Detlef Knappe

Bio

My research interests encompass (1) developing and evaluating physical-chemical treatment processes for the control of disinfection byproduct precursors and organic micropollutants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and 1,4-dioxane (see our NSF Science Nation video), (2) understanding routes of exposure to organic micropollutant and mitigating human exposure, and (3) overcoming gaps between the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act by developing information about the effects of reactive and unregulated wastewater contaminants on drinking water quality and treatment.

I serve as Deputy Director of NCSU’s Center for Environmental and Human Health Effects of PFAS and am a member of NCSU’s Center for Human Health and the Environment. I also serve as the faculty advisor for the NC Safewater Student Chapter at NCSU.

Publications

• Commercial compost amendments inhibit the bioavailability and plant uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in soil-porewater-lettuce systems , ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL (2024)
• Evaluating Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) for passive monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with Ion Mobility Spectrometry-Mass Spectrometry (IMS-MS) , SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT (2024)
• Forecasting and Hindcasting PFAS Concentrations in Groundwater Discharging to Streams near a PFAS Production Facility , ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (2024)
• Lithium-ion battery components are at the nexus of sustainable energy and environmental release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances , NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2024)
• Machine Learning Models to Predict Early Breakthrough of Recalcitrant Organic Micropollutants in Granular Activated Carbon Adsorbers , Environmental Science & Technology (2024)
• Measurement of Hydro-EVE and 6:2 FTS in Blood from Wilmington, North Carolina, Residents, 2017-2018 , ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES (2024)
• Predicting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances removal in pilot-scale granular activated carbon adsorbers from rapid small-scale column tests , AWWA WATER SCIENCE (2024)
• Reanalysis of PFO5DoA Levels in Blood from Wilmington, North Carolina, Residents, 2017-2018 , ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES (2024)
• Removal of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in fixed bed anion exchange reactors: Factors determining PFAS uptake capacity and models predicting PFAS breakthrough , WATER RESEARCH (2024)
• Residential Garden Produce Harvested Near a Fluorochemical Manufacturer in North Carolina Can Be An Important Fluoroether Exposure Pathway , JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY (2024)