Ethan McClintic
Chemical engineering
Hometown: Casa Grande, Arizona, United States
Graduation date: Spring 2026
GCSP research stipend | Fall 2025
Seaweed Uptake of Rare Earth Elements from Wastewater
Traditional wastewater treatment processes are costly and consume a large amount of energy, often neglecting the recovery of valuable materials. This research explores seaweed biomolecules (agarose and alginate) as sustainable biofilters for extracting rare earth elements (REEs) from simulated wastewater. This study measures copper uptake at varying parts per million using glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES) analysis. Results will inform future testing and analysis involving real wastewater samples and multiple-element mixtures, supporting and advancing the implementation of environmentally friendly wastewater management and REE recovery.
Mentor: Nick Rolston
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