Kyungwon “Won” Kwak

Research Interests

Research Keywords: Aqueous chemistry, River water – Groundwater Interaction, Arsenic in Groundwater in Bangladesh

I am interested in water chemistry, river water – groundwater interaction, geochemistry, stable isotope geology, drinking water quality, water resources, and contamination of geogenic As in groundwater in Bangladesh.

My current research focuses on analyzing the conservative and reactive mixing between oxidizing river water and reducing groundwater along the banks the Meghna river in Bangladesh, receiving geogenic arsenic-laden groundwater. This research includes field work design and preparation, intensive field work, laboratory analysis (ion chromatography, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), water isotope analysis (¹⁸O and D), Fe isotope analysis), and computer simulations (Phreeqc and COMSOL Multiphysics).

My master’s thesis at the University of Mississippi was assessing feasibility of using vadose-zone wells for artificial recharge in the Mississippi Delta alluvial aquifer by using a combination of field, laboratory (falling head permeability test, METER Hyprop, hanging water-column method), and computer simulation techniques (VS2DTI from USGS and HYDRUS – 3D).