Ali Alinezhad 2021

Ali Alinezhad is a PhD student in Civil Engineering at the University of North Dakota. He holds a Master of Science degree in water resources engineering from Isfahan University of Technology (IUT), Iran and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Isfahan University of Technology (IUT), Iran. His current research is focused on thermal decomposition of PFAS in contaminated soil and wastewater. The main purpose of his work is to develop a cost-effective approach to destroy PFAS from contaminated soil and Activated Carbon.

An Investigation of Thermal Air Degradation and Pyrolysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Aqueous Film-Forming Foams in Soil

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic organofluorine chemicals that have been mass-produced since the 1950s for a variety of high-temperature resistant products, such as nonstick cookware and aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) for firefighting devices. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs, e.g., PFOA) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs, e.g., PFOS) are nonvolatile at ambient temperature, ionic or ionizable at circumneutral pH (6–9), moderately hydrophobic, and soluble in water. If released to the soil, they may interact with soil organic matter and sorb to soil particles, posing a threat to human health through both direct and indirect routes of exposure, including ingestion and inhalation of fugitive soil particles. The main objective of this study is understand the effect of different factors on thermal decomposition of PFAS in contaminated soil.

Professional Memberships

Member, ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) (January 2020-Present)

Member, ACS (American Chemical Society) (January 2020-Present)

Member, AWWA (American Water Work Association) (June 2021-Present)

Conference Presentations

“Thermal Remediation of Soil-borne Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances”, Inaugural North Dakota Regional Environmental Conference. October 7, 2021- Bismarck, ND. (Oral Presentation)

“Investigation of thermal air degradation and pyrolysis of PFAS and PFAS alternatives in soil”. ACS Spring Meeting, March 20-24, 2022. (Accepted for oral presentation)

Publications

Alinezhad, A., Challa Sasi, P., Zhang, P., Yao, B., Kubátová, A., Golovko, S.A., Golovko, M.Y. and Xiao, F. (2022). An Investigation of Thermal Air Degradation and Pyrolysis of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Aqueous Film-Forming Foams in Soil. ACS ES&T Engineering. (https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.1c00335 )

Sasi, P. C., Alinezhad, A., Yao, B., Kubátová, A., Golovko, S. A., Golovko, M. Y., & Xiao, F. (2021). Effect of granular activated carbon and other porous materials on thermal decomposition of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances: Mechanisms and implications for water purification. Water Research, 200, 117271. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117271 )

Feng "Frank" Xiao
Civil Engineering
Office: Upson II Room 260K
243 Centennial Drive Stop 8115
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8115
Telephone: 701-777-5150
Email: feng.xiao@UND.edu