Molecular Engineering and Environmental Science (MEES) group activities will focus on the behavior of water contaminants in heterogeneous environments including their effects on biological activity, and their interactions with natural and engineered materials. Of particular importance is developing descriptions of water contaminant ‘life cycles’. Constituent projects consider contaminant origins (birth), contaminant impact on environmental water systems (life), and contaminant removal (death). MEES research will develop and quantify state of the art engineered systems designed to lower contaminant concentrations below regulatory thresholds. MEES activities are unified by a common objective and will meet this objective by addressing knowledge gaps specific to the chemistry, physics and materials engineering of impaired environmental water.