Environmental Science: Nano Blog

Dr. Drenkova-Tuhtan holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Stuttgart, Germany since 2018. She is currently a senior researcher and principal investigator at the Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics (KBFI), Tallinn, Estonia which she joined in 2020 as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoc fellow.

Her research focuses on advanced wastewater treatment, resource recovery, sustainable water management, and the environmental safety of emerging technologies and materials. Her work combines environmental engineering, materials science, and aquatic ecotoxicology to develop and evaluate innovative solutions for water pollution control and nutrients recovery. Her current research interests include the development of reusable nanostructured adsorbents for phosphorus recovery, the removal of micropollutants and microplastics from wastewater, and the assessment of the potential environmental risks associated with advanced wastewater treatment technologies.

Read Asya’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: environmental safety assessment of 11 novel metal oxide/hydroxide nanocomposite adsorbents for advanced magnetic removal and recovery of phosphorus from wastewater” and read more about her in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focused on evaluating the ecotoxicity of 11 metal oxide/hydroxide nanocomposite adsorbents for the advanced magnetic removal and recovery of phosphorus from wastewater. How has your research evolved from your earliest published work to your independent research?

My research journey began with applying nanotechnology to solve environmental challenges. During my MSc studies at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, I investigated the application of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) for the removal of phosphorus, organic micropollutants, and heavy metals from wastewater. This early work sparked my interest in the potential of engineered nanomaterials to improve conventional wastewater treatment processes.

During my PhD research, I focused on developing reusable magnetic nanocomposite adsorbents for the selective removal and recovery of phosphorus from wastewater and wanted to bridge the gap between material development and practical engineering applications, which led to the successful demonstration of magnetic phosphorus recovery at pilot scale.

A turning point in my scientific career came when I questioned whether the application of these technologically powerful novel materials could introduce new environmental risks. This motivated me to expand my research into environmental nanotoxicology. Through my Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship at the KBFI institute in Estonia, I combined my background in environmental engineering with ecotoxicological approaches to investigate the environmental safety of engineered nanomaterials.

My independent research now involves international collaboration and takes a broader perspective, integrating advanced wastewater treatment, resource recovery, environmental risk assessment, but also developing strategies to reduce the release of emerging pollutants (including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, etc.) into the aquatic environment.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

What I find especially rewarding is the possibility of translating scientific findings into practical solutions that can be implemented at full scale. Seeing research move beyond the laboratory and contribute directly to cleaner water, resource conservation, and the protection of aquatic ecosystems is a powerful motivation for my work.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in your field of research?

I believe one of the most important questions in environmental engineering is how to develop increasingly efficient, resilient and sustainable water treatment technologies without creating new environmental problems, especially in the context of climate change and global instability.

What do you find most challenging about your research?

One of the greatest challenges is translating promising laboratory findings into technologies that perform reliably under real operating conditions. Another major challenge is the interdisciplinary nature of my research. Developing environmentally sustainable wastewater treatment technologies requires bringing together expertise from different fields (engineering, materials science, analytical chemistry, microbiology, etc.). Each discipline has its own methods, terminology, and priorities, and integrating them into a coherent research approach can be demanding.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

I will have an oral presentation at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Glasgow, UK.

How do you spend your spare time?

I enjoy spending quality time with my family, travelling, and exploring new places and cultures. I particularly appreciate spending time outdoors in nature with my two children, which provides a refreshing contrast to the demands of scientific research.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

Probably a human psychologist.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Be persistent, stay focused and never give up pursuing your goals, build strong scientific networks, seek out supportive mentors, have a clear sense of purpose, be curious and open to exploring research directions beyond your immediate field of expertise.

Briana Aguila is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC. After completing her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at the University of Florida, Briana earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of South Florida under Prof. Shengqian Ma studying “Functional Porous Materials: Applications in Environmental Sustainability”.  During her Ph.D. Briana was an intern at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and worked on metal-organic frameworks for nuclear waste remediation under research scientist Dr. Praveen Thallapally. As Briana began her career as an Assistant Professor, she was able to travel back to PNNL through the Visiting Faculty Program and worked alongside research scientist Dr. Quin Miller on carbon mineralization in basalt rock.

Read Briana’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: kinetics of diopside reactivity for carbon mineralization in mafic–ultramafic rocks” and read more about her in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on Kinetics of Diopside Reactivity for Carbon Mineralization in Mafic-Ultramafic Rocks. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

My first publication in graduate school was from an internship at PNNL working on the removal of Cs and Sr from nuclear waste using a functionalized metal-organic framework (Chem. Commun., 2016, 52, 5940-5942). I am grateful for the mentorship I had from my host, Dr. Praveen Thallapally, and my Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Shengqian Ma, for the research opportunities and helping produce a publishable piece of work. Throughout my career, I have always been interested in materials for environmental applications. Now, I am eager to be delving into geochemistry and how we can use minerals found in nature to solve environmental problems. Transitioning into the mentor role, I also want to be including my undergraduate researchers so they can experience the writing process. I look back and laugh, as one of the reasons I went into chemistry was because I was much more math and science focused with little enjoyment in writing; how the times have changed!

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

Currently, I am most excited about studying new minerals and how they behave once injected with CO₂. A better understanding of the fundamentals at the nano-scale is the first step in moving forward with putting carbon storage technologies at the forefront of creating a carbon-negative industrial sector. I am also excited about recruiting new students who can get hands-on experience with this type of research at the undergraduate-level.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

I think the most challenging part of most research is putting what you learned at the bench and applying it to the real world. As we learn the fundamentals of how these minerals are transforming into carbonates, this needs to be supplemented with large-scale studies in the basalt rock, similar to PNNL’s Wallula Basalt Project (https://www.pnnl.gov/projects/carbon-storage/wallula-basalt-project). Other important questions would be how to capture the CO₂ for injection, whether direct air capture is feasible and implementing point source capture to create green industries.

What do you find most challenging about your research?

Since I am at a predominantly undergraduate institution, the hardest part, for both my students and myself, is committing adequate time for research. I am very grateful for summers, when there are not as many courses and the priority can shift to research. This is also a great time to partake in summer research programs, such as the PNNL Visiting Faculty Program, which has been vital for making research progress in my group.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

I enjoy presenting at conferences and supporting my undergraduate research students as they present their posters, some of which, are experiencing a scientific conference for the first time! I am planning to attend the Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Durham, NC October 25-28^th, 2023. I can also be reached via email at briana.aguila@fmarion.edu and on twitter @BriAguila.

How do you spend your spare time?

When I have a free moment, I like to spend time with my husband and our three dogs. I also love cooking, watching The Bachelor, reading, going to the movies, camping, and spending time with family.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

Two professions come to mind. Given my lifelong love of crime dramas, Criminal Minds, NCIS, Law & Order, etc., and my most recent obsession with true crime podcasts, I would want to be some sort of criminal investigator. My other choice would be the host of a food travel show; move over Guy Fieri!

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

I think a lot of early career folks struggle with imposter syndrome; just know you are not alone in this and it is completely normal. As long as you stay true to what you are passionate about you will surprise yourself with what you are capable of.

Yaqi You is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Resources Engineering at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Her research group studies microbiomes in both natural and engineered system through an interdisciplinary lens, with a long-term goal of harnessing the environmental microbiome for a sustainable food-energy-water nexus. Current research directions of interest include manipulating soil and rhizosphere microbiomes using carbonaceous materials, understanding the impact of emerging contaminants on the spread of antibiotic resistance, and addressing aquatic intermittency effects on stream microbiomes and water quality. She received a PhD in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a postdoctoral fellow in Environmental Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Read Yaqi’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: Differential effects of carbon nanotube and graphene on the tomato rhizosphere microbiome” and read more about her in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on Differential effects of carbon nanotube and graphene on the tomato rhizosphere microbiome. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

My first paper was about the persistence of mobile antibiotic resistance genes in agricultural soils due to a process called horizontal gene transfer and the influence of antibiotic residues on that process. Since then, my research has continued to focus on the environmental microbiome but evolved significantly to encompass areas in environmental health, sustainable nanotechnology, biotechnology, and biogeochemistry. What has also expanded over time is my research toolbox. My current group employs systems microbiology, analytical chemistry, and data science to understand responses of microbial systems to environmental changes with an ultimate goal of harnessing microbial powers for sustainable development. This recent article exemplifies the trajectory of that evolution. In this work, we found that carbon nanotubes have a greater impact than graphene on the rhizosphere microbiome and that rhizosphere microbes have unique responses to carbon nanotubes compared to bulk soil microbes. I hope our work can help unveil mechanisms underlying CNM-introduced plant phenotypic changes.

 What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

At the moment, I am very excited about delineating microbial responses to carbonaceous materials, particularly those in the rhizosphere. The rhizosphere microbiome is an essential component of the plant holobiont and significantly contributes to host fitness. Material-based manipulation of the plant rhizosphere holds promise to achieve sustainable crop production.

 In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

When studying the rhizosphere, I think important questions include (1) how can we disentangle complex microbe-chemical interactions in response to material-based modulation, and (2) to translate knowledge in this line to the implementation of precision rhizosphere manipulation and even engineering.

What do you find most challenging about your research?

The rhizosphere represents one most complex microenvironment where a tremendous diversity of microbes and molecules coexist. Multi-omics is an ideal tool to understand the dynamic rhizosphere. However, multi-omics integration, a merger of molecular biology, analytical chemistry, bioinformatics, and data science, is always challenging.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

My group is attending the AEESP (Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors) Research & Education Conference in Boston beginning on June 20, 2023. We also plan to attend the ASA (American Society of Agronomy)-CSSA (Crop Science Society of America)-SSSA (Soil Science Society of America) International Annual Meeting in St. Louis starting on October 29, 2023.

How do you spend your spare time?

I enjoy traveling and photographing, watching movies, reading books, playing ukulele, and spending time with friends and family.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

My childhood dream was becoming an astronaut and I almost chose an astronomy major as an undergraduate. I was also fascinated with ancient world history and comparative history.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Creating a supportive “network” (credit to Earth Science Women’s Network) is critical and rewarding, both professionally and personally; learning research directions not immediately adjacent to one’s own field can spark new, interdisciplinary ideas.

Dr. Wei Liu received her PhD in Environmental Science from the Aix-Marseille University in 2009. From 2010 to 2017, She held several research positions at European Center for Research and Education in Environmental Geoscience (CEREGE) and French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). In 2017, she joined the University of Geneva, department F.-A Forel for environmental and aquatic sciences as senior fellow in research and teaching. Dr. Liu’s research is focused on the mechanism of interaction at nano-bio interface and the biological effects of nanomaterials at molecular, cellular and organism scale.

Read Wei’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: Metal nanoparticles in the freshwater: transformation, bioavailability and effects on invertebrates” and read more about her in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on Metal nanoparticles in the freshwater: transformation, bioavailability and effects on invertebrates. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

My first article focused on the cellular bioenergetics and the geno-toxicity of metallic pollutants, an extension from my graduate work. After my PhD, I did research in the field of environmental nanoscience at CEREGE, CEA and Univ. Geneva.  I have involved in various topic including: (i) characterization of environmental fate and distribution of natural and manufactured nanomaterials; (ii) mechanistic understanding of biomolecule/nanoparticles interaction; (iii) (eco)toxicology impact of nanoscale pollutants at molecular, cellular and organism scale.

Most recently, I focus on the bioavailability and molecular ecotoxicology of nanoparticles including nanoplastics to aquatic invertebrates with the aim of proposing AOP for freshwater gastropods. So consequently, in this Emerging Investigator Series we summarise and meta-analyse the published data regarding the metallic nanoparticle’s transformation in freshwater and toxicological effects in invertebrates. We come up with an overview highlighting the currently research gaps and subsequently, the recommendations for future researches.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

I am particularly interested in applying multidisciplinary bio-analytic approaches that combine biology, toxicology, physical-chemistry, biophysics and crystal-chemistry to better understand and explore the nature of material/living interactions.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

We need to observe and understand whether lower doses, given within realistic environmental concentration or sub lethal dose of nanoparticles, affect the biochemical processes of aquatic organisms, and we particularly focus on simulating whether they develop early stress or not, and if yes, how.

What do you find most challenging about your research?

Nanomaterials are extremely sensitive to the surrounding environment. The most challenging and exciting aspect is to work on long-term and low-dose realistic environmental exposure scenarios to nanomaterials. It is also highly critical to figure out the key factors affecting the nanomaterials transformation in biofluids.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

I will attend the SETAC Europe 32^nd Annual Meeting. I am planning to attend the International Conference on the Environmental Effects of Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials.

How do you spend your spare time?

I enjoy reading and outdoor activities like hiking and diving.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

Diving instructor in tropical waters.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Follow the topic that you find most curious about, and then let this curiosity inspire your choice of studies and research.

Yuxiong Huang is an Associate Professor of environmental science and technology at Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University. Dr. Huang is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist, with expertise in pollution control and environmental fate and transport, exposure and risk assessment. He received a B.S. degree in 2011 from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University; and Ph.D. degree in 2015 from Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara. Before joining Tsinghua University, he was an associate specialist at the University of California’s Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology. Dr. Huang currently leads a research group focusing on sustainable nanotechnology, addressing both the applications and implications of engineered nanomaterials.

Read Yuxiong’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: Hetero-phase junction 1T/2H-MoS2 nanosheets decorated by FeOOH nanoparticles for enhanced visible light photo-Fenton degradation of antibiotic” and read more about him in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on Hetero-phase junction 1T/2H-MoS2 nanosheets decorated by FeOOH nanoparticles for enhanced visible light photo-Fenton degradation of antibiotic. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

I’ve been working on environmental nanotechnology since 2011. My first article was to develop magnetic nanoparticle adsorbents to effectively remove emerging contaminants, published in 2012. After that, I rationally designed a series of novel magnetic-core composite nanoparticle sorbents for organic and metal contaminants remediation in aquatic systems. Recently, our group worked on photocatalysis-based advanced oxidation processes using solar energy to efficiently degrade the persistent organic pollutant, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2020, 7 (8), 2229–2239, etc.). And the present work, we have constructed a hetero-phase junction with metallic 1T and semiconductive 2H MoS2 for antibiotic contaminant photo-Fenton catalytic degradation. Our research is always driven by the urgent technical demand for the effective control of emerging contaminants, and we always follow a rational design pattern to provide “nano” solutions.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

We have a great team working together on Environmental Nanotechnology at Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University. It’s joyful and inspiring to grow up with our next generation of young environmental scientists.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

While many different nanomaterials-based solutions have been reported for environmental remediation, most of them stunk at the benchmark scale. How to apply the engineering nanomaterials for wastewater treatment in a pilot or full-scale plant? It’s a critical question to be answered.

What do you find most challenging about your research?

The most challenging part of our research is how to upgrade the batch study into a continuous reaction, for example, the reactor design. We have made some progress on it so far.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

We will attend the ACS Meeting and Sustainable Nanotechnology Conference.

How do you spend your spare time?

I love hiking and snowboarding.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

Probably Chemical Engineer.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Do good time management, particularly a good balance between research, teaching, public service and life.

Ming Xu received his B.S. and Ph.D. degree from Xiamen University in 2006 and 2011. In 2011-2013, he was a postdoc at l’Équipe de Chimie Analytique Bio-inorganique (LCABIE), Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in France. In 2014, he joined the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and became a professor since 2021. His main research interests are the health risks and toxicological mechanisms of heavy metals / nanoparticles. He has (co)authored around 50 peer-reviewed papers.

Read Ming’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: Enhanced peroxidase-like activity and improved antibacterial performance of palladium nanosheet by alginate-corona” and read more about him in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on “how ecological macromolecules affect the physicochemical properties and biological effects of engineered nanomaterials”. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

In 2010, I published the first article about the ecological risk of engineered nanomaterials, focusing on the cytotoxicity of CdTe-based nanoparticles on a diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, during my PhD under the supervision of Prof. Qiuquan Wang in Xiamen University. Since then, I have spent many years working on the mechanism of nano-bio interface interactions and nanomaterials’ biological effects. Macromolecular corona, as we know it now, may change the original identify of nanoparticle and modify its fate in an environmental or biological scenario. However, I note that there were only a few studies focusing on the possible influence of ecological macromolecules on the antibacterial performance of nanomaterials, rarely elaborating the underlying mechanism. It is of interest that our preliminary data showed alginate could significantly enhance the peroxidase-like activity of Pd nanosheet. So, in this Emerging Investigator Series paper, we present why alginate affect the intrinsic enzyme mimetic activity of Pd nanosheet and what’s the underlying mechanism of its antibacterial activity.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

Currently, I’m most excited that we have made some preliminary progress in tracing the biological fate of nanoparticles in vivo, and it’s very important for the understanding the benefits or risks of nanomaterials on environmental and health aspects.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

To provide scientific basis for better use of nanomaterials in environmental and health issues, it’s important to answer how nanomaterials interact with cells at the nano-bio interface and transform within cells, what’s the primary molecular target and underlying regulation pathway of nano-bio effects, and whether nanomaterials will lead to ecotoxicological and health risks. I think there remain many knowledge gaps that are necessary to be filled in the future.

What do you find most challenging about your research?

Development of specialized nanomaterials and in situ techniques for the analysis of nano-bio interactions from molecular to nanoscale level.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

I plan to attend the 11th National Conference on Environmental Chemistry in China this year, and 8th International Symposium on Metallomics in 2022.

How do you spend your spare time?

I spent most of my spare time with my family in recent years. When have free time, I’m fond of reading, hiking, running, as well as visiting places of historic interest.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

I guess I would be a science fiction writer. In my childhood, I enjoyed very much reading science fiction books and magazines. Now when there’s free time, I still like to watch movies and novels on this subject.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Never stop learning, and never stop failing.

Professor Lingxiangyu Li is currently an associate professor in the School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He received his Ph.D. degree from the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2013. His research focuses on analytical, fate, and health risk of emerging pollutants particularly nanomaterials in the environment toward nanosafety assessment.

Read Lingxiangyu ’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: Chemical transformation of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles in the simulated human tear fluids: Influence of biocorona” and read more about him in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on Chemical transformation of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles in the simulated human tear fluids: Influence of biocorona. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

Since I began doing PhD study in Germany 11 years ago, I did research on fate, transfromation and environmental risks of engineered nanomaterials. In other words, findings from the first article to this paper all belong to my research interest that fate, transformation and environmental risks of nanomaterials.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

Definitely, the analytical method development for showing the real concentrations of engineered nanomaterials like Ag-NPs through wastewater treatment plants to environmental water was one of my best work, which makes me very excited. Since I develop robust methods and then applied this method to illustrate environmental issues.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

First, what is the real concentration of engineered nanomaterials in the environment. Second, are nanoparticles at environmetally revelant concentrations a threat to organisms including human?

What do you find most challenging about your research?

The most challenging issue is speciation analysis of nanomaterials in the environmental and biological matrices.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

The 11st National Conference on Environmental Chemistry in city of Harbin in December 2021

How do you spend your spare time?

Playing Football and reading history books.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

Being a Military Journalist was my dream during my child period.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Do more thinking by yourself, and do more discussion with others.

We are delighted to share with you a selection of high-impact papers by Emerging Investigators in the field of environmental science and engineering. These papers, published across Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, Environmental Science: Nano, and Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, showcase the breadth of exciting research being conducted by rising stars in our field.

The latest work from rising stars of environmental science

Emerging investigator series: bacteriophages as nano engineering tools for quality monitoring and pathogen detection in water and wastewater
Zeinab Hosseinidoust et al

Emerging investigator series: carbon electrodes are effective for the detection and reduction of hexavalent chromium in water
Noémie Elgrishi et al [OPEN ACCESS]

Emerging investigator series: quantifying silver nanoparticle aggregation kinetics in real-time using particle impact voltammetry coupled with UV-vis spectroscopy
Kathryn R. Riley et al

Emerging investigator series: air conditioning filters as a sampler for semi-volatile organic compounds in indoor and near-building air
Lisa Melymuk et al

Emerging investigator series: activated sludge upon antibiotic shock loading: mechanistic description of functional stability and microbial community dynamics
Seungdae Oh and Donggeon Choi

Emerging investigator series: heterogeneous OH oxidation of primary brown carbon aerosol: effects of relative humidity and volatility
Elijah G. Schnitzler et al

Emerging investigator series: onsite recycling of saline–alkaline soil washing water by forward osmosis: techno-economic evaluation and implication
Wenhai Luo et al

Emerging investigator series: molecular mechanisms of plant salinity stress tolerance improvement by seed priming with cerium oxide nanoparticles
Juan Pablo Giraldo et al

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The RSC’s Emerging Investigator Series provides a unique platform for early-career environmental scientists & engineers to showcase their best work to a broad audience. Contact us to apply for consideration in this Series. To be eligible, you will need to have completed your PhD (or equivalent degree) within the last 10 years†, have an independent career and appear as corresponding author on the manuscript.

Across the journals, the Emerging Investigator Series is curated by our Series Editors; David Cwiertny, Long Nghiem, Ligy Philip, Delphine Farmer, Lenny Winkel, Guang-Guo Ying and Peter Vikesland.

Read more of our Emerging Investigator Series papers using the links below.

Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts Emerging Investigator Series

Environmental Science: Nano Emerging Investigator Series

Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology Emerging Investigator Series

Also, read the latest interviews with our Emerging Investigators to find out more about their work and the important research challenges that they are tackling.

We hope you enjoy reading these papers from future leaders in the field of environmental science.

Andrea Hicks is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Her work broadly focuses on the environmental impacts of emerging technologies. She completed her undergraduate studies at Michigan Technological University in Environmental Engineering, and her M.S. in Environmental Engineering at Clemson University. Dr. Hicks completed her doctoral and post-doctoral work at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Civil Engineering and at the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy. She is a recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER award, UW-Madison Community Based Learning Teaching Award, and the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization’s Emerging Investigator Award.

Read Andrea Hick’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: calculating size- and coating-dependent effect factors for silver nanoparticles to inform characterization factor development for usage in life cycle assessment” and read more about her in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on ‘Calculating size- and coating- dependent effect factors for silver nanoparticles to inform characterization factor development for usage in life cycle assessment’. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

My role in the article preparation has changed. I was a PhD student when I wrote my first article, working with my advisor Dr. Tom Theis. Whereas now I am the PhD advisor, writing this work with my student Sila Temizel-Sekeryan. Which is a different experience. In general, I have always been interested in emerging technologies, such as engineered nanomaterials. In my first article, as part of my PhD work, I was studying light emitting diodes, and their potential for energy efficiency rebound. And while the rebound effect, or Jevons’s paradox is still part of some of my work, engineered nanomaterials are another interesting emerging technology which like light emitting diodes, have the potential to influence environmental impact due to their ubiquity.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

This work is particular is really exciting. I have studied the environmental impacts of nano-scale silver in consumer products before, such as textiles, and a question that was always part of that work was how to model the environmental impacts of the nano-scale silver itself as a part of the life cycle assessment. In this work, we took some of the first steps to better understand how to incorporate the impact of the nano-silver itself into the assessment. This work would not have been possible without a great deal of work having already been done by experimentalists in order to understand the toxicity of nano-silver.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

Speaking broadly about emerging technologies, which include engineered nanomaterials, what I think is the most important question is whether or not an advance is societally beneficial. Advances in technology have had a great benefit to society in general, but at the same time there is also an environmental cost. I think that it is critical to evaluate the environmental impacts of  new technologies and potential unintended consequences before they are broadly adopted.

What do you find most challenging about your research?

Emerging technologies are often challenging to study, because they are just that, emerging. It is often difficult to obtain enough information to model these products, either using life cycle assessment or other tools. One way to counter this is to work with other researchers who are actually developing these new technologies and products, to secure the necessary information. What is really exciting about working with people who are researching the technologies themselves allows us to use the life cycle assessment data that we generate, to refine the new technology to make it less environmentally costly.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

2020 is turning out to be an interesting year for conferences and events, with many being cancelled or moved to fully digital formats, particularly in the United States where I live. In general, I like to attend the North American Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry annual meeting, Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization annual meeting, and the International Society for Industrial Ecology meetings. I was fortunate to be able to attend the second Pan-American Nanotechnology Conference in Brazil early this past spring, before everything shutdown. I’m also a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in our Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and in normal times am on campus.

How do you spend your spare time?

That is a particularly interesting question in 2020. Aside from doing work which I love, I am also a mother to two energetic grade school children and have wonderful husband. I like to spend my spare time with them. In spring 2020 when our school district and daycare shutdown, spare time did not really exist anymore, because I was working and teaching remotely, while supervising my children’s online learning.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

When I was younger, I thought about a lot of different careers, and my main goal was to do something where I felt I could make a difference in the world. Which I know sounds terribly idealistic. I thought for quite a while about being a journalist and writer, documenting people’s stories and bringing them to a wider audience. Or a photographer, like Dorothea Lange, who used her photos to document the human consequences of the Great Depression. Or maybe a medical doctor, making a difference in the lives of my patients. Or a sculptor, bringing art and beauty to the world. It’s actually a really hard question.. I’m lucky that I have a job I really enjoy, where I get to work on cutting edge science, teach and mentor students, and do service in the community.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

When you see the career trajectory of someone you admire, and wonder how you could ever be that good, you need to remember that they got there one step at a time. It all starts with a single step, applying for an opportunity, or writing a manuscript or defending a dissertation. They didn’t become who they are overnight, it took time. You just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and if you do that diligently you be amazed at the heights you can reach.