SEALab / People

People

Diversity of the group is our strength: each member has unique strengths and learning background, which helps solve complex environmental problems. Currently, we have 3 Ph.D. students, 3 M.S. student, and 7 undergraduate students. All members are being trained to think on their feet, given opportunities to lead independent and assisted studies, publish in peer-reviewed journals as authors or coauthors, and participate in public speaking at schools, local agencies, and professional conferences. SEALab alumni are working in engineering firms and academic institutions.

UCLA SEALs (August 2025, left to right): Carmen Fregoso, Tsz Yu Lau, Vasilisa Kellogg, Chandra Tummala, Aisiri Padaki, Lillian Ott, Alexis Flores, Nouh Sepulveda, Irena Pavlovic, Karina Rahadian, Lisa Lowe, Sanjay Mohanty, Myra Frooq, Claire Young

Max, Diego, and Nick are preparing for a channel injectionSEALab invites other Env lab groups to celebrate birthday party of two members and everyone joinedThe entire team is devising a plan to get stormwater without disturbing the bucket to prevent resuspension of particlesRenan conducts experiment with fungiAllison is preparing bioretention media for packingOnja is packing column with filter mediaNishanth is filling the bucket with dirt and Dr Mohanty is carrying them to the carDr. Mohanty is showing how iron filings and biochar lookSEALab celebrates Annesh's birthdaySEALab bbq partywhen students are posing but Dr. Mohanty took picture of the setup instead :)Alex is showing our collaborator his workVera is super happy that her columns are all packed.Alex and Merrick are getting stormwater walking miles near Ballona Creek

Principal Investigator

Dr. Sanjay Mohanty

Associate Professor, Environmental Engineering.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA.

Postdoc. Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Postdoc. Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, USA.

Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, USA.

M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA.

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Ph.D. Students

Maxwell Finnegan , Ph.D. Student

Maxwell Finnegan, Ph.D. Student

Email: maxwelltfinnegan at gmail dot com

B.S., Environmental Science, Temple University, 2025.

M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, 2026.

Dissertation topic: Stormwater BMP design for PFAS treatment

Research Interests:

Publications:

Finnegan, M., Lowe, L, Mahnke, R., Bieser, A., Neumeyer, D., and Mohanty, S. Removal of particle-associated PFAS in sediment trap unit and its impact on clogging potential of biochar-amended media filters. Water Research. 2027. In preparation.
Finnegan, M., Kellogg, V., Contreras, D., Mahnke, R., Bieser, A., and Mohanty, S. Particle-Associated PFAS in Stormwater BMPs: Comparing the Roles of Microplastics and Sediments. Environmental Pollutions. 2025. In preparation.
Schick, N., Kellogg, V., Finnegan, M., Shonoda, M., Contreras, D., Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Enrichment of PFAS and microplastics in emitted particulate matter compared to ash during burning of household materials. Environmental Science & Technology. In preparation.
Lowe, L. Finnegan, M., Simonsen, E., and Mohanty, S. (2026) Microbial shift in stormwater biofilter after application of cationic polymer (poyDDA) for PFAS removal. Environmental Pollution. In Preparation.
Finnegan, M. T., Khatei, G., Archibald, L., Rinaldo, T., Caplan, J. S., Van Pelt, R. S., Mohanty, S. K., D’Odorico, P., & Ravi, S. (2026). Biochar reduces road-salt-induced osmotic stress and improves plant water availability in green stormwater infrastructure. Water Research, 296, Article 125598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2026.125598

Awards:

2025 NSF GRFP
2026 UCLA Civil and Environmental Engineering Distinguished M.S. Student

Fun Facts:

He and his whole family are left handed.

Lisa Lowe, Ph.D. Student

Email: lisalowe125 at g dot ucla dot edu

B.S., Biological Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023.

M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, 2025.

Dissertation topic: Climate resilient stormwater treatment design for emerging pollutant removal

Research Interests:

Publications:

Lowe, L.,Pavlovic, I., Gunther, H., Simonsen, E. and Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Biodegradation of Microplastics in Natural Systems: Critical Research Gaps and Methodological Pitfalls. ES&T Letter. In Preparation.
Lowe, L. Finnegan, M., Simonsen, E., xx and Mohanty, S. (2026) Microbial shift in stormwater biofilter after application of cationic polymer (poyDDA) for PFAS removal. Environmental Pollution. In Preparation.
Finnegan, M., Lowe, L., Mahnke, R., Bieser, A., Neumeyer, D., and Mohanty, S. Removal of particle-associated PFAS in sediment trap unit and its impact on clogging potential of biochar-amended media filters. Water Research. 2027. In Preparation.
Lowe, L. Tummala, T., Das, T., Gonzalez-Diaz, J., Pavolvic, I., and Mohanty, S. (2026) Composts as a source of microplastics in stormwater biofilter: Do the design conditions affect their release to effluent? Environmental Pollution. In Preparation.
Pavlovic, I., Banerjee, S., Finnegan, M., Lowe, L., McColloch, C., Das, T., Streets, B., and Mohanty, S.K. (2026) PFAS Source, Distribution, and Removal Technologies for Stormwater: Challenges & Opportunity. Water Research. In Preparation.

Awards:

2024 NSF GRFP
2025 UCLA Civil and Environmental Engineering Distinguished M.S. Student

Fun Facts:

She is a native Hawaiian.

Irena Pavlović , Ph.D. Student

Irena Pavlović, Ph.D. Student

Email: irenapav at g dot ucla dot edu

M.S., Toxicology, Columbia University, NYC, 2021.

B.S., Public Health, Rutgers University- New Brunswick, 2020.

Dissertation topic: Fate and transport of environmental pollutants

Research Interest:

Irena is interested in understanding the fate and transport of emerging pollutants and their toxicity in agricultural and aquatic environments.

Publication(s):

Pavlovic I, Das T, Leonard J, Srinivas R, Mohanty S.K. Microplastics as vectors of antibiotics, heavy metals, and PFAS from agricultural soils to the food chain: Sources, transport pathways, and human health implications. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2026 Feb 15;(504):141248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141248.
Olson, N. E., M. M. Brehob, R. D. Sabo, I. Pavlovic, K.I. Shank, et al. 2026. “ Algal Blooms in Lakes Increase After Wildfire Smoke Events in the Contiguous United States.” Global Change Biology Communications e70004. https://doi.org/10.1002/gcb4.70004.
Downs SM, Fox EL, Mutuku V, Muindi Z, Fatima T, Pavlovic I, Husain S, Sabbahi M, Kimenju S, Ahmed S. Food Environments and Their Influence on Food Choices: A Case Study in Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Nutrients. 2022 Jun 21;14(13):2571. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132571.
Pavlovic, I., Banerjee, S., Finnegan, M., Lowe, L., McColloch, C., Das, T., Streets, B., and Mohanty, S.K. (2026) PFAS Source, Distribution, and Removal Technologies for Stormwater: Challenges & Opportunity. Water Research. In Preparation.
Lowe, L.,Pavlovic, I., Gunther, H., Simonsen, E. and Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Biodegradation of Microplastics in Natural Systems: Critical Research Gaps and Methodological Pitfalls. ES&T Letter. In Preparation.

Fun Facts:

Irena is a certified PADI scuba diver and has dove in 5 continents. She also enjoys hiking and cooking in her spare time.

Masters Students

Nouh Sepulveda , B. Eng . Student

Nouh Sepulveda, B.Eng. Student

Email: nouhy01at g dot ucla dot edu

B.S., Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCLA, 2026

M.S., Civil & Environmental Engineering (Expected 2027)

Topic: Heavy Metal Contamination and Soil Analysis

Research Interest:

Analyzing heavy metals in soils from the Eaton and Palisades fires

Publication(s):

Sepulveda, N., Farooq, M., Flores, A.J., Pavolvic, I., Whelton, A., Mohanty, S.K. Drivers of Heavy Metal Enrichment in Residential Soils Following the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires. Environmental Science & Technology (Submitted).
Hertzog, C., Sepulveda, N., Narasimhan, S., Mohanty, S. (2026) Spatial Patterns of Lead Contamination Following Wildland–Urban Interface Fires in Los Angeles: Linking Housing Characteristics, Environmental Factors, and Social Vulnerability. Environmental Science & Technology (Submitted).
Fregoso, C.L., Farooq, M., Flores, A.J., Tummala, C., Sepulveda, N., Whelton, A., Mohanty, S.K. (2026) Formation and Persistence of Hexavalent Chromium in Residential Soils after the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires. Journal of Hazardous Materials (In Preparation)
Flores, A.J., Tummala, C., Sepulveda, N., Farooq, M., Whelton, A., Mohanty, S.K. Metal Contamination in Residential Soils after the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires: Assessing the Effectiveness of Debris Removal. Journal of Hazardous Materials (In Preparation)
Finnegan, M. Sepulveda, N., Mohanty, S. (2026). PFAS contamination in residential soils after 2025 Los Angeles fires. an urban fire. ES&T Letters or Journal of Hazardous Materials. (In Preparation)

Fun Facts:

Nouh worked as a cook! He is the best chef of the SEA Lab

Karina (Nina) Rahadian , B.S. Student

Karina (Nina) Rahadian, B.S. Student

Email: krahadian at g dot ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA, 2026

M.S., Civil & Environmental Engineering (Expected 2028)

Topic: Microplastic in stormwater BMPs

Research Interest:

Stormwater, water quality, water reuse

Publication(s):

Rahadian, K. Kellogg, V., Osawa, M., Rodriguez, S., Bishop, A., Iacobucci, M., et al.. and Mohanty, S. Resuspension dynamic of micro- and nanoplastics tagged with metals in bioswale: Mass balance. Water Research. 2027. In preparation.
Kellogg, V., Rahadian, K., Bieser, A., Mendoza, A., and Mohanty, S. Microplastic distribution in Stormwater Control Measures in Los Angeles: Linking Design Features and Land-Use Characteristics. Journal of Hazardous Materials - Plastics. 2027. In preparation.
Schick, N., Rahadian, K., Kellogg, V., Lyu, J., al. Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Synthesis of tagged nano- and microplastics for biomedical and environmental applications: recent advances and challenges. Environmental Science: Nano. In preparation.
Kellogg, V., Rahadian, K., Bieser, A., Mendoza, A., and Mohanty, S. Uncertainty and reliability of standard methods for microplastic quantification in stormwater sediments: PyroGC-MS, µFTIR, µRaman, and Nile Red. Journal of Hazardous Materials - Plastics. 2027. In preparation.
Pavlovic, I., Kellogg, V., Vidyarthi, V., Rahadian, K., Perna, J., Nguyen, K., Lu, N., Tran, L., Gray, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S. Atmospheric Microplastics Deposition and the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI): Lessons from the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires. In Preparation.

Awards: 2026 NSF GRFP Fellow

Fun Facts:

Nina grew up in Indonesia!

Vasilisa Kellogg, B.S. Student

Email: vasilisak at g dot ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA, 2026

M.S., Civil & Environmental Engineering (Expected 2028)

Topic: Microplastics in stormwater BMPs

Research Interest:

Understanding microplastic distribution in stormwater BMP sites in the Los Angeles area

Publication(s):

Kellogg, V., Rahadian, K., Bieser, A., Mendoza, A., and Mohanty, S. Microplastic distribution in Stormwater Control Measures in Los Angeles: Linking Design Features and Land-Use Characteristics. Journal of Hazardous Materials - Plastics. 2027. In preparation.
Kellogg, V., Rahadian, K., Bieser, A., Mendoza, A., and Mohanty, S. Uncertainty and reliability of standard methods for microplastic quantification in stormwater sediments: PyroGC-MS, µFTIR, µRaman, and Nile Red. Journal of Hazardous Materials - Plastics. 2027. In preparation.
Rahadian, K., Kellogg, V., Osawa, M., Rodriguez, S., Bishop, A., Iacobucci, M., et al.. and Mohanty, S. Resuspension dynamic of micro- and nanoplastics tagged with metals in bioswale: Mass balance. Water Research. 2027. In preparation.
Schick, N., Rahadian, K., Kellogg, V., Lyu, J., al. Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Synthesis of tagged nano- and microplastics for biomedical and environmental applications: recent advances and challenges. Environmental Science: Nano. In preparation.
Schick, N., Kellogg, V., Finnegan, M., Shonoda, M., Contreras, D., Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Enrichment of PFAS and microplastics in emitted particulate matter compared to ash during burning of household materials. Environmental Science & Technology. In preparation.
Finnegan, M., Kellogg, V., Contreras, D., Mahnke, R., Bieser, A., and Mohanty, S. Particle-Associated PFAS in Stormwater BMPs: Comparing the Roles of Microplastics and Sediments. Environmental Pollutions. 2025. In preparation (submitted by June 2027).
Pavlovic, I., Kellogg, V., Vidyarthi, V., Rahadian, K., Perna, J., Nguyen, K., Lu, N., Tran, L., Gray, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S. Atmospheric Microplastics Deposition and the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI): Lessons from the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires. In Preparation.

Awards: 2026 NSF GRFP Fellow

Fun Facts:

Vasilisa is proficient at ASL!

Undergraduate Students

Diego Contreras , B.S. Student

Diego Contreras, B.S. Student

Email: dcontreras969 at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Expected 2027)

Topic: Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil, Microplastics

Research Interest:

Publication(s):

Finnegan, M., Kellogg, V., Contreras, D., Mahnke, R., Bieser, A., and Mohanty, S. Particle-Associated PFAS in Stormwater BMPs: Comparing the Roles of Microplastics and Sediments. Environmental Pollutions. 2025. In preparation.
Schick, N., Kellogg, V., Finnegan, M., Shonoda, M., Contreras, D., Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Enrichment of PFAS and microplastics in emitted particulate matter compared to ash during burning of household materials. Environmental Science & Technology. In preparation (submitted by May 2027).

Fun Facts:

Diego likes to modify and build custom typing keyboards!

Nick Schick , B.S. Student

Nick Schick, B.S. Student

Email: nickschick01 at icloud dot com

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Expected 2027)

Topic: Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil, Microplastics

Research Interest:

Synthesis of nanoplastics for biomedical and environmental applications.
Emission of contaminants during WUI fires.

Publication(s):

Schick, N., Rahadian, K., Kellogg, V., Lyu, J., al. Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Synthesis of tagged nano- and microplastics for biomedical and environmental applications: recent advances and challenges. Environmental Science: Nano. In preparation (submitted by February 2027).
Schick, N., Kellogg, V., Finnegan, M., Shonoda, M., Contreras, D., Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Enrichment of PFAS and microplastics in emitted particulate matter compared to ash during burning of household materials. Environmental Science & Technology. In preparation (submitted by May 2027).
Schick, N., Lyu, J., al. Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Synthesis of gold-tagged polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene nanoplastics. ACS Applied Nano Materials. In preparation (submitted by March 2027).

Fun Facts:

Nick is a theater king who also runs a non-profit for upcycling waste plastics.

Kyan Nguyen , B.S. Student

Kyan Nguyen, B.S. Student

Email: kyannguyen at ucla dot edu

B.S., Public Health, UCLA (Expected 2027)

Topic: Microplastics, Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil

Research Interest:

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Kyan has a first degree black belt in taekwondo!

Vyom Vidyarthi , B.S. Student

Vyom Vidyarthi, B.S. Student

Email: vyomvidyarthi at ucla dot edu

B.S., Neuroscience, UCLA (Expected 2029)

Topic: Microplastics

Research Interest:

Quantifying microplastic accumulation in stormwater collected across Los Angeles and Investigating microplastic presence in commonly used dental products

Publication(s): -

Fun Facts:

Vyom is an International Master (IM) in chess!

Aasha Bishop , B.S. Student

Aasha Bishop, B.S. Student

Email: aashabishop at ucla dot edu

B.S., Applied Mathematics, UCLA (Expected 2028)

Topic: Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil, Microplastics

Research Interest:

Publication(s):

Rahadian, K. Kellogg, V., Osawa, M., Rodriguez, S., Bishop, A., Iacobucci, M., et al.. and Mohanty, S. Resuspension dynamic of micro- and nanoplastics tagged with metals in bioswale: Mass balance. Water Research. 2027. In preparation.

Fun Facts:

Massima Iacobucci , B.S. Student

Massima Iacobucci, B.S. Student

Email: massima05 at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Expected 2028)

Topic: Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil, Microplastics

Research Interest:

Publication(s):

Rahadian, K. Kellogg, V., Osawa, M., Rodriguez, S., Bishop, A., Iacobucci, M., et al.. and Mohanty, S. Resuspension dynamic of micro- and nanoplastics tagged with metals in bioswale: Mass balance. Water Research. 2027. In preparation.

Fun Facts:

Elaina Simonsen , B.S. Student

Elaina Simonsen, B.S. Student

Email: elainasimonsen at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Expected 2027)

Topic: Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil

Research Interest: PFAS, Microplastics

Publication(s):

Lowe, L.,Pavlovic, I., Gunther, H., Simonsen, E. and Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Biodegradation of Microplastics in Natural Systems: Critical Research Gaps and Methodological Pitfalls. ES&T Letter. In Preparation.
Lowe, L. Finnegan, M., Simonsen, E., and Mohanty, S. (2026) Microbial shift in stormwater biofilter after application of cationic polymer (poyDDA) for PFAS removal. Environmental Pollution. In Preparation.

Fun Facts:

Elaina is from Dallas, Texas!

Dean Bruton , B.S. Student

Dean Bruton, B.S. Student

Email: deanbruton27 at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Expected 2027)

Topic: Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil

Research Interest:

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Dean was in a Yeat music video

Allie Bieser , B.S. Student

Allie Bieser, B.S. Student

Email: alliebieser at ucla dot edu

B.S., Civil Engineering, UCLA (Expected 2029)

Topic: PFAS, Microplastics

Research Interest: PFAS, Microplastics

Publication(s):

Kellogg, V., Rahadian, K., Bieser, A., Mendoza, A., and Mohanty, S. Microplastic distribution in Stormwater Control Measures in Los Angeles: Linking Design Features and Land-Use Characteristics. Journal of Hazardous Materials - Plastics. 2027. In preparation.
Kellogg, V., Rahadian, K., Bieser, A., Mendoza, A., and Mohanty, S. Uncertainty and reliability of standard methods for microplastic quantification in stormwater sediments: PyroGC-MS, µFTIR, µRaman, and Nile Red. Journal of Hazardous Materials - Plastics. 2027. In preparation.
Finnegan, M., Kellogg, V., Contreras, D., Mahnke, R., Bieser, A., and Mohanty, S. Particle-Associated PFAS in Stormwater BMPs: Comparing the Roles of Microplastics and Sediments. Environmental Pollutions. 2025. In preparation.
Finnegan, M., Lowe, L, Mahnke, R., Bieser, A., Neumeyer, D., and Mohanty, S. Removal of particle-associated PFAS in sediment trap unit and its impact on clogging potential of biochar-amended media filters. Water Research. 2027. In preparation.

Fun Facts:

Allie got stung by a jellyfish SCUBA diving in the great barrier reef!

Jiawen Lyu , B.S. Student

Jiawen Lyu, B.S. Student

Email: JiawenLyu811 at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Expected 2028)

Topic: Microplastics

Research Interest: Nano/Microplastic, Fate and Transport of environmental pollutants

Publication(s):

Schick, N., Rahadian, K., Kellogg, V., Lyu, J., al. Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Synthesis of tagged nano- and microplastics for biomedical and environmental applications: recent advances and challenges. Environmental Science: Nano. In preparation.
Schick, N., Lyu, J., al. Mohanty, S.K. (2027) Synthesis of gold-tagged polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene nanoplastics. ACS Applied Nano Materials. In preparation.

Fun Facts:

Jiawen can play badminton for four hours straight (sometimes even 5-6 hours); She's avoided seafood her entire life!

Collaborators

Shaily Mahendra, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. UCLA.

Collaboration topics: Bioremediation; Soil Microbiome; PFAS fate and treatment.

Website

Research Interest:

Environmental microbiology, biodegradation of groundwater contaminants, microbial-nanomaterial interactions, nanotoxicology, applications of molecular biological and isotopic tools in environmental engineering.

Project:

Principal Investigator, Evaluation of PFAS Retardation and Treatment Processes. Department of Defense/ GSI Environmental, Inc. /Navy (Naval Fac. Eng. Command).

Collaborative Publications:

Borthakur, A., Das, T.K., Zhanga, Y., Libbert, S., Prehn, S., Ramos, P., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Rechargeable stormwater biofilters: In situ regeneration of PFAS removal capacity by using a cationic polymer, Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride. Journal of Cleaner Production. 134244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134244.
Ramos, P., Kalra, S.S, Johnson, N.W., Khor, C.M, Borthakur, A., Cranmer, B., Dooley, G., Mohanty, S.K., Jassby, D., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S. (2022) Enhanced Removal of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Complex Matrices by polyDADMAC-Coated Regenerable Granular Activated Carbon. Environmental Pollution. 118603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118603
Kalra, S.S, Cranmer, B., Dooley, G., Hanson, A.J., Maraviov, S., Mohanty, S.K., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S. (2021) Sonolytic Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Mixtures, Groundwater, AFFF, and Investigation Derived Waste. Chemical Engineering Journal. 425. 121778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.131778
Borthakur, A., Olsen, P., Dooley, G., Cranmer, B.K., Rao, U., Hoek, E.M.V., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Dry-wet and freeze-thaw cycles enhance PFOA leaching from subsurface soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 2. 100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2021.100029
Borthakur, A., Wang, M., He, M., Ascensio, K., Adamson, D., and Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Perfluoroalkyl acids on suspended particles: Unexplored transport pathways in surface water and subsurface soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 417. 126159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126159
Borthakur, A., Cranmer, B.K., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Release of soil colloids during flow interruption increases the pore-water PFAS concentration in saturated soil. Environmental Pollution. 286, 117297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117297
Berger, A.W., Valenca, R., Miao, Y., Ravi, S., Mahendra, S. and Mohanty, S.K., 2019. Biochar increases nitrate removal capacity of woodchip biofilters during high-intensity rainfall. Water research. 165, 115008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115008
Wang, M., Mohanty, S. K., Mahendra, S. (2019) Nanomaterial-Supported Enzymes for Water Purification and Monitoring in Point-of-Use Water Supply Systems. Accounts of chemical research 52 (4), 876-885 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00613

Mi chael Stenstrom, Ph.D., P.E.

Michael Stenstrom, Ph.D., P.E.

Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. UCLA.

Collaboration topics: Stormwater Management; Wastewater Treatment.

Website

Research Interest:

Prof. Stenstorm's research interests center around process development for water and wastewater treatment systems, including mathematical modeling and optimization. More recently he has applied these mathematical techniques to urban runoff and stormwater issues.

Project:

Co-Principal Investigator, Coupled effect of compaction and amendment properties on the efficiency of stormwater treatment system in Clear Recovery Zone. California Transportation Agency (Caltrans).

Collaborative Publications:

Das, T. K., Raoelison, O.D., Rehman, H., Zhang, Y., Chao, W., Thamiz, L., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty S.K. (2023) Use of Expanded Shale, Clay, and Slate Aggregates and Biochar in the Clear Zone of Road Infrastructures for Sustainable Treatment of Stormwater. Journal of Cleaner Production. 139443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139443.
Das, T.K., Le, H., Stenstrom, M.K., Ravi, S., and Mohanty S. K. (2023) The Amount of Sand Required to Transform Roadside Compacted Soil into Sustainable Stormwater Treatment Solutions. Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment. Volume 9, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSWBAY.SWENG-510
Ghavanloughajar, M., Borthakur, A., Cira, M., Jay, J., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Adding a submerged layer to the stormwater biofilter design could increase antibiotic resistance genes concentration in the effluent. Journal of Environmental Engineering. 149 (7), 06023001. https://doi.org/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-7297
Das, T.K., Kabir, A., Zhao, W., Stenstrom, M.K., Dittrich, T. M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) A review of compaction effect on subsurface processes in soil: Implications on stormwater treatment in roadside compacted soil. Science of the Total Environment. 160121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160121.
Borthakur, A., Chhour, K., Gayle, H., Prehn, S., Stenstorm, M.K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Natural aging of expanded shale, clay, and slate (ESCS) amendment with heavy metals in stormwater increases its antibacterial properties: Implications on biofilter design. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 128309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128309
Ghavanloughajar, M., Borthakur, A., Valenca, R., McAdam, M., Khor, C., Dittrich, T.M., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Iron amendment minimizes the first-flush release of pathogens from stormwater biofilters. Environmental Pollution. 116989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116989.
Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Zu, Y., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Biochar selection for Escherichia coli removal in stormwater biofilters. Journal of Environmental Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001843
Le, H., Valenca, R., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Size-dependent biochar breaking under compaction: Implications on clogging and pathogen removal in biofilters. Environmental Pollution. 115195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115195
Ghavanloughajar, M., Le, H., Rahman, M.D., Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Compaction conditions affect the capacity of biochar-amended sand filters to treat road runoff. Science of the Total Environment. 735, 139180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139180

Eric Hoek, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. UCLA.

Topics: Particle interaction; Microplastics; PFAS.

Website

Research Interest:

Membrane materials and processes; Nanoscience and nanotechnology; Interfacial science and engineering; Bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation; Desalination and advanced water treatment.

Collaborative Publications:

Borthakur, A., Olsen, P., Dooley, G., Cranmer, B.K., Rao, U., Hoek, E.M.V., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Dry-wet and freeze-thaw cycles enhance PFOA leaching from subsurface soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 2. 100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2021.100029
Koutnik, V.S., Alkidim, S., Leonard, D. J., DePrima, F., Cao, S., Hoek, E.M.V, and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Unaccounted microplastics in wastewater sludge: Where do they go? ES&T Water. 1, 5, 1086–1097. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.0c00267
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, D. J., Alkidim, S., DePrima, F., Ravi, S., Hoek, E.M.V, and Mohanty, S. (2021) Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: Global analysis and framework for transport modeling. Environmental Pollution. 116552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116552

Sujith Ravi, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Earth & Environmental Science Department. Temple University

Topics: Microplastics; Aeolian Transport; Biochar in terrestrial Environment.

Website

Research Interest:

Dr. Ravi's research is directed to understanding the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on surface processes in terrestrial ecosystems, in the context of ecosystem degradation. Topics include managing scarce soil and water resources in the context of multiple demands and multiple constraints associated with land-use change and disturbances, the core challenge facing the future of world's food security and environmental quality.

Collaborative Publications:

Raabe, M., Caplan, J. S., Mohanty, S. K., and Ravi, S. (202X) Biochar mitigates the negative impact of compaction on the hydraulic performance of engineered soil media. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology [In Review]
Leonard, J., Koutnik, V., Sankar, M. S., Katkar, A., El Rassi, L.; Choy, M., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Li, C., Dash, P., Mohanty, S.K. Microplastics in the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico reveal historic deposition. Marine Pollution Bulletin. [In review]
Leonard, J., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2024) Preferential emission of microplastics from biosolid-applied agricultural soils: Field evidence and theoretical framework Environmental Science & Technology Letters. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00850
Das, T.K., Le, H., Stenstrom, M.K., Ravi, S., and Mohanty S. K. (2023) The Amount of Sand Required to Transform Roadside Compacted Soil into Sustainable Stormwater Treatment Solutions. Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment. Volume 9, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSWBAY.SWENG-510
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Brar, J., Cao, S., Glasman, J.B., R., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Transport of microplastics in stormwater treatment systems under freeze-thaw cycles: Critical role of plastic density. Water Research. 118950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118950
Koutnik, V.S., Borthakur, A., Leonard, J., Alkidim, S., Koydemir, H.C., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Mobility of polypropylene microplastics in stormwater biofilters under freeze-thaw cycles. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 100048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2022.100048.
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Glasman, J.B., Koydemir, H.C., Novoselov, A., Brar, J., Bertel, R., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Microplastics retained in stormwater control measures: Where do they come from and where do they go? Water Research. 118008. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.118008
Borthakur, A., Leonard, J., Koutnik. V., Ravi, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Inhalation risks from wind-blown dust in biosolid-applied agricultural lands: Are they enriched with microplastics and PFAS? Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 100309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coesh.2021.100309
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, D. J., Alkidim, S., DePrima, F., Ravi, S., Hoek, E., and Mohanty, S. (2021) Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: Global analysis and framework for transport modeling. Environmental Pollution. 116552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116552
*Alam, S., Borthakur, A., Ravi, S., Gebremichael, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Managed aquifer recharge implementation criteria to achieve water sustainability. Science of the Total Environment. 144992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.144992.
Ravi, S. Li, J., Meng, Z., Zhang, J., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Generation, resuspension, and transport of particulate matter from biochar-amended soils: A potential health risk. Geohealth. 4, e2020GH000311. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GH000311.
Le, H., Valenca, R., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Size-dependent biochar breaking under compaction: Implications on clogging and pathogen removal in biofilters. Environmental Pollution. 115195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115195
Ghavanloughajar, M., Le, H., Rahman, M.D., Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Compaction conditions affect the capacity of biochar-amended sand filters to treat road runoff. Science of the Total Environment. 735, 139180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139180
Berger, A.W., Valenca, R., Miao, Y., Ravi, S., Mahendra, S. and Mohanty, S.K., 2019. Biochar increases nitrate removal capacity of woodchip biofilters during high-intensity rainfall. Water research. 165, 115008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115008
Trifunovic, B., Gonzales, H. B., Ravi, S., Sharratt, B. S., Mohanty, S.K. (2018) Dynamic effects of biochar concentration and particle size on hydraulic properties of sand. Land Degradation & Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2906

Timothy Dittrich, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wayne State University

Topics: Stormwater Management; Rare Earth Element Extraction.

Website

Research Interest:

Contaminant transport modeling, studying how small clay particles help radioactive materials move faster through shallow surface and groundwater environments.

Project:

Principal Investigator, Coupled Hydrothermal Extraction and Ligand-Associated Organosilica Media Recovery of REEs from Coal Fly Ash. Department of Energy (DOE).

Collaborative Publications:

Tummala, C.M., Dardona, M., Praneeth, S., Mohanty, S.K., Dittrich, T.M. (2023) Iron-coated nutshell waste bioadsorbents: Synthesis, phosphate remediation, and subsequent fertilizer application. Environmental Research. 117468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.117468
Raoelison, O.D., Das, T.K., Visweswaran, A., Guyett, K., Spallone, S., Ramos, R., Merrifield, R., Dittrich, T.M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Do Drinking Water Treatment Residuals Underperform in the Presence of Compost in Stormwater Biofilters? Science of the Total Environment. 166635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166635.
Dardona, M., Mohanty, S.K., Allen, M.J., and Dittrich, T.M. (2023) From ash to oxides: Recovery of rare-earth elements as a step towards valorization of coal fly ash waste. Separation and Purification Technology. 123532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2023.123532
Leonard, J., Borthakur, A., Koutnik, V.S., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cower, W., Dittrich, T.M., Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Challenges of using leaves as a biomonitoring system to assess airborne microplastic pollution in urban areas. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 101651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2023.101651.
Das, T.K., Kabir, A., Zhao, W., Stenstrom, M., Dittrich, T. M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) A review of compaction effect on subsurface processes in soil: Implications on stormwater treatment in roadside compacted soil. Science of the Total Environment. 160121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160121.
O'Leary, B.F, Hill, A.B., Akers, K.G., Esparra-Escalera, H.J., Lucas, A., Raoufi, G., Huang, Y., Mariscal, N., Mohanty, S.K., Tummala, C.M., Dittrich, T.M. (2021) Air Quality Monitoring and Measurement in an Urban Airshed: Contextualizing Datasets from the Detroit Michigan area from 1952-2020. Science of the Total Environment. 152120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152120
Ghavanloughajar, M., Borthakur, A., Valenca, R., McAdam, M., Khor, C., Dittrich, T.M., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Iron amendment minimizes the first-flush release of pathogens from stormwater biofilters. Environmental Pollution. 116989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116989
Valenca, R., Le, H., Zu, Y., Dittrich, T.M., Tsang, D.C.W., Dutta, R., Sarkar, D., and Mohanty, S. (2021) Nitrate removal uncertainty in stormwater control measures: Is the design or climate a culprit? Water Research, 116781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116781
Valenca, R., Ramnath, K., Dittrich, T.M., Taylor, R. E., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Microbial quality of surface water and subsurface soil after wildfire. Water Research. 175, 115672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.115672

Jens Blotevogel , Ph.D.

Jens Blotevogel, Ph.D.

Principal Research Scientist, CISRO, Australia

Topics: PFAS fate and treatment

Website

Research Interest:

Dr. Blotevogel’s research interests revolve around the fate of emerging contaminants, conducting laboratory- and field-scale experiments to elucidate degradation in both natural and engineered systems. He has developed innovative water treatment technologies, theoretical models for contaminant degradation pathways and kinetics, as well as various analytical techniques with focus on high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Project:

Principal Investigator, Evaluation of PFAS Retardation and Treatment Processes. Department of Defense/ GSI Environmental, Inc. /Navy (Naval Fac. Eng. Command).

Collaborative Publications:

Borthakur, A., Das, T.K., Zhanga, Y., Libbert, S., Prehn, S., Ramos, P., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Rechargeable stormwater biofilters: In situ regeneration of PFAS removal capacity by using a cationic polymer, Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride. Journal of Cleaner Production. 134244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134244.
Ramos, P., Kalra, S.S, Johnson, N.W., Khor, C.M, Borthakur, A., Cranmer, B., Dooley, G., Mohanty, S.K., Jassby, D., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S. (202X) Enhanced Removal of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Complex Matrices by polyDADMAC-Coated Regenerable Granular Activated Carbon. Environmental Pollution. 118603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118603
Kalra, S.S, Cranmer, B., Dooley, G., Hanson, A.J., Maraviov, S., Mohanty, S.K., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S. (2021) Sonolytic Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Mixtures, Groundwater, AFFF, and Investigation Derived Waste. Chemical Engineering Journal. 425. 121778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.131778
Borthakur, A., Olsen, P., Dooley, G., Cranmer, B.K., Rao, U., Hoek, E.M.V., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Dry-wet and freeze-thaw cycles enhance PFOA leaching from subsurface soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 2. 100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2021.100029
Borthakur, A., Wang, M., He, M., Ascensio, K., Adamson, D., and Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Perfluoroalkyl acids on suspended particles: Unexplored transport pathways in surface water and subsurface soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 417. 126159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126159
Borthakur, A., Cranmer, B.K., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Release of soil colloids during flow interruption increases the pore-water PFAS concentration in saturated soil. Environmental Pollution. 286, 117297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117297

SEALab Alumni

Postdoc

Chandra Mouli Tummala , Ph.D.

Chandra Mouli Tummala, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher.

Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, USA.

Email: ctummala at ucla dot edu

Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Wayne State University, USA.

M.S., Civil Engineering, Bradley University, India.

B.Tech., Civil Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Kakinada, India.

Projects: Stormwater treatment design to remove PFAS and microplastics.

Current Position: Environmental Engineer at Pancopia LLC

Google Scholar | LinkedIn | Research Gate | Twitter

Research Interest:

Publications:

Fun facts:

Tonoy Das, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher.

Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, USA.

Email: tdas at ucla dot edu

Ph.D., Environmental and Conservation Sciences, North Dakota State University, USA.

M.S., Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, India.

B.S., Agriculture, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, India.

Projects: Stormwater treatment design in roadside and wildfire impacts on water quality.

Current Position: Assistant Professor Civil Engineering, University of Texas A&M Kingsville

Google Scholar | LinkedIn | Research Gate | Twitter

Research Interest:

Tonoy is interested in working on the intersection of environmental chemistry, water treatment, and environmental remediation. His research is aimed to understand the fate and transport of emerging and legacy pollutants at local, regional, and global levels in natural and engineered systems in response to climate change with the overarching goal to design sustainable solutions to protect the water quality for drinking and agricultural production. At SEALab, Tonoy is working on a variety of projects: 1) impact of wildfire residues in subsurface soil and surface water; 2) stormwater treatment system design in roadside where compaction is required ; 3) Freeze-thaw cycles and its impact on biochemical reactions in soil or stormwater biofilters.

Publications:

Das, T., Nayak, H.P., Mohanty, S.K (202X) Freeze-thaw cycles enhanced the biogeochemical activities in compacted soil: Implications on roadside biofilter design. Environmental Pollution. [In Preparation]
Das, T., Mohanty, S. (202X) Freeze-thaw cycles enrich PFAS on microplastics and increase their toxicity. JHM Letters. [In Preparation]
Das, T.K., Han, Z., Banerjee, S., Raoelison, O.D., Adeleye, A.S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) PFAS release from the subsurface and capillary fringe during managed aquifer recharge. Environmental Pollution. 123166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123166
Raoelison, O.D., Das, T., Guyett, K., Merrifield, R., Visweswaran, A., Indiresan, S., Lin Yang, K., Pierce, G., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) Resilience of stormwater biofilters following the deposition of wildfire residues: Implication on downstream water quality management in wildfire-prone regions. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 132989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132989.
Das, T. K., Raoelison, O.D., Rehman, H., Zhang, Y., Chao, W., Thamiz, L., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty S.K. (2023) Use of Expanded Shale, Clay, and Slate Aggregates and Biochar in the Clear Zone of Road Infrastructures for Sustainable Treatment of Stormwater. Journal of Cleaner Production. 139443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139443.
Raoelison, O.D., Das, T., Visweswaran, A., Guyett, K., Spallone, S., Ramos, R., Merrifield, R., Dittrich, T.M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Do Drinking Water Treatment Residuals Underperform in the Presence of Compost in Stormwater Biofilters? Science of the Total Environment. 166635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166635.
Gunther, H. J, Das, T.K., Leonard, J., Koutnik, V. S., El Rassi, L., Tang, Z., and Mohanty, S. (2023) UV exposure to PET microplastics increases their downward mobility in stormwater biofilters undergoing freeze-thaw cycles. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EW00975G
Das, T.K., Le, H., Stenstrom, M.K., Ravi, S., and Mohanty S. K. (2023) The Amount of Sand Required to Transform Roadside Compacted Soil into Sustainable Stormwater Treatment Solutions. Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment. Volume 9, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSWBAY.SWENG-510
Das, T.K., Kabir, A., Zhao, W., Stenstrom, M., Dittrich, T. M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) A review of compaction effect on subsurface processes in soil: Implications on stormwater treatment in roadside compacted soil. Science of the Total Environment. 160121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160121.
Borthakur, A., Das, T.K., Zhanga, Y., Libbert, S., Prehn, S., Ramos, P., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Rechargeable stormwater biofilters: In situ regeneration of PFAS removal capacity by using a cationic polymer, Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride. Journal of Cleaner Production. 134244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134244.

Fun facts:

Tonoy was born in India. He is very much into science fiction, comics and detective novels. Tonoy is enthusiastic about hiking and camping. He likes reading about ancient civilization history.

Ph.D. Student

Jamie Leonard, Ph.D. 2024

Email: jamieleonard89605 at gmail dot com

M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, 2021.

B.S., Environmental Science, University of California Los Angeles, 2020.

Dissertation topic: Airborne Microplastics: Emission Mechanisms and Exposure Factors.

Current Position: Physical Scientist, Air and Radiation Division, U.S. EPA Region 9

Research Interest:

Jamie is interested in mechanism of microplastic entrainment into air, and how exposure toxicity is related their surface properties.

Publication(s):

Leonard, J., Koutnik, V., Sankar, M. S., Katkar, A., El Rassi, L.; Choy, M., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Li, C., Dash, P., Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Microplastics in the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico reveal historic deposition. Marine Pollution Bulletin. [Submitted]
Leonard, J., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2024) Preferential emission of microplastics from biosolid-applied agricultural soils: Field evidence and theoretical framework Environmental Science & Technology Letters. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00850
Leonard, J., El Rassi, L.A., Samad, M.A., Prehn, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) The relative importance of local climate and land use on the dry deposition rate of airborne microplastics on terrestrial land. Atmospheric Environment. 120212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.120212.
Gunther, H. J, Das, T.K., Leonard, J., Koutnik, V. S., El Rassi, L., Tang, Z., and Mohanty, S. (2023) UV exposure to PET microplastics increases their downward mobility in stormwater biofilters undergoing freeze-thaw cycles. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EW00975G
Leonard, J., Borthakur, A., Koutnik, V.S., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cower, W., Dittrich, T.M., Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Challenges of using leaves as a biomonitoring system to assess airborne microplastic pollution in urban areas. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 101651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2023.101651
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., El Rassi, L.A., Choy, M. M., Brar, J., Glasman, J.B., Cowger, W., and Mohanty, S. (2022) Children's playgrounds contain more microplastics than other areas in urban parks. Science of the Total Environment. 158866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158866
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Brar, J., Cao, S., Glasman, J.B., R., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Transport of microplastics in stormwater treatment systems under freeze-thaw cycles: Critical role of plastic density. Water Research. 118950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118950
Leonard, J., Koydemir, H.C., Koutnik, V.S., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Smartphone enabled rapid quantification of microplastics. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 100052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2022.100052
Koutnik, V.S., Borthakur, A., Leonard, J., Alkidim, S., Koydemir, H.C., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Mobility of polypropylene microplastics in stormwater biofilters under freeze-thaw cycles. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 100048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2022.100048.
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Glasman, J.B., Koydemir, H.C., Novoselov, A., Brar, J., Bertel, R., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Microplastics retained in stormwater control measures: Where do they come from and where do they go? Water Research. 118008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.118008
Borthakur, A., Leonard, J., Koutnik. V., Ravi, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Inhalation risks from wind-blown dust in biosolid-applied agricultural lands: Are they enriched with microplastics and PFAS? Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 100309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coesh.2021.100309
Koutnik, V.S., Alkidim, S., Leonard, J., DePrima, F., Cao, S., Hoek, E., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Unaccounted microplastics in wastewater sludge: Where do they go? ES&T Water. 1, 5, 1086–1097. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.0c00267
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Alkidim, S., DePrima, F., Ravi, S., Hoek, E., and Mohanty, S. (2021) Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: Global analysis and framework for transport modeling. Environmental Pollution. 116552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116552

Awards:

2020-2021 Outstanding CEE Master of Sciences Student Award at UCLA
2020 NSF GRFP

Fun Facts:

She is a native southern Californian, half Srilankan, and half Irish.

Onja Raoelison, Ph.D. 2024

Email: davidsononja at ucla dot edu

M.S., Civil Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA.

M.S., École Spéciale des Travaux Publics Paris, France.

Dissertation topic: Wildfire Impacts on Stormwater Biofilter Functions: Implications on Their Design and Resilience.

Current Position: Assistant Professor Environmental Health Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Research Interest:

Onja is interested in developing engineering and management solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of wildfires. In particular, her research examines the potential of stormwater treatment systems to remove wildfire-derived contaminants and the effect of those contaminants on the performance of stormwater treatment systems.

Publications:

Raoelison, O.D., Das, T., Visweswaran, A., Mohanty, S.K. How can wildfires influence disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation in detention ponds?Water Research. [In preparation]
Raoelison, O.D., Dixie, K., Mohanty, S.K. Innovative cohort-based research experience in Environmental Engineering course to promote science identity among undergraduate students. Journal of Engineering Education. [Will be submitted soon]
Indireson, S., Valenca, R., Raoelison, O.D., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S. (202X) Wildfire residue deposition affects biochemical cycling of nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon in wetland. Water Research. [In preparation]
Das, T.K., Han, Z., Banerjee, S., Raoelison, O.D., Adeleye, A.S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) PFAS release from the subsurface and capillary fringe during managed aquifer recharge. Environmental Pollution. 123166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123166
Raoelison, O.D., Das, T., Guyett, K., Merrifield, R., Visweswaran, A., Indiresan, S., Lin Yang, K., Pierce, G., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) Resilience of stormwater biofilters following the deposition of wildfire residues: Implication on downstream water quality management in wildfire-prone regions. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 132989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132989.
Das, T. K., Raoelison, O.D., Rehman, H., Zhang, Y., Chao, W., Thamiz, L., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty S.K. (2023) Use of Expanded Shale, Clay, and Slate Aggregates and Biochar in the Clear Zone of Road Infrastructures for Sustainable Treatment of Stormwater. Journal of Cleaner Production. 139443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139443.
Raoelison, O.D., Das, T., Visweswaran, A., Guyett, K., Spallone, S., Ramos, R., Merrifield, R., Dittrich, T.M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Do Drinking Water Treatment Residuals Underperform in the Presence of Compost in Stormwater Biofilters? Science of the Total Environment. 166635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166635.
Raoelison, O.D, Valenca, R., Lee, A., Karim, S., Webster, J.P., Pouline, B.A., and Mohanty, S. (2023) Wildfire impacts on surface water quality parameters: Cause of data variability and reporting needs. Environmental Pollution. 120713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120713

Awards:

2024 ASCE LA YMF Dr Bill Goodin Outstanding Mentor Scholarship
2023 UCLA Dissertation Year Fellowship
2023 John Ries Scholarship Award
2023 Kirt Brooks Memorial Water Environment California Water Environment Association Scholarship
2023 AWWA Woodard & Curran
2023 Distinguished Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants
2023 AEESP Travel grant award
2023 Martin Rubin Scholarship
NSBE 49th National Convention, Elevator Pitch Competition, 1st place
SWE-LA (Society of Women Engineers-Los Angeles) Graduate Scholarship
SWE-LA Inaugural Graduate Academia Research Symposium, 2nd Place Winner
NSBE 49th National Convention, Elevator Pitch Competition, 1st place
2023 NSBE Academic Improvement Scholarship
2023 ASCE Los Angeles Section Outstanding Graduate Student Award
2023 ASCE Los Angeles Younger Member Forum Outstanding Graduate Student Award
2023 ASCE Le Val Lund Memorial Graduate Scholarship Award
2023 SABER (Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research) West CIRTL@UCLA Travel Award
2022 NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) Region VI Fall Regional Conference Technical Research Competition, 1st place
2022 UCLA Affiliates Private Endowment Scholarship
2022 California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) Fellowship
2022 American Society of Civil Engineers Los Angeles Younger Member Forum (ASCE) INWED Scholarship
2022 Malcolm R. Stacey Scholarship
2022 AWWA (American Water Works Association) Arcadis Scholarship
2022 GradSWE @UCLA Empowerment Scholarship
2022 UCLA Cross-Campus Innovation Challenge in Sustainability, 2nd place
2021 NSF Research Traineeship - NRT INFEWS, University of California Los Angeles.
2021 LA Urban Center's Science Fellowship.
2021 UCLA Summer Mentored Research Fellowship

Fun Facts:

Onja enjoys practicing sports like fitness and basketball, and she was a competitive swimmer for more than 10 years. She was born in Madagascar and has dual citizenship from France and Madagascar.

Vera Smirnova , Ph.D. 2022

Vera Smirnova, Ph.D. 2022

Email: vsmirnova at ucla dot edu

M.S., Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, NY, USA.

B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.

Dissertation topic: Microplastics fate and impact in stormwater biofilters

Current Position: Project Manager, ServiceTitan Private Equity

Google Scholar | LinkedIn

Research Interest:

Vera is interested in understanding how microplastics travel and accumulate in the subsurface environments and biofilters. She currently examines the fate of microplastics in the terrestrial environment.

Publication(s):

Leonard, J., Koutnik, V.S., Sankar, M. S., Katkar, A., El Rassi, L.; Choy, M., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Li, C., Dash, P., Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Microplastics in the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico reveal historic deposition. Marine Pollution Bulletin. [Submitted]
Gunther, H. J, Das, T.K., Leonard, J., Koutnik, V. S., El Rassi, L., Tang, Z., and Mohanty, S. (2023) UV exposure to PET microplastics increases their downward mobility in stormwater biofilters undergoing freeze-thaw cycles. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EW00975G
Leonard, J., Borthakur, A., Koutnik, V.S., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cower, W., Dittrich, T.M., Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Challenges of using leaves as a biomonitoring system to assess airborne microplastic pollution in urban areas. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 101651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2023.101651.
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., El Rassi, L.A., Choy, M. M., Brar, J., Glasman, J.B., Cowger, W., and Mohanty, S. (2022) Children's playgrounds contain more microplastics than other areas in urban parks. Science of the Total Environment. 158866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158866.
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Brar, J., Cao, S., Glasman, J.B., R., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Transport of microplastics in stormwater treatment systems under freeze-thaw cycles: Critical role of plastic density. Water Research. 118950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118950
Leonard, J., Koydemir, H.C., Koutnik, V.S., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Smartphone enabled rapid quantification of microplastics. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 100052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2022.100052
Koutnik, V.S., Borthakur, A., Leonard, J., Alkidim, S., Koydemir, H.C., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Mobility of polypropylene microplastics in stormwater biofilters under freeze-thaw cycles. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 100048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2022.100048.
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Glasman, J.B., Koydemir, H.C., Novoselov, A., Brar, J., Bertel, R., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Microplastics retained in stormwater control measures: Where do they come from and where do they go? Water Research. 118008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.118008
Borthakur, A., Leonard, J., Koutnik. V., Ravi, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Inhalation risks from wind-blown dust in biosolid-applied agricultural lands: Are they enriched with microplastics and PFAS? Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 100309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coesh.2021.100309
Koutnik, V.S., Alkidim, S., Leonard, D. J., DePrima, F., Cao, S., Hoek, E., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Unaccounted microplastics in wastewater sludge: Where do they go? ES&T Water. 1, 5, 1086–1097. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.0c00267
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, D. J., Alkidim, S., DePrima, F., Ravi, S., Hoek, E., and Mohanty, S. (2021) Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: Global analysis and framework for transport modeling. Environmental Pollution. 116552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116552

Awards:

2022 UCLA Samueli Harry M. Showman Prize.
2022 UCLA Samueli Engineering Achievement Award in Student Welfare.
2021-22 NSF Research Traineeship - NRT INFEWS, University of California Los Angeles.
2021 UCLA Samueli Graduate Society of Women Engineers (GradSWE) Scholarship
2021 Presidential Service Award - Graduate Student Association (GSA) – for contributions to the UCLA Community

Fun Facts:

Vera likes playing volleyball, spending time outdoors, and playing board games with friends. She has two cats named after Mexican restaurants in San Diego: Rigoberto's (Rigo) and Lolita's (Leela). She was born in Russia.

Annesh Borthakur, Ph.D. 2022

Email: annesh at ucla dot edu

M.S., Civil Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA.

B.S., Civil Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India.

Dissertation topic: Biogeochemical fingerprinting of stormwater biofilters using soil colloids.

Current Position: Assistant Professor Civil Engineering, St Louis University

Google Scholar | LinkedIn | Research Gate

Research Interest:

Annesh is interested about how soil colloid surface chemistry reveals biogeochemical processes in the systems from which the colloids are released from, and apply this technique to understand the resilience of stormwater treatment systems and remediated lands. Annesh has also explored the fate and transport of PFAS in the subsurface, particularly in association with natural soil colloids.

Publications:

Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Karim, S., Das, T., and Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Critical role of biochar in building climate-resilient stormwater infiltration system. Water Research. [In Preparation]
Ghavanloughajar, M., Borthakur, A., Cira, M., Jay, J., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Adding a submerged layer to the stormwater biofilter design could increase antibiotic resistance genes concentration in the effluent. Journal of Environmental Engineering. 149 (7), 06023001. https://doi.org/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-7297
Leonard, J., Borthakur, A., Koutnik, V.S., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cower, W., Dittrich, T.M., Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Challenges of using leaves as a biomonitoring system to assess airborne microplastic pollution in urban areas. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 101651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2023.101651
Borthakur, A., Das, T.K., Zhanga, Y., Libbert, S., Prehn, S., Ramos, P., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Rechargeable stormwater biofilters: In situ regeneration of PFAS removal capacity by using a cationic polymer, Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride. Journal of Cleaner Production. 134244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134244.
Borthakur, A., Chhour, K., Gayle, H., Prehn, S., Stenstorm, M.K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Natural aging of expanded shale, clay, and slate (ESCS) amendment with heavy metals in stormwater increases its antibacterial properties: Implications on biofilter design. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 128309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128309
Koutnik, V.S., Borthakur, A., Leonard, J., Alkidim, S., Koydemir, H.C., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Mobility of polypropylene microplastics in stormwater biofilters under freeze-thaw cycles. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 100048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2022.100048.
Ramos, P., Kalra, S.S, Johnson, N.W., Khor, C.M, Borthakur, A., Cranmer, B., Dooley, G., Mohanty, S.K., Jassby, D., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S. (2022) Enhanced Removal of Anionic Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Complex Matrices by polyDADMAC-Stabilized Regenerable Granular Activated Carbon. Environmental Pollution. 118603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118603
Borthakur, A.,Leonard, J., Koutnik. V., Ravi, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Inhalation risks from wind-blown dust in biosolid-applied agricultural lands: Are they enriched with microplastics and PFAS? Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 100309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coesh.2021.100309
Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Le, H., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Biochar Role in Improving Pathogens Removal Capacity of Stormwater Biofilters. Advances in Chemical Pollution, Environmental Management and Protection: Biochar: Fundamentals and Applications in Environmental Science and Remediation Technologies. Volume 6. Editor: Ajit Sarmah. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.apmp.2021.08.007
Borthakur, A., Olsen, P., Dooley, G., Cranmer, B.K., Rao, U., Hoek, E.M.V., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Dry-wet and freeze-thaw cycles enhance PFOA leaching from subsurface soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 2. 100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2021.100029
Borthakur, A., Wang, M., He, M., Ascensio, K., Adamson, D., and Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Perfluoroalkyl acids on suspended particles: Unexplored transport pathways in surface water and subsurface soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 417. 126159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126159
Borthakur, A., Cranmer, B.K., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Release of soil colloids during flow interruption increases the pore-water PFAS concentration in saturated soil. Environmental Pollution. 286, 117297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117297
Ghavanloughajar, M., Borthakur, A., Valenca, R., McAdam, M., Khor, C., Dittrich, T.M., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Iron amendment minimizes the first-flush release of pathogens from stormwater biofilters. Environmental Pollution. 116989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116989.
Alam, S., Borthakur, A., Ravi, S., Gebremichael, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Managed aquifer recharge implementation criteria to achieve water sustainability. Science of the Total Environment. 144992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.144992.
Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Zu, Y., Stenstrom, M. K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Biochar selection for Escherichia coli removal in stormwater biofilters. Journal of Environmental Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001843.
Ghavanloughajar, M., Le, H., Rahman, M.D., Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Compaction conditions affect the capacity of biochar-amended sand filters to treat road runoff. Science of the Total Environment. 735, 139180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139180.

Awards:

2021 Environmental Research and Education Foundation’s Scholarship
2021 United Contractors (UCON) Scholarship Award
2019-20 John Ries Scholarship

Fun facts:

Annesh is the receiver of the inaugural John Ries Scholarship. Annesh is an avid reader of fantasy novels. He had started with the Chronicles of Narnia and is now reading the Inheritance cycle. He loves swimming. Annesh is always positive and smiling, even in the most stressful situations. In SEALab, everyone pulls his leg when he does silly things, but he takes everything very sportively. Annesh was born in Assam, India.

Renan Valenca, Ph.D. 2022

Email: revalenca at ucla dot edu

M.S., Civil Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA.

B.S., Chemical Engineering, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, MG, Brazil.

Dissertation topic: Resilient stormwater biofilter to mitigate water quality impairment during climate change.

Current Position: Water Projects Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Google Scholar | LinkedIn | Research Gate | Twitter

Research Interest:

Renan is interested in water management, waste reuse, climate change and sustainable development tools. Renan's doctoral study is on how to design stormwater biofilters that can be resilient under changing climate conditions. Specific topics under his research are: 1) impact of wildfire residues in subsurface soil and surface water, 2) redox manipulation of biofilter by direct current to enhance contaminant removal, 3) fungi amended biofilter to remove redox-sensitive contaminants, 4) biofilter’s microbiome response to climate stressors.

Publications:

Indireson, S., Valenca, R., Davidson, O., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S. (202X) Wildfire residue deposition affects biochemical cycling of nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon in wetland. Water Research. [In preparation]
Valenca, R., McKnight, Q., Mohanty, S.K. et al. (202X) Wildfire residue deposits accelerate methane emission in wetlands. Water Research. [In preparation]
Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Karim, S., Das, T., and Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Critical role of biochar in building climate-resilient stormwater infiltration system. Water Research. [In Preparation]
Raoelison, O., Valenca, R., Lee, A., Karim, S., Webster, J.P., Pouline, B.A., and Mohanty, S. (2023) Wildfire impacts on surface water quality parameters: Cause of data variability and reporting needs. Environmental Pollution. 120713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120713
Valenca, R., Garcia, L., Flor, D., Espinosa, C., and Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Can water composition and weather factors predict fecal indicator bacteria removal in retention ponds in variable weather conditions? Science of the Total Environment. 156410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156410
Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Le, H., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Biochar Role in Improving Pathogens Removal Capacity of Stormwater Biofilters. Advances in Chemical Pollution, Environmental Management and Protection: Biochar: Fundamentals and Applications in Environmental Science and Remediation Technologies. Volume 6. Editor: Ajit Sarmah. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.apmp.2021.08.007.
Ghavanloughajar, M., Borthakur, A., Valenca, R., McAdam, M., Khor, C., Dittrich, T.M., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Iron amendment minimizes the first-flush release of pathogens from stormwater biofilters. Environmental Pollution. 116989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116989.
Valenca, R., Le, H., Zu, Y., Dittrich, T., Tsang, D.C.W., Datta, R., Sarkar, D., and Mohanty, S. (2021) Nitrate removal uncertainty in stormwater control measures: Is the design or climate a culprit? Water Research. 116781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116781.
Tirpak, A., Afrooz, N., Winston, R.J., Valenca, R., Schiff, K., Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Conventional and Amended Bioretention Soil Media for Targeted Pollutant Treatment: A Critical Review to Guide the State of the Practice. Water Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116648
Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Zu, Y., Stenstrom, M. K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Biochar selection for Escherichia coli removal in stormwater biofilters. Journal of Environmental Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001843
Le, H., Valenca, R., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Size-dependent biochar breaking under compaction: Implications on clogging and pathogen removal in biofilters. Environmental Pollution. 115195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115195
Ghavanloughajar, M., Le, H., Rahman, M.D., Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Compaction conditions affect the capacity of biochar-amended sand filters to treat road runoff. Science of the Total Environment. 735, 139180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139180
Valenca, R., Ramnath, K., Dittrich, T.M., Taylor, R. E., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Microbial quality of surface water and subsurface soil after wildfire. Water Research. 175, 115672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.115672
Baalousha, M., Wang, J., Nabi, M., Loosli, F., Valenca, R., Mohanty, S.K., Afrooz, N., Cantando, E., Aich, N. (2020) Stormwater green infrastructures retain high concentrations of TiO2 engineered (nano)-particles. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 392, 122335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122335
Berger, A.W., Valenca, R., Miao, Y., Ravi, S., Mahendra, S. and Mohanty, S.K., 2019. Biochar increases nitrate removal capacity of woodchip biofilters during high-intensity rainfall. Water research. 165, 115008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115008
Mohanty, S.K., Valenca, R., Berger, A., Xiong, X., Yu, I.K.M., Saunders, T.M., and Tsang, D.C.W. (2018) Plenty of room for carbon on the ground: Potential applications of biochar for stormwater treatment. Science of the Total Environment. 625, 1644-1658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.037

Awards:

2021-22 Dissertation Year Fellowship, University of California Los Angeles.
2021-22 INFEWS Fellowship. University of California Los Angeles.
2021-22 LA Urban Center's Science Fellowship.
2020-21 CEE Martin Rubin Scholarship. University of California Los Angeles.

Fun facts:

Renan loves surfing, cooking and skateboarding. He organizes SEALab barbecue parties and teaches us how to barbecue in a traditional Brazilian way. He also loves Italy and any Italian related subject. Renan speaks four languages: Portuguese, English, Italian and Spanish, but he still wants to learn one more: German. Renan was born in Brazil.

Maryam Ghavanloughajar, Ph.D. 2021

Email: maryamghajar at ucla dot edu

Ph.D. Civil Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2021

M.S., Civil Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2016

B.S., Civil Engineering, Tehran University, Iran

Dissertation: Performance and Longevity of Stormwater Biofilter Media Under Hydrologic and Physical Stressors.

Current Position: Project Manager, PepsiCo

LinkedIn | Twitter

Research Interest:

Maryam investigated the processes that affect the longevity of stormwater biofilter media so that their performance lifetime can be improved by engineering controls or design modifications. Specific objectives of her research: (1) to examine the effect of one of the physical stressors—compaction— on longevity of biofilter media and performance of biofilters; (2) to evaluate the effect of a chemical stressors—stormwater constituents—on longevity and performance of iron amendment; (3) to examine the persistence of antibiotic resistance genes, an emerging contaminant, in stormwater biofilters with different design configurations. The results of her work would advance the understanding of how physical, chemical and biological processes in biofilters could deteriorate biofilter media over time.

Publication(s):

Ghavanloughajar, M., Borthakur, A., Cira, M., Jay, J., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Adding a submerged layer to the stormwater biofilter design could increase antibiotic resistance genes concentration in the effluent. Journal of Environmental Engineering. 149 (7), 06023001. https://doi.org/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-7297
Ghavanloughajar, M., Borthakur, A., Valenca, R., McAdam, M., Khor, C., Dittrich, T.M., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Iron amendment minimizes the first-flush release of pathogens from stormwater biofilters. Environmental Pollution. 116989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116989.
Ghavanloughajar, M., Le, H., Rahman, M.D., Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Compaction conditions affect the capacity of biochar-amended sand filters to treat road runoff. Science of the Total Environment. 735, 139180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139180.

Fun fact:

She loves organizing events and she is an officer for grad chapter of UCLA Society of Women Engineer. She was born in Iran.

M.S. Students

Haley Gunther, M.S. 2023

Email: Haleygunther23 at ucla dot com

M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA (2023)

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (2022)

Thesis: Mobility of weathered microplastics in stormwater biofilters

Research Interest:

Fungal biodegradation of plastics, microplastic fate and transport, health and environmental consequences of microplastics, and fungal mycelium as a biodegradable polystyrene substitute.

Publication(s):

Gunther, H. J, Das, T.K., Leonard, J., Koutnik, V. S., El Rassi, L., Tang, Z., and Mohanty, S. (2023) UV exposure to PET microplastics increases their downward mobility in stormwater biofilters undergoing freeze-thaw cycles. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EW00975G

Fun Facts:

Haley enjoys dog training, crocheting, and playing Just Dance. The beach is her happy place, and trying new foods is one of her favorite pastimes!

Swapnil Banerjee , M.S. 2023

Swapnil Banerjee, M.S. 2023

Email: swapnilbanerjee at ucla dot edu

M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA (2023)

B.Tech in Chemical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, India (2022)

Thesis: Remediation of PFAS in stormwater runoff

Research Interest:

Degradation and remediation of emerging contaminants such as PFAS in surface and groundwater, I am particularly interested in socioeconomic and environmental impacts in moving towards a circular economy.

Publication(s):

Banerjee, S., Das, T.K., Borthakur, A., Valenca, R., and Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Source, distribution, and removal of PFAS in stormwater: Challenges and Opportunity. In Preparation.
Das, T.K., Han, Z., Banerjee, S., Raoelison, O.D., Adeleye, A.S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) PFAS release from the subsurface and capillary fringe during managed aquifer recharge. Environmental Pollution. 123166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123166

Fun Facts:

I like to act, both theater and film acting. As a teenager, I’ve featured in a couple of short films too. Maybe I’ll pick up acting again now that I’m in LA (haha)

Samiha Karim, M.S. 2022

Email: samiha.karim at ucla dot edu

M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, 2022.

B.S., Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh.

Thesis: Mining e-waste and coal ash in landfills for rare earth elements using bioleaching methods: Analysis of bioleaching data.

Research Interest:

Samiha's research examines biological methods to extract rare earth elements from wastes including coal ash and electronic wastes.

Publications:

Karim, S., Satpathy, S., Marsden, N.J., Dittrich, T.D., Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Cash from Trash: Meta Analysis on Bioleaching of Rare Earth Elements. Journal of Hazardous Materials. [In preparation].
Raoelison, O., Valenca, R., Lee, A., Karim, S., Webster, J.P., Pouline, B.A., and Mohanty, S. (2023) Wildfire impacts on surface water quality parameters: Cause of data variability and reporting needs. Environmental Pollution. 120713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120713

Fun Facts:

Samiha passes her leisure time by reading novels and fiction. She is into dancing. Recently She has grown interested in cooking and is trying to make food from different cuisines. She was born in Bangladesh.

Shruti Indiresan , M.S. 2022

Shruti Indiresan, M.S. 2022

Email: shrutuli at gmail dot com

M.S., Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, 2022

B.S., Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 2021.

Thesis: Effects of wildfire residues on nitrate and sulfate reduction in wetlands.

Research Interest:

Shruti's research examines changes in the microbiome and its function, particularly sulfide oxidation and denitrification in wetland sediments after receiving wildfire residues.

Publication:

Indireson, S. Valenca, R., Davidson, O., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S. (202X) Wildfire residue deposition affects biochemical cycling of nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon in wetland. Water Research. [In preparation]
Raoelison, O.D., Das, T., Guyett, K., Merrifield, R., Visweswaran, A., Indiresan, S., Lin Yang, K., Pierce, G., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) Resilience of stormwater biofilters following the deposition of wildfire residues: Implication on downstream water quality management in wildfire-prone regions. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 132989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132989.

Fun Facts: Shruti is a flute player and was in marching band. She enjoys trying new recipes and writing poetry.

Camille Huong Le, M.S. 2019

Email: camille.htle at gmail dot com

M.S., Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, 2019

B.S., Environmental Science, University of California Los Angeles, 2018

Thesis: Compaction-induced biochar loss from biofilters.

Research Interest:

Cami is interested in water reuse and management, renewable energy, and green infrastructure. Her research examines how to best design of stormwater treatment systems near the roadside so that they can treat road runoff at the source. In particular, she conducted bench-top experiments to examine the effect of compaction on the ability of biochar to treat stormwater.

Publications:

Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Le, H., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Biochar Role in Improving Pathogens Removal Capacity of Stormwater Biofilters. Advances in Chemical Pollution, Environmental Management and Protection: Biochar: Fundamentals and Applications in Environmental Science and Remediation Technologies. Volume 6. Editor: Ajit Sarmah.
Valenca, R., Le, H., Zu, Y., Dittrich, T., Tsang, D.C.W., Datta, R., Sarkar, D., and Mohanty, S. (2021) Nitrate removal uncertainty in stormwater control measures: Is the design or climate a culprit? Water Research. 116781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116781.
Le, H., Valenca, R., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Size-dependent biochar breaking under compaction: Implications on clogging and pathogen removal in biofilters. Environmental Pollution. 115195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115195
Ghavanloughajar, M., Le, H., Rahman, M.D., Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Ravi, S., Stenstrom, M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2020) Compaction conditions affect the capacity of biochar-amended sand filters to treat road runoff. Science of the Total Environment. 735, 139180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139180

Awards

2020 Edward K. Rice Outstanding Master’s Student Award

Fun Facts:

She has graduated with M.S. and continuing working in SEALab as a project scientist. Cami enjoys activities that make her move: practicing fitness, gardening, and playing with her cutest-pet-in-the-earth: a corgi. She also loves reading books and writing. Cami can pick up a new language quickly. She was born in Vietnam.

Alex Berger. M.S. 2018

M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2018

Thesis: Nitrate Removal by Biochar-Amended Woodchip Biofilters.

Publication(s):

Berger, A.W., Valenca, R., Miao, Y., Ravi, S., Mahendra, S. and Mohanty, S.K., 2019. Biochar increases nitrate removal capacity of woodchip biofilters during high-intensity rainfall. Water research. 165, 115008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115008
Mohanty, S.K., Valenca, R., Berger, A., Xiong, X., Yu, I.K.M., Saunders, T.M., and Tsang, D.C.W. (2018) Plenty of room for carbon on the ground: Potential applications of biochar for stormwater treatment. Science of the Total Environment. 625, 1644-1658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.037

B.S. Students

Myra Farooq, B.S. Student

Email: myrafarooq1 at g dot ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Expected 2026)

Topic: Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil

Research Interest:

Understanding chromium levels in soil before and after wildfire

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Myra has a third degree black belt in taekwondo!

Lillian (Lily) Ott , B.S. Student

Lillian (Lily) Ott, B.S. Student

Email: lilyott at g dot ucla dot edu

B.S., Biochemistry, UCLA (Expected 2026)

Topic: PFAS fate and treatment

Research Interest:

PFAS and plastic distribution and co-occurrence in Stormwater BMP sites in Los Angeles

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Lily is Outreach Chair of UCLA Club Swimming (and she thinks you should join)!

Can Li , B.S. Student

Can Li, B.S. Student

Email: clcli at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Expected 2026)

Topic: Wildfire

Research Interest:

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Catherine is a cat lover and hopes to have two one day—a golden British Shorthair and an Abyssinian.

Angela Ke, B.S. Student

Email: angelake at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Expected 2026)

Topic: Water reuse

Research Interest:

Understanding how stormwater can be managed and reused for climate resiliency

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Angela has been highlining in Yosemite and enjoys hiking and camping on the weekends!

Valeria Sanchez , B. S . Student

Valeria Sanchez, B.S. Student

Email: vsand1704 at ucla dot edu

B.S., Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCLA (Expected 2027)

Topic: Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil

Research Interest:

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Valeria's favorite ice cream flavor is Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey!

Lawrence Tran, B.S. Student

Email: lawtran03 at g dot ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (Graduated 2026)

Topic: Airborne microplastics

Research Interest:

Microplastics and public health

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Lawrence is in medical school now!

Tsz Yu Lau (Alex) , B.S. Student

Tsz Yu Lau (Alex), B.S. Student

Email: cereltyalex16 at g dot ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science and Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, UCLA (Graduated 2025)

Topic: Impact of polymer PolyDDA on PFAS

Research Interest:

Understanding the relationship between cationic polymer PolyDDA and PFAS

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Alex loves to road trip and explore CA towns outside the Sacramento area with his brother!

Grace Claire Young, B.S. Student

Email: gcyoung at ucdavis dot edu

B.S., Biological Sciences, UC Davis (Expected 2028)

Topic: Chromium in wildfire-impacted soil

Research Interest:

Understanding chromium levels in soil before and after wildfire

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Claire loves to run in her free time and is involved in UC Davis's club running team!

Carmen Kettrick , B.S. Student

Carmen Kettrick, B.S. Student

Email: carmenkettrick at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (2025)

Topic: Water sustainability

Research Interest:

Publication(s):

Fun Facts:

Carmen is from San Diego and loves to travel with friends!

Ananya Visweswaran, B.S. Student

Email: ajvisweswaran at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (2024)

Topic: Wildfire impacts on green infrastructure and water quality

Research Interest:

Understanding how to mitigate the environmental impacts of pollution, green infrastructure, and environmental impacts on the Global South.

Publication(s):

Raoelison, O.D., Das, T., Guyett, K., Merrifield, R., Visweswaran, A., Indiresan, S., Lin Yang, K., Pierce, G., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) Resilience of stormwater biofilters following the deposition of wildfire residues: Implication on downstream water quality management in wildfire-prone regions. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 132989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132989.
Raoelison, O.D., Das, T.K., Visweswaran, A., Guyett, K., Spallone, S., Ramos, R., Merrifield, R., Dittrich, T.M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Do Drinking Water Treatment Residuals Underperform in the Presence of Compost in Stormwater Biofilters? Science of the Total Environment. 166635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166635.

Fun Facts:

Ananya speaks English, Dutch, and French, and is learning Chinese!

Lea Ann El Rassi , B.S. Student

Lea Ann El Rassi, B.S. Student

Email: elrassilea at ucla dot edu

B.S., Physiological Sciences, UCLA (2024)

Topic: Microplastics accumulation in playgrounds.

Research Interest:

Understanding how microplastics accumulate in environments and their impacts on human health.

Publication(s):

Leonard, J., Koutnik, V., Sankar, M. S., Katkar, A., El Rassi, L.A., Choy, M., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Li, C., Dash, P., Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Microplastics in the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico reveal historic deposition. Marine Pollution Bulletin. [Submitted on December 23, 2022.]
Leonard, J., El Rassi, L.A., Samad, M.A., Prehn, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) The relative importance of local climate and land use on the dry deposition rate of airborne microplastics on terrestrial land. Atmospheric Environment. 120212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.120212.
Gunther, H. J, Das, T.K., Leonard, J., Koutnik, V. S., El Rassi, L., Tang, Z., and Mohanty, S. (2023) UV exposure to PET microplastics increases their downward mobility in stormwater biofilters undergoing freeze-thaw cycles. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EW00975G
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., El Rassi, L.A., Choy, M. M., Brar, J., Glasman, J.B., Cowger, W., and Mohanty, S. (2022) Children's playgrounds contain more microplastics than other areas in urban parks. Science of the Total Environment. 158866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158866.

Fun Facts:

Lea enjoys baking, swimming, and traveling!

Samantha Prehn , B.S. Student

Samantha Prehn, B.S. Student

Email: samprehn at ucla dot edu

B.S., Biochemistry, UCLA (2024)

Topic: Effect of heavy metal adsorption on pathogens

Research Interest:

Developing new ways to minimize the negative effect of anthropogenic stressors on water and soil, and therefore protecting nearby communities.

Publications:

Leonard, J., El Rassi, L.A., Samad, M.A., Prehn, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) The relative importance of local climate and land use on the dry deposition rate of airborne microplastics on terrestrial land. Atmospheric Environment. 120212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.120212.
Borthakur, A., Das, T.K., Zhanga, Y., Libbert, S., Prehn, S., Ramos, P., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Rechargeable stormwater biofilters: In situ regeneration of PFAS removal capacity by using a cationic polymer, Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride. Journal of Cleaner Production. 134244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134244.
Borthakur, A., Chhour, K., Gayle, H., Prehn, S., Stenstorm, M.K., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Natural aging of expanded shale, clay, and slate (ESCS) amendment with heavy metals in stormwater increases its antibacterial properties: Implications on biofilter design. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 128309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128309

Fun Fact:

In her free time, Sam likes to surf and run. She has also been a vegetarian her entire life!

Rachel Merrifield , B.S.

Rachel Merrifield, B.S.

Email: rmerrifield at g dot ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (2024)

Topic: Wildfire impacts on green infrastructure and water quality

Research Interest:

Understanding the environmental impacts of wildfires. Stormwater remediation. Green infrastructure design.

Publication(s):

Raoelison, O.D., Das, T., Guyett, K., Merrifield, R., Visweswaran, A., Indiresan, S., Lin Yang, K., Pierce, G., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) Resilience of stormwater biofilters following the deposition of wildfire residues: Implication on downstream water quality management in wildfire-prone regions. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 132989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132989.
Raoelison, O.D., Das, T.K., Visweswaran, A., Guyett, K., Spallone, S., Ramos, R., Merrifield, R., Dittrich, T.M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Do Drinking Water Treatment Residuals Underperform in the Presence of Compost in Stormwater Biofilters? Science of the Total Environment. 166635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166635.

Yuhui Zhang , B.S. Student

Yuhui Zhang, B.S. Student

Email: aurorazh23 at ucla dot edu

B.S., Environmental Science (minor- Eng. Engineering), UCLA (2023)

Topic: Regenerative stormwater biofilter design

Research Interest:

Understanding how to design stormwater biofilters that would last longer without the need to replace filter media.

Publication(s):

Das, T. K., Raoelison, O.D., Rehman, H., Zhang, Y., Chao, W., Thamiz, L., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty S.K. (2023) Use of Expanded Shale, Clay, and Slate Aggregates and Biochar in the Clear Zone of Road Infrastructures for Sustainable Treatment of Stormwater. Journal of Cleaner Production. 139443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139443.
Borthakur, A., Das, T.K., Zhanga, Y., Libbert, S., Prehn, S., Ramos, P., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Rechargeable stormwater biofilters: In situ regeneration of PFAS removal capacity by using a cationic polymer, Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride. Journal of Cleaner Production. 134244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134244.

Srijan Satpathy , B. A . Student

Srijan Satpathy, B.A. Student

Email: srijan dot satpathy at gmail dot com

B.A., Linguistics & Computer Science, UCLA (2023)

Topic: Leaching of rare earth elements

Publications:

Karim, S., Satpathy, S., Marsden, N.J., Dittrich, T.D., Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Cash from Trash: Meta Analysis on Bioleaching of Rare Earth Elements. Journal of Hazardous Materials. [In preparation].

Fun fact:

Srijan likes to write poetry!

Joel B Glasman , B.S. Student

Joel B Glasman, B.S. Student

Email: jglasman at ucla dot edu

B.S., Chemical Engineering, UCLA (June 2023)

Topic: Microplastics distribution in water and sediment from the ocean floor

Research Interest:

Joel Is interested in studying different aspects of the environment in order to improve the health of nature and human kind.

Publication(s):

Leonard, J., Borthakur, A., Koutnik, V.S., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cower, W., Dittrich, T.M., Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Challenges of using leaves as a biomonitoring system to assess airborne microplastic pollution in urban areas. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 101651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2023.101651.
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., El Rassi, L.A., Choy, M. M., Brar, J., Glasman, J.B., Cowger, W., and Mohanty, S. (2022) Children's playgrounds contain more microplastics than other areas in urban parks. Science of the Total Environment. 158866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158866.
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Brar, J., Cao, S., Glasman, J.B., R., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Transport of microplastics in stormwater treatment systems under freeze-thaw cycles: Critical role of plastic density. Water Research. 118950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118950
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Glasman, J.B., Koydemir, H.C., Novoselov, A., Brar, J., Bertel, R., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Microplastics retained in stormwater control measures: Where do they come from and where do they go? Water Research. 118008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.118008

Fun Fact:

In his free time, Joel enjoys coaching middle school soccer.

Jaslyn Brar, B.S. Student

Email: jaslynbrar31 at ucla dot edu

B.S., Chemical Engineering, UCLA (June 2023)

Topic: Microplastics transport in stormwater biofilets

Research Interest:

Understanding the effects of anthropogenic environmental stresses (e.g. altered climates, disturbed nutrient/water/carbon cycles) on environmental and urban health.

Publications:

Leonard, J., Borthakur, A., Koutnik, V.S., Brar, J., Glasman, J., Cower, W., Dittrich, T.M., Mohanty, S.K. (2023) Challenges of using leaves as a biomonitoring system to assess airborne microplastic pollution in urban areas. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 101651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2023.101651.
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., El Rassi, L.A., Choy, M. M., Brar, J., Glasman, J.B., Cowger, W., and Mohanty, S. (2022) Children's playgrounds contain more microplastics than other areas in urban parks. Science of the Total Environment. 158866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158866.
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Brar, J., Cao, S., Glasman, J.B., R., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Transport of microplastics in stormwater treatment systems under freeze-thaw cycles: Critical role of plastic density. Water Research. 118950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118950
Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Glasman, J.B., Koydemir, H.C., Novoselov, A., Brar, J., Bertel, R., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Microplastics retained in stormwater control measures: Where do they come from and where do they go? Water Research. 118008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.118008

Silvi Lybbert, B.S. Student

Email: silvi.lybbert at gmail dot com

B.S., Biochemistry, UCLA (2024)

Topic: PFAS removal and biochemical impact in stormwater biofilter

Research Interest:

Biochemical processes in the stormwater biofilter.

Publication(s):

Borthakur, A., Das, T.K., Zhanga, Y., Libbert, S., Prehn, S., Ramos, P., Dooley, G., Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Rechargeable stormwater biofilters: In situ regeneration of PFAS removal capacity by using a cationic polymer, Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride. Journal of Cleaner Production. 134244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134244.

Michelle Choy , B.S. Student

Michelle Choy, B.S. Student

Email: choym52 at ucla dot edu

B.S., Biology, UCLA (2024)

Topic: Microplastics accumulation and exposure.

Research Interest:

Understanding how microplastics accumulate in environments and their impacts on human health.

Publication(s):

Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., El Rassi, L.A., Choy, M. M., Brar, J., Glasman, J.B., Cowger, W., and Mohanty, S. (2022) Children's playgrounds contain more microplastics than other areas in urban parks. Science of the Total Environment. 158866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158866.

Kevin Lin Yang , B.S. Student

Kevin Lin Yang, B.S. Student

Email: kevinlinyang00 at ucla dot edu

B.S., Civil Engineering, UCLA (June 2023)

Topic: Chemical, biological, and physical impact of wildfire residue on stormwater and groundwater quality.

Research Interest:

Understanding the environmental and health impacts of various kinds of pollution (e.g., wildfire residue, heavy metals, organic matter) on communities and natural systems;

Publication:

Raoelison, O.D., Das, T., Guyett, K., Merrifield, R., Visweswaran, A., Indiresan, S., Lin Yang, K., Pierce, G., and Mohanty, S.K. (2024) Resilience of stormwater biofilters following the deposition of wildfire residues: Implication on downstream water quality management in wildfire-prone regions. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 132989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132989.

Fun facts: Spanish is my mother tongue.

Awards:

2023 NSF GRFP

Natasha Marsden , B.S. Student

Natasha Marsden, B.S. Student

Email: natashamarsden at ucla dot edu

B.S., Physics, UCLA (2022)

Topic: Extraction of rare earth elements

Research Interest:

Understanding and improving stormwater runoff technology, especially through biofiltration techniques. Particularly interested in implementing green infrastructure in highly impacted areas with fewer socioeconomic resources to put towards environmental development.

Publications:

Karim, S., Satpathy, S., Marsden, N.J., Dittrich, T.D., Mohanty, S.K. (202X) Cash from Trash: Meta Analysis on Bioleaching of Rare Earth Elements. Journal of Hazardous Materials. [In preparation].

Fun facts:

Natasha enjoys to rock climb and snowboarding!

Kristida Chhour , B.S. Student

Kristida Chhour, B.S. Student

Email: kkristida at gmail dot com

B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, with minor in Food Studies, UCLA (2022)

Topic: Efficacy of stormwater biofilter media in removal of heavy metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pathogens, and antibiotic resistance genes

Research Interest:

Kristida is interested in green infrastructure and stormwater treatment systems that can remove heavy metals and improve surface water quality.

Publications:

Borthakur, A., Chhour, K., Gayle, H., Prehn, S., Stenstorm, M.K., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Natural aging of expanded shale, clay, and slate (ESCS) amendment with heavy metals in stormwater increases its antibacterial properties: Implications on biofilter design. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 128309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128309

Awards:

2022 NSF GRFP

Albert Cao, B.S. Student

Email: caoalbert at ucla dot edu

B.S., Statistics, UCLA (2022)

Topic: Microplastics transport in biofilter media

Research Interest:

Apply statistical methods to understand the scope of microplastics' in stormwater runoff and use of meta-analysis to generalize results.

Publication(s):

Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Brar, J., Cao, S., Glasman, J.B., R., Cowger, W., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Transport of microplastics in stormwater treatment systems under freeze-thaw cycles: Critical role of plastic density. Water Research. 118950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118950
Koutnik, V.S., Alkidim, S., Leonard, D. J., DePrima, F., Cao, S., Hoek, E., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Unaccounted microplastics in wastewater sludge: Where do they go? ES&T Water. 1, 5, 1086–1097. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.0c00267

Fun Facts:

Emma Golub , B.S. Student

Emma Golub, B.S. Student

Email: emmaa.golub at gmail dot com

B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA (Expected 2022)

Topic: Wildfire impact on wetland function

Research Interest:

Wildfire residue impact on wetland function.

Fun Facts:

Emma likes to climb rocks and sail boats in her free time!

Quinlan Mcknight, B.S. Student

Email: quimck at ucla dot edu

B.S., Civil Engineering, UCLA (Expected June 2023)

Topic: Wildfire-induced methane emission from estuary systems

Research Interest:

Impact of climate change and pollutants (e.g. bacteria, microplastics, wildfire residues) on water quality and public health.

Publications:

1 . Valenca, R., McKnight, Q., Mohanty, S. K. (2021) Enhanced methane emission from deposited wildfire residues accelerates GHG emission from wetlands

Fun facts:

Quinlan enjoys reading fiction novels, baking, and playing instruments such as piano and guitar. She is from Los Angeles, CA, and is Bruin born and raised!

Anna Novoselov , B .S. Student

Anna Novoselov, B.S. Student

Email: annaknov at gmail dot com

B.S., Environmental Science, UCLA (expected)

Topic: Microplastics distribution in stormwater control measures in Los Angeles

Research Interest:

Understanding the effects of anthropogenic environmental stresses (e.g. altered climates, disturbed nutrient/water/carbon cycles) on environmental and urban health.

Publication(s):

Koutnik, V.S., Leonard, J., Glasman, J.B., Koydemir, H.C., Novoselov, A., Brar, J., Bertel, R., Tseng, D., Ozcan, A., Ravi, S., Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Microplastics retained in stormwater control measures: Where do they come from and where do they go? Water Research. 118008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.118008

Yeyang Zu, B.S. 2021

Email: zuyeyang at gmail dot com

B.S., Environmental Science with minors in Environmental Engineering and Statistics. UCLA (2021)

Research topic: Stormwater biofilter design to improve removal of microbial pollutants.

Research Interest:

Yeyang (aka Benson) is interest in how to best design stormwater treatment systems to improve microbial pollutants. In particular, he assisted laboratory experiments that links biochar properties with its bacterial removal capacity. Benson is currently working on an experiment that uses fungi to remove munition compounds in subsurface.

Publications:

Valenca, R., Le, H., Zu, Y., Dittrich, T., Tsang, D.C.W., Datta, R., Sarkar, D., and Mohanty, S. (2021) Nitrate removal uncertainty in stormwater control measures: Is the design or climate a culprit? Water Research. 116781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116781.
Valenca, R., Borthakur, A., Zu, Y., Stenstrom, M. K., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Biochar selection for Escherichia coli removal in stormwater biofilters. Journal of Environmental Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001843

Fun Facts:

He likes tasting chocolate and is a claimed otter-lover. He was born in China.

Allison Lee, B.S. 2021

Email: allee.042 at gmail dot com

B.S., Civil Engineering with minor in Geography, UCLA 2021

Research topic: Wildfire impacts on stormwater quality.

Research Interest:

Allison broadly interested in water quality management using green infrastructure. Allison assists one of the Ph.D. student in laboratory study and literature review examining the impact of wildfire on surface water quality and how to best design stormwater treatment systems to mitigate the negative impact.

Publications:

Raoelison, O., Valenca, R., Lee, A., Karim, S., Webster, J.P., Pouline, B.A., and Mohanty, S. (2023) Wildfire impacts on surface water quality parameters: Cause of data variability and reporting needs. Environmental Pollution. 120713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120713

Publications:

Borthakur, A., Wang, M., He, M., Ascensio, K., Adamson, D., and Blotevogel, J., Mahendra, S., and Mohanty, S.K. (2021) Perfluoroalkyl acids on suspended particles: Unexplored transport pathways in surface water and subsurface soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 417. 126159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126159

Publications:

Mohanty, S.K., Valenca, R., Berger, A., Xiong, X., Yu, I.K.M., Saunders, T.M., and Tsang, D.C.W. (2018) Plenty of room for carbon on the ground: Potential applications of biochar for stormwater treatment. Science of the Total Environment. 625, 1644-1658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.037.

Emma Suchard

B.S. Civil Engineering. 2018

Research Interest:

Emma is the first undergraduate research assistant to help us setup the experiment. Her initial work and troubleshooting of column experiments saved graduate students considerable time to conduct experiments on how to design stormwater biofilters for removal of heavy metals.

Visiting Students

Research Interest:

Hamid Rehman

Email: hamidbiotech at gmail dot com

Ph.D. (expected), Environmental Sciences, Quaid i Azam University, Pakistan.

M.S., Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Pakistan.

B.S., Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Pakistan.

Research topic: Stormwater management at roadside.

Research Interest:

Effect of biochar and metals resistant bacteria on metals homeostasis of selected crops.

Publications：

Das, T. K., Raoelison, O.D., Rehman, H., Zhang, Y., Chao, W., Thamiz, L., Stenstrom, M.K., and Mohanty S.K. (2023) Use of Expanded Shale, Clay, and Slate Aggregates and Biochar in the Clear Zone of Road Infrastructures for Sustainable Treatment of Stormwater. Journal of Cleaner Production. 139443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139443.

Research Interest:

Alija Kabir

Email: alijia dot kabir 337 at gmail dot com

M.S., Environmental Engineering, University of California Riverside, CA, USA.

B.S., Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh.

Research topic: Stormwater management at roadside.

Research Interest:

Alija’s research interests include developing bioremediation technology for stormwater management, low cost technologies for water reclamation and reuse. During her masters she focused on understanding the mechanism of air and water pollution. Her B.Sc. research topic was Synthesis and Characterization of Zero Valent Iron Nano-particles (nZVI) for the remediation of Chromium and Arsenic Contaminated Water.

Publications:

Das, T.K., Kabir, A., Zhao, W., Stenstrom, M., Dittrich, T. M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) A review of compaction effect on subsurface processes in soil: Implications on stormwater treatment in roadside compacted soil. Science of the Total Environment. 160121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160121.

Fun Facts: Alija realized her passion for mentoring while working as a TA. She is into anime, superhero movies and comics. Cat mom.

Research Interest:

Weiyang Zhao

Email: weiyangz dot cathy at gmail dot com

M.S., Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, CA, USA.

B.S., Agricultural resources and environment, Zhejiang A&F University, ZJ, China.

Research topic: Stormwater management at roadside.

Research Interest:

Weiyang is interested in developing bioremediation to mitigate contaminated environments (water and soil). Her MS research topic was reductive defluorinatioin of PFAS; Combined biomass carbon and mycorrhizal fungi for remediation of PCBs-contaminated soils.

Publications：

Das, T.K., Kabir, A., Zhao, W., Stenstrom, M., Dittrich, T. M., and Mohanty, S.K. (2023) A review of compaction effect on subsurface processes in soil: Implications on stormwater treatment in roadside compacted soil. Science of the Total Environment. 160121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160121.

Fun Facts:

Beginner of motorcycle; Jigsaw puzzles and Lego enthusiast

Hannah Gayle , B.S. student

Hannah Gayle, B.S. student

B.S. Civil Engineering. (expected graduation, June 2023)

California State University, Long Beach.

Research Interest:

Hanna worked with us on designing biofilters to remove pathogen during summer 2021. She is interested in green infrastructure and stormwater treatment systems to improve surface water quality.

Publication:

Borthakur, A., Chhour, K., Gayle, H., Prehn, S., Stenstorm, M.K., Mohanty, S.K. (2022) Natural ging of expanded shale, clay, and slate (ESCS) amendment with heavy metals in stormwater increases its antibacterial properties: Implications on biofilter design. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 128309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128309 .

High School Students

Eugenia Baek

Marymount High School, LA. (2017)

Eugenia was a participant of the UCLA High School Summer Research Program. She was mentored by Alex Berger and assisted in setting up column experiment. She presented the methods and the results of the experiment with her lab partner, Wendy Garcia-Torres at the HSSRP Poster Symposium.

Eugenia is currently pursuing her undergraduate study in Computer Science at Barnard College, Columbia University.

Wendy Garcia-Torres

UCLA Community School (2017)

Wendy was a participant of the UCLA High School Summer Research Program. She was mentored by Alex Berger and assisted in setting up column experiment. She presented the methods and the results of the experiment with her lab partner, Wendy Garcia-Torres at the HSSRP Poster Symposium.

Wendy is currently pursuing her undergraduate study in St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN