond to wildfires. 

 How do you bring your experience and research into the classroom?
I believe real-life experience and research enhance learning. While I make sure students understand the theory behind engineering concepts, I also encourage them to think about real-world applications and use technology like geographical information systems and artificial intelligence tools. I often collaborate with local stakeholders and invite them to speak in class. We focus on community problems such as preparation and response and encourage students to think critically and develop creative solutions.

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The number of dams in the United States at risk of overtopping is increasing, threatening their structural integrity and downstream communities, according to new research from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.

The study, published in Nature Communications, examined data from 33 dams over 50 years to determine how overtopping probability changed since 1973. The research found an increasing trend in the number of dams exhibiting critical overtopping probabilities (low, moderate and high) and a decline in the number of dams with non-critical overtopping probabilities (very low).

“Decades ago, dam builders used the best available technology knowledge, but things have been changing, so aging infrastructure is something that is a concern,” said paper co-author Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf, an assistant professor in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response Center. “In this study, we showed where hazards from overtopping are greatest, both because of risk of occurrence and possible consequences. It is a guide to where infrastructure spending could have the greatest impact.”

WHAT THEY DID
There are more than 90,000 dams of varying sizes in the country. The researchers narrowed their study to a smaller subset of about 130 sites that had at least 50 years of publicly available water level data. From this subset, they excluded dams influenced by upstream regulation or those with water level data lacking statistical independence. That left them with 33 sites for their study.

The team analyzed water level data from various dams and compared that information with the dam crest height. They examined every 30-year period within the larger 50 years of data to estimate how the probability of overtopping changed over time.

Of the 33 dams studied, 30 dams were classified as large, with crest heights greater than 15 meters, according to the criteria by the International Commission on Large Dams. Thirty-one dams were also classified as “high hazard” by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), meaning their failure could result in loss of life. 

The six dams with the highest probability and the closest downstream cities were located in Texas, Kansas and California:

• Canyon Dam: New Braunfels, Texas
• Kanopolis Dam: Marquette, Kansas
• Milford Dam: Junction, Kansas
• Somerville Dam: Somerville, Texas
• Whiskeytown Dam: Anderson, California
• Whitney Dam: Waco, Texas

“We have to plan upfront for this potential risk,” Ahmadisharaf said. “This information can help dam managers to consider whether they need to revisit their emergency action plans and strategy for operating dams.”

WHY IT MATTERS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Overtopping occurs when stored water exceeds the capacity of a reservoir and spills over the top. This does not necessarily result in immediate damage or failure, but it weakens the dam structure and can increase the risk of catastrophic failure if it continues. Overtopping due to inadequate spillway design, debris blockage of spillways or settlement of the dam crest accounts for about 34% of all U.S. dam failures, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.

Many U.S. dams were built nearly a century ago. Aging construction and changing hazards add to the risk for this crucial infrastructure. In its 2025 infrastructure report card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave U.S. dams a D+ rating, underscoring the urgency of reassessment and modernization.

This study only considered water levels and dam height. Other factors that influence the likelihood of overtopping include spillway capacity, sedimentation buildup and the rate of inflow, but data for those components was unavailable. The article also focused on the overtopping probability but did not estimate potential consequences and risks. Future research that considers those elements would add to the study’s rigor.

“This study represents the first step toward a comprehensive assessment of dam overtopping probabilities in the U.S. Understanding this potential risk is crucial for protecting communities and prioritizing dam rehabilitation before catastrophic failures occur,” said co-author Eunsaem Cho, a former FSU postdoctoral researcher who is now a research associate at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

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Cody O’Brien, a Florida State University civil and environmental engineering student in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, researches how architectural materials can use invasive species as an additive, making building materials stronger and mitigating an environmental issue at the same time.

As a member of the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and an IDEA Grant award winner, he was able to develop and test these ideas further.

O’Brien was drawn to FSU’s vibrant campus life, research and networking opportunities, and location near downtown Tallahassee and the Florida Capitol. He uses his research to engage in the community by advocating for legislation that protects the environment. He serves the Big Bend area by educating young students about the importance of the environment and working with environment-based community service projects.

What attracted you to Florida State University?

Florida State University first drew me in with its vibrant campus and social life. Through its location at Innovation Park, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering has close connections with research facilities like the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the High-Performance Materials Institute and the Resilient Infrastructure & Disaster Response Center, which gave me many opportunities to build my engineering and research career. Florida State provides so many opportunities for research to undergraduates, through programs like UROP and the IDEA Grant. There are countless opportunities to build community service experience as well, as I have through the Environmental Service Program and Surfrider. There are also opportunities to work for FSU, as I have at the ACE Learning Studio as a tutor.

What are some of your proudest academic achievements at FSU?

I participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, where I worked with FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Professor Sungmoon Jung, a graduate student and two undergraduates to design, create and test clay bricks enhanced with small amounts of algae. We saw an improvement in strength and are working toward a publication.

During the summer of 2024, I completed an IDEA Grant project with Associate Professor Qian Zhang in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. I performed the first documented extraction of cellulose nanocrystals from the invasive algae species Sargassum muticum, commonly known as Japanese wireweed. I examined these extracts with transmission electron microscopy and other methods and summarized these findings in an article that is pending submission in The Owl, FSU’s undergraduate research journal.

How have you engaged in the Tallahassee and FSU community?

Through the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental organization that works to protect and preserve the world’s oceans, I participated in 2023 Coastal Recreation Hill Day, where we met state lawmakers at the Florida Capitol and discussed key environmental and water-related legislation. The two bills we advocated for passed later that year. Through our work, Floridians can enjoy improved environmental and water protections.

Also, through the Environmental Service Program at FSU, I became involved in numerous environment-related community service projects in the Big Bend area. These projects included invasive species removal, native plant preservation, habitat restoration, beach and park cleanup/maintenance, water monitoring and educational outreach.

I am actively involved in the newly established Astronomy Club at FSU, where we coordinate dark-sky events during significant astronomical occurrences. I enjoy bringing my telescope and being engaged in public outreach initiatives.

How has your research and community service positively impacted students in Tallahassee?

I am optimistic that my discovery in nanocellulose extraction from Sargassum muticum could open the door to more research in finding sustainable uses of invasive plant species. As of this year, there is another student at FSU continuing research on nanocellulose extraction and testing.

One of the more memorable community service projects I participated in was the creation of a native species garden at a school in Wakulla County. Projects like these will help ensure that conservation efforts are passed down through generations.

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Florida State University researchers are developing innovative technology to make intersections safer by aiming to reduce crashes and save lives.

A team of researchers from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is exploring how existing technology and new algorithms can prevent potential crashes at intersections and pave the way for smarter, safer roads.

“Millions of vehicles move through intersections every day. Our goal is to make that process safer,” said Olugbenga Moses Anubi, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and member of the research team.

About 25% of traffic deaths and half of all traffic injuries in the United States are attributed to intersections, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

HOW IT WORKS:
The team’s solution to the problem of intersection danger is called PREDISS, or the Predictive Intersection Safety System.

PREDISS combines data-driven analytics with physics-based methods to improve road safety. The system follows four key phases: identify, predict, anticipate, and warn/mitigate.

With initial funding awarded in 2024, the researchers used existing collision data and autonomous vehicle systems to develop an algorithm capable of predicting vehicle trajectories and identifying potential conflicts. PREDISS uses sensors, cameras, wireless technology and artificial intelligence to track vehicles and pedestrians approaching an intersection, allowing it to predict their trajectories and identify potential conflicts in real-time.

Now they are moving to the next phase — anticipation.

In collaboration with the City of Tallahassee’s Regional Transportation Management Center, the team will install PREDISS at a live traffic intersection to monitor real-time conditions. This setup will generate scenarios for testing algorithms and help researchers refine predictive models and develop proactive safety measures.

The final phases — warning and mitigation — will depend on data from the live intersection testing. Future implementations could include adaptive warning alarms, additional red-light enforcement and even automated intervention in autonomous vehicles to prevent collisions.

The hardware PREDISS uses has mostly been developed, which will help smooth the process for deploying and testing the system.

“We’re taking existing tools and applying them in creative ways to help solve this problem,” said project member Ren Moses, a FAMU-FSU College of Engineering professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

WHO’S INVOLVED:
Anubi and Moses are working with Paul Bupe Jr., a research faculty member dedicated to PREDISS, and Joshua Hollingsworth, manager of traffic operations for the City of Tallahassee.

Working with the city allows the researchers to collect data from a real-world scenario, helping to validate their algorithms and ensure that their system can handle the many unforeseen challenges presented by a busy intersection.

“Our cooperation with the city is a great example of how researchers can partner with outside collaborators and stakeholders to meet shared goals,” Anubi said. “This testing really accelerates the process of making PREDISS into a working system that can be used anywhere to improve traffic safety.”

This research is the second stage in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Intersection Safety Challenge. After winning Stage 1A of the 2024 U.S. Department of Transportation’s Intersection Safety Challenge, the team has now won the 2025 Stage 1B tier II prize. These achievements have brought in $266,666 in funding to advance their project, which integrates AI-driven technology with physics to enhance road safety.

“We are grateful to be in Florida, where the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), invests heavily in smart traffic management systems, such as traffic cameras, real-time traffic data and intelligent transportation systems to reduce congestion and improve safety,” Anubi said. “We hope to partner with FDOT in making our roadways, intersections and traffic systems as safe as possible.”

WHY IT MATTERS:
Fatal crashes in intersections take thousands of lives every year — more than 12,000 in 2022, the latest year with data available on the Federal Highway Administration website.

Engineering has a major role to play in mitigating those crashes. Changing the design of intersections is one potential alternative, but that option is not possible for every site, and even in newly engineered intersections, other technologies can continue improving safety.

“Traveling our roadways should be as stress-free and safe as possible,” Anubi said. “The opportunity to help improve safety on roads where we live and where our family and friends travel nearly every day emphasizes the importance of this project.”

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A study on microplastics published last week shows that levels of plastic particles were about 50% higher in brain samples from 2024 compared to 2016.

Research into the health effects of microplastics and nanoplastics is still emerging as the body of work is less than a decade old. Higher concentrations of plastics in our environment are linked to their larger presence in humans.

Florida State University Associate Professor Gregg Stanwood is a developmental neuropharmacologist and behavioral neuroscientist in the College of Medicine. He said the microplastics study raises key questions about the effect of plastics on our health, but cautions more research is needed to better understand the consequences.

“Initial indications from research studies in people, as well as model organisms like isolated cells, zebrafish and rodents, suggest that microplastic exposures contribute to increased risk of serious health conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases,” said Stanwood. “It’s too soon to quantify the exact degree of those increased risks.”

Civil & Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Jeffrey Farner has expertise in microplastics and nanoplastics, and is focused on their detection, prevalence and exposure. He explains that their omnipresence in today’s environment is due to two factors.

“The first is that global plastic production continues to increase. Approximately 400 million tons of plastics are produced annually, and this number has increased year on year,” Farner said. “The second reason is that plastic use leads to release into the environment both intentionally and due to mismanagement or poor waste streams.”

Media with questions on the health-related concepts of the microplastics study can contact Stanwood at gregg.stanwood@med.fsu.edu.

Farner is available to answer questions on the environmental impact of microplastics and can be contacted at jfarner@eng.famu.fsu.edu.

Gregg Stanwood, Associate Professor, FSU College of Medicine

Should consumers exercise any caution when it comes to using plastic materials?

“Unfortunately, microplastics and other pollutants are fairly pervasive in our environment. Nevertheless, there are some actions consumers can take to reduce their exposure, including avoiding single-use plastics like cups, eating utensils and straws. Re-usable ones are better. People should also avoid microwaving food in plastic containers and avoid foods with excessive plastic packaging. Support the continuation and expansion of large well-controlled studies at the national level to allow these innovative researchers to continue this important work.”

 Jeffrey Farner, Assistant Professor, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

The study makes it clear that microplastic levels continue to rise. How have microplastics become so prevalent?

“We produce more plastic. and we don’t have a closed loop. A key aspect is that microplastics exist either as intentionally produced or as a result of weathering or breakdown of larger plastics. Relatively few microplastics are intentionally produced. But, while a plastic bottle or bag is not intentionally produced to be a microplastic, if that plastic is littered or left out in the environment, it’s going to become brittle and break down, releasing microplastics.

 “These microplastics will themselves break down into smaller microplastics and nanoplastics with time and exposure to UV light, heat and other stresses. Plastic doesn’t degrade in the environment and cease to be plastic; it breaks down into microplastics and nanoplastics. Which means one individual piece of plastic – be it a bag, a bottle, packaging, construction material, plastic landscape fabric, etc., can become millions or billions of tiny particles that are then carried by the wind, dispersed in water, or get mixed into our soils.”

 While much more data remains to be seen, what do we know right now about human exposure to microplastics?

“Human exposure comes from an incredibly wide variety of sources, but they all basically come down to what we breathe and what we ingest. Our skin is generally quite good at keeping particles out of the body. Airborne microplastics and nanoplastics exist as small particles and fibers that then are either inhaled, or deposited onto food or into liquids and are ingested. Inhaled microplastics can enter the lungs, and smaller particles are more apt to travel deeper into the lungs and alveoli. For ingested particles, estimates have suggested that we may consume the equivalent of a credit card (approximately 5 grams) a week. These come from plastics found in the food and drinks we consume as well as deposited airborne particles.”

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A breakthrough technique for predicting extreme weather events in South Florida has emerged from researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. The innovation specifically addresses the challenges of forecasting extreme heat and heavy rainfall.

“Many of the techniques used in climate downscaling and bias correction research are limited in prediction of extreme weather events,” said Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf, lead researcher at the joint college’s Resilient Infrastructure & Disaster Response (RIDER) Center. “They use methods that give us the big picture but have limitations.”

The research, published in the American Geophysical Union’s Earth’s Future journal, introduces a hybrid statistical technique that promises more accurate climate predictions for local communities and infrastructure planning.

ADVANCING WEATHER PREDICTION MODELS
The study revealed that while current bias correction techniques effectively predict light and moderate rainfall and average temperatures, they fall short when forecasting extreme weather events. To address this gap, researchers developed a technique called EQM-LIN (Empirical Quantile Mapping with Linear correction).

Using data from 20 weather stations across South Florida, the new method combines two statistical approaches to provide more precise climate projections than existing global climate models.

“We found the hybrid technique is especially good at predicting extreme climate variables, namely precipitation and air temperature,” Ahmadisharaf said. “Our projection shows that in the future, South Florida will likely experience slight decreases in precipitation in the summer and an increase in the fall.”

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
The research has immediate practical value for infrastructure planning and community protection. The technique helps stakeholders identify areas vulnerable to potential flooding and assess at-risk infrastructure.

“The results can bolster the resilience of our infrastructure and local communities against climate-related hazards,” Ahmadisharaf said.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS
The multi-station analysis approach offers a promising framework for understanding and preparing for future climatic challenges, but researchers acknowledged that ongoing refinement of the statistical bias correction technique is necessary. Future studies may incorporate regional climate models for even more precise local projections.

“Further improving the bias correction of extreme events and investigating the structure of compound climatic events under future climate remains a priority,” said lead author and postdoctoral researcher Leila Rahimi.

The project, partially funded by an Everglades Foundation fellowship, will expand beyond South Florida with support from the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM).

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH EFFORT
The study brought together experts from multiple institutions, including FAMU-FSU Engineering’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department; Florida State University’s Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science; the University of California, Irvine; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Jackson State University; and the South Florida Water Management District.

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A new study led by the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering will probe the hidden stresses lurking beneath Florida’s building and bridge foundations.

Thousands of structures throughout Florida are supported on columns bored into soil and limestone formations. Research by Assistant Professor Scott Wasman will use fiber optic sensing to examine how the construction processes and geology affect the stresses that develop in those foundations, helping improve safety and reliability for future structures.

“Foundations carry the weight of an entire structure,” Wasman said. “The more we understand about the interaction between the foundation and the geologic material, the better we will be at designing and maintaining structures.”

Many buildings and bridges rest on a type of foundation called a pile foundation, which consist of many long cylinders bored into the ground to provide stable support for the structure above. Those piles are made of steel-reinforced concrete. When poured concrete cures and hardens, it undergoes a chemical reaction that generates heat. That heat radiates through nearby limestone and soil, which controls the heat dissipation through inherent thermal conduction properties. Limestone and soil may shrink or expand in response to heat. All of this can cause stress within the curing foundation.

Research by Wasman and colleagues will examine how the thermal conductivity and expansion/contraction properties of limestone and soil influence the amount and direction of axial stress in the piles. They will also investigate how to account for these factors in the design of bored pile foundations.

HOW IT WORKS
Wasman and his students will use fiber optic sensing installed in piles to collect data on thermal and mechanical strains over hundreds of points within bored pile foundations. They will deploy it at various locations along the Atlantic coast and in South Florida. The piles will be tested for their load capacity, and the data will show where significant stress is occurring.

Wasman and his students will perform laboratory tests on the pile’s concrete and the limestone and soil samples to measure thermal induced strains using high resolution fiber optic sensing. This will create the first-of-its-kind data set specific to Florida design practice and inform future research into design methods that may account for near future warming climate conditions.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Thousands of structures in Florida rest on foundations built into limestone, which is especially common in South Florida. Understanding how practices and processes such as concrete curing affect foundation integrity is crucial to structural safety. Improved design methods which account for all influencing factors are better tools for engineers to use and reduce risk.

WHO IS FUNDING?
The Florida Department of Transportation is supporting the study with about $429,000 in funding. Wasman is the co-principal investigator in partnership with researchers at the University of Florida. Funds from FSU allowed him to purchase the fiber optic system that will be used in the research.

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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine awarded a FAMU-FSU College of Engineering faculty member a Gulf Research Program Early-Career Research Fellowship, which recognizes researchers who demonstrate exceptional leadership and promise for contributions to the fields of offshore energy system safety, community health or environmental stewardship.

Fellowship honoree Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf, an assistant professor in the college’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Resilient Infrastructure & Disaster Response Center, or RIDER, focuses his work on predicting floods and nonpoint source pollution under a changing climate and land cover. His research supports decisions related to civil infrastructure design, flood mitigation and water pollution control.

“I’m very honored and thankful for the recognition of my work,” he said. “Through complex technical analyses and computational models, I hope this research will inform better decisions aimed at protecting human health and enhancing community resilience against the climatic hazards of flooding in regions across the Gulf.”

Ahmadisharaf is the third faculty member in Florida State University history to be awarded this prestigious national fellowship.

“Professor Ahmadisharaf is helping to make communities safer, healthier and more resilient through his research,” said Suvranu De, dean of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. “This recognition is a testament to his hard work and to the impact it has on the Gulf Coast and the nation.”

The fellowship supports emerging scientific leaders as they take on new research, pursue unique collaborations and build a network of colleagues working to improve the resilience of coastal communities and ecosystems. The fellowship provides support for scientists, engineers, and health professionals at the critical pre-tenure phase of their careers. Fellows receive a two-year grant to fund research expenses and professional development.

The program funds researchers whose work aims to improve the well-being of coastal communities and ecosystems with the goal of generating long-term benefits for the Gulf of Mexico region and the nation. The program features four tracks: human health and community resilience, environmental protection and stewardship, education research, and offshore energy safety.

For the 2024-2026 application cycle, the human health and community resilience track focused on work that contributes to understanding the role that resilience-based interventions play in addressing the root causes of climate, disaster and/or health vulnerability that are associated with health disparities in communities throughout the Gulf of Mexico region.

Ahmadisharaf’s research centers on creating quantitative frameworks that enhance the predictive capabilities for characterizing flooding and surface water quality, as well as their impacts on human health under climate change. Recent projects have helped to quantify how flooding after hurricanes contributes to mold growth in homes and examined how pesticide and fertilizer transport, water pollution and threats to groundwater impact South Florida waterways.

“Although this work starts with modeling environmental systems, the ultimate purpose is to better understand how those systems impact human health,” he said. “That understanding informs decisions that can improve health and quality of life for millions of people.”

Ahmadisharaf joined FSU as a research faculty member in 2020 and was named an assistant professor in 2024. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Sharif University of Technology in Iran and a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from Tennessee Technological University.

Visit Ahmadisharaf’s research website to learn more about his work. Visit the National Academies website to learn more about the Early-Career Research Fellowship.

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Microplastic pollution is a significant environmental problem that harms animals and people and affects ecosystems worldwide. These tiny pieces of plastic, smaller than five millimeters, are pushed by wind and water to move around the globe.

Nasrin Alamdari, an assistant professor in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is on a mission to learn more about microplastics and how they move.

In research published in Environmental Pollution, she helped examine how shape, size and density affect the speed at which microplastic particles sink, which affects how widely they are dispersed by stormwater.

“Not all microplastics move through water in the same way,” Alamdari said. “We need to know more about environmental degradation of microplastics and how they are transported in urban stormwater. This research helps us predict the paths different particles will take, which gives engineers a better understanding of how to capture this pollution.”

The researchers examined how microplastics move from cities into our water systems when it rains. They used modeling to understand how these tiny plastics are transported in urban areas and how their tendency to sink or float affected their travel path.

The study found that the shape of microplastics — like fibers, sheets, and small bits — plays a big role in how fast they sink, especially as they get larger. Smaller plastics tend to float along with the water, while larger ones are affected by their shape, size, and the water flow conditions.

More than 80% of the plastic introduced into the marine environment comes from inland sources, fueling a big push to find long-term solutions for this growing problem. Hard surfaces in cities make it easy for microplastics to be washed into rivers and lakes, which is bad for organisms and can also affect human health.

“Urban areas, with their impervious surfaces, facilitate the rapid transportation of these microplastics into nearby water bodies, leading to contamination of aquatic ecosystems and potential risks to public health,” Alamdari explained.

Everything from residential, industrial and commercial entities to roads and highways contributes to microplastic pollution released in urban stormwater runoff. Even wind can transport light and tiny microplastics. By studying the material’s density, shape and size, scientists can model how these microplastics travel through the environment, informing strategies to integrate infrastructure into traditional stormwater management practices.

“Permeable pavements, rain gardens and vegetated swales could be strategically deployed to reduce the transport of microplastics by enhancing filtration, trapping these particles before they reach storm drains,” Alamdari said. “The slope of the land and the roughness of surfaces can affect how microplastics move. Knowing this, city planners can design better green spaces and stormwater systems to trap microplastics.”

Co-authors on this study were from the University of Missouri, the Missouri Water Center and Imam Khomeini International University in Iran. Arghavan Beheshtimaal, from the University of Missouri, is the paper’s main author. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation.

For more about the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, visit eng.famu.fsu.edu.

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