Hi, I’m
Dr. Harsh Patel, E.I.T
Water Process Engineer
Cary,NC
"The best way to predict the future is to create it."
Alan Kay
Summary
Environmental Engineer and Research Scientist specializing in PFAS remediation, ion-exchange resins, and advanced water treatment. Currently with Sorbenta, Inc. and One Water Engineering, PLLC, focusing on PFAS-selective sorbent development, rapid column testing, and data-driven process optimization for sustainable water and wastewater treatment systems.
Skills
Analytical Chemistry: LC-MS/MS, CIC, SEM, FTIR, FTICR, BET, Water Quality Testing
Modeling & Programming: Python, MATLAB, R, BioWin, MiniTab, Machine Learning, Response Surface Methodology
Water Treatment: Physicochemical Treatment, Biological Treatment, Adsorption, Disinfection, PFAS Remediation
Data Analysis: Statistical Analysis, Kinetics, Isotherms, Thermodynamics
Other: QA/QC, Laboratory Safety, Grant Writing, Technical Writing
Overview
9
years of professional experience
11
years of post-secondary education
Work History
One Water Engineering, PLLC
Water Process Engineer
08.2025 - Current
Job overview
- Conduct and oversee rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) for PFAS and NOM removal using granular activated carbon (GAC) and ion-exchange media.
- Perform UV-254 absorbance and TOC analyses as indicators of NOM breakthrough and sorbent fouling during long-term operation.
- Manage column preparation, media packing, flow calibration, and sample collection, ensuring reproducible and compliant experimental setups.
- Record and analyze operational data (flow, pressure, drum weight, and absorbance) to assess column performance and scaling parameters.
- Provide engineering consulting and technical support for pilot- and full-scale PFAS treatment design, optimization, and data interpretation.
- Compile experimental findings into summary reports and memoranda for internal project documentation and client communication.
- Enforce laboratory safety standards, QA/QC protocols, and proper handling of PFAS-contaminated samples and equipment.
Sorbenta, Inc.Raleigh, NC
Water Process Engineer
08.2025 - Current
Job overview
- Lead research and development of PFAS-selective ion-exchange resins and other advanced sorbent materials for treatment of contaminated water and landfill leachate.
- Design and conduct bench- and pilot-scale adsorption experiments, evaluating resin selectivity, capacity, regeneration, and long-term performance.
- Apply kinetic, isotherm, and breakthrough modeling to optimize resin formulation and process design for field-scale applications.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to integrate novel resins into existing GAC/IX systems and evaluate process economics and sustainability.
- Perform data-driven analysis using machine learning and statistical methods to interpret adsorption behavior and predict resin performance.
- Prepare technical documentation, reports, and proposals to support commercialization and regulatory engagement for PFAS remediation technologies.
- Maintain QA/QC procedures, laboratory safety, and data traceability to ensure high-quality research outcomes.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityGreensboro, NC
Postdoctoral Research Associate
08.2023 - 08.2025
Job overview
- Led PFAS remediation research using acid-modified coal fly ash (CFA) for landfill leachate and wastewater treatment.
- Developed and optimized sorbent materials through chemical activation and surface characterization (BET, FTIR, SEM).
- Designed and conducted adsorption experiments; analyzed kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics.
- Applied machine learning and response surface methodology (RSM) for predicting PFAS distribution behavior.
- Managed lab operations, maintained QA/QC protocols, and ensured safety compliance.
- Contributed to LC-MS/MS method development PFAS quantification in different aqueous matrix.
- Developed organic fluorine analysis using combustion ion-chromatography (CIC) in solid and liquids.
- Authored peer-reviewed publications and technical reports for high-impact journals.
- Mentored undergraduate and graduate students in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific writing.
- Participated in grant proposal preparation and stakeholder discussions related to PFAS regulation and treatment.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams on environmental contaminant monitoring and treatment strategies.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityGreensboro, NC
Research Assistant
08.2021 - 05.2023
Job overview
- Conducted bench-scale experiments on PFAS remediation from landfill leachate.
- Developed and characterized low-cost adsorbents using acid and thermal treatment techniques.
- Performed water quality analysis and material testing using analytical instruments.
- Supported method development for PFAS extraction and quantification; assisted with QA/QC data protocols.
- Reviewed regulatory literature and contributed to technical sections of journal manuscripts and reports.
- Maintained detailed experimental records and chemical inventories.
- Collaborated with faculty and external partners on research objectives and publication goals.
- Presented research findings at university symposia and regional environmental conferences.
- Assisted with laboratory setup, student training, and safety documentation.
HDR Engineering, Inc.Raleigh, NC
Water and Wastewater Intern
05.2021 - 08.2021
Job overview
- Researched issues such as shortages and pollutants with negative effects on NC triad-area water supply and safety.
- Compiled reliable water data by developing and enforcing standardized monitoring, sampling and assessment strategies.
- Conducted studies into effects of different pollutants in lake jordan for feed water source.
- Site monitoring for rehabilitation of an ozone generator at Apex water treatment plant in North Carolina.
- Carried site assessment for chlorine contact tanks for disinfection at a water treatment plant.
- Performed BioWin modeling for water and wastewater treatment plants.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityGreensboro, NC
Graduate Teaching Assistant
08.2018 - 05.2021
Job overview
- Mentored students through office hours and one-on-one communication.
- Checked assignments, proctored tests and provided grades according to university standards.
- Planned and delivered lectures and course materials to communicate course content and provide students with subject matter knowledge.
Lamar UniversityBeaumont, TX
Graduate Research Assistant
08.2016 - 08.2018
Job overview
- Recorded experimental data and performed statistical, qualitative and quantitative analysis on landfill leachate.
- Researched and developed chemical treatment method for removal of recalcitrant organic matter from landfill leachate
- Gathered, reviewed, and summarized literature from scientific journals.
- Contributed to professionally-written scientific paper for publication.
- Drafted technical papers and other documentation for use by research leadership.
Teaching Experience
North Carolina A&T State University
Undergraduate
- CIEN 310 - Environmental Engineering - SP 19, SP 20
- CIEN 311 - Environmental Engineering Lab - SP21
- CAEE 363 - Engineering Fluid & Hydraulic Lab - FA 19, FA 20
- CIEN 412 - Environmental Engineering Design - FA 19, FA 23
- CIEN 416 - Solid Waste Management - SP 19
Education
North Carolina A&T State UniversityGreensboro, NC, USA
Ph.D. from Computational Data Science And Engineering
08.2018 - 05.2023
Lamar UniversityBeaumont, TX, USA
Master of Science from Environmental Engineering
08.2016 - 08.2018
Gujarat Technological UniversityAhmedabad, GJ, India
Bachelor of Engineering from Civil Engineering
08.2011 - 05.2015
Awards
- Travel award, 2023 AEESP Conference at Northeastern University, June 19-23, 2023, Boston MA.
- Travel award, 2022 AEESP Conference at Washington University in St. Louis, June 28-30, 2022, St. Louis MO.
- HDR Water Scholarship, 2021 ($10k tuition + summer internship)
- First Runner-Up, 9th Annual Graduate Research Poster Presentation Competition, College of Engineering, NC A&T SU, April 28-29, 2020, Greensboro NC.
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journals
- Patel, H. V., Rashid, M. R., Ahmed, M. A., Zhang, L., Brazil, B., Yu, W., Paerl, H. W., & Zhao, R. (2025). Evaluating the role of algal activity and organic matter transformation in PFAS fate during aquatic photochemical processes. ACS ES&T Water, 5(9), 5025–5036. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c01265
- Jahan, I., Tani, E. A., Patel, H. V., Zhao, R., & Zhang, L. (2025). Polyaniline-Coated Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers for Effective Short-Chain PFAS (GenX) Removal from Water. Fibers, 13(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib13040042
- Patel, H. V., Greer, M., Brazil, B., Yu, W., Hamoush, S., Zhang, L., & Zhao, R. (2025). Adsorption capacity and mechanism of modified coal fly ash (CFA) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in landfill leachate. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 484, 136763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136763
- Mallick, S. P., Patel, H. V., Gawande, S., Wadee, A., Chen, H., McKenna, A. M., Brazil, B., Yu, W., & Zhao, R. (2024). Using landfill leachate to indicate the chemical and biochemical activities in elevated temperature landfills. Journal of Environmental Management, 351, 119719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119719
- Patel, H. V., Zhao, R., Eramo, A., Blanc, S., Fahrenfeld, N. L., Brazil, B., & Luster-Teasley, S. (2024). Ammonium oxidation from concentrated synthetic wastewater and landfill leachate using partial nitritation in sequencing batch reactor. Water Environment Research, 96(7), e11075. https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.11075
- Patel, H. V., Brazil, B., Lou, H. H., Jha, M. K., Luster-Teasley, S., & Zhao, R. (2021). Evaluation of the effects of chemically enhanced primary treatment on landfill leachate and sewage co-treatment in publicly owned treatment works. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 42, 102116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2021.102116
Conference Papers
- Patel, H. (2021, October 18). Removal of Perfluoro-alkyl Substances (PFAS) and Recalcitrant Organic Matter in Landfill Leachate using Coal Fly-Ash. WEFTEC 2021. https://www.accesswater.org/publications/proceedings/-10077961/removal-of-perfluoro-alkyl-substances-pfas-and-recalcitrant-organic-matter-in-landfill-leachate-using-coal-fly-ash
- Patel, H. V., Brazil, B., Zhao, R., & Xia, K. (2020, October 5). Occurrence, Distribution and Mitigation of PFAS in Landfill Liquids. WEFTEC 2020. https://www.accesswater.org/publications/proceedings/-10028601/occurrence-distribution-and-mitigation-of-pfas-in-landfill-liquids
- Patel, H. V., Park, H., & Zhao, R. (2023). Data Driven Machine Learning for Estimation of PFAS Partitioning on Various Surface Materials. AEESP Research and Education Conference 2023. https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10447093-data-driven-machine-learning-estimation-pfas-partitioning-various-surface-materials
Reviewer and Editorial Activities
- Editorial board: American Journal of Water Science and Engineering
- Ad hoc reviewer for Journals: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Environmental Management, Journal of Water Process Engineering, Heliyon
Affiliations
- Member, Water Environment Federation (WEF)
- Member, Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors (AEESP)
- Member, Chinese-American Professors in Environmental Engineering and Science (CAPEES)
Conference Presentations
Podium
- Harsh V. Patel, Hyoshin Park, and Renzun Zhao. Data Driven Machine Learning for Estimation of PFAS Partitioning on Various Surface Materials.
AEESP Research and Education Conference, Northeastern University.
June 20-23, 2023. Boston, MA, USA.
- Harsh V. Patel, Brian Brazil, Kang Xia, Zhiwu Wang, Sameer Hamoush, and Renzun Zhao. Sustainable Mitigation of Per and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Recalcitrant Organic Matter (DOM) from Landfill Leachate using Modified Coal Fly-Ash (CFA).
AEESP Research and Education Conference, Washington University in St. Louis.
June 28-30, 2022. St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Harsh V. Patel, Brian Brazil, Kang Xia, Zhiwu Wang, Sameer Hamoush, and Renzun Zhao. Sustainable Mitigation of Per and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Recalcitrant Organic Matter (DOM) from Landfill Leachate using Modified Coal Fly-Ash (CFA).
8th Global Waste Management Symposium.
February 14-17, 2022. Indian Wells, CA, USA.
- Harsh V. Patel, Brian Brazil, Kang Xia, Zhiwu Wang, Sameer Hamoush, and Renzun Zhao. Removal of Perfluoro-alkyl Substances (PFAS) and Recalcitrant Organic Matter in Landfill Leachate using Coal Fly-Ash.
WEFTEC.
October 18, 2021. Chicago, IL, USA.
- Harsh V. Patel, Renzun Zhao, Kang Xia, Zhiwu Wang, and Brian Brazil. Occurrence, Distribution and Mitigation of PFAS in Landfill Liquids.
WEFTEC.
October 5-9, 2020. New Orleans, LA, USA. (Virtual)
- Harsh V. Patel, Alessia Eramo, Sophia Blanc, Nicole Fahrenfeld, Brian Brazil, and Renzun Zhao. Impact of Landfill Leachate Matrix on Nitrogen Removal Process with Heterogeneous Community of Heterotrophs and Autotrophs in a Sequencing Batch Reactor.
7th Global Waste Management Symposium.
February 23-26, 2020. Indian Wells CA, USA.
- Harsh Patel and Renzun Zhao. Synergetic Effects of Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment (CEPT) on UV Quenching Phenomenon during the Co-treatment of Sewage and Landfill Leachate.
WEFTEC.
September 29 - Oct 3, 2018. New Orleans, LA, USA.
- Harsh Patel, Renzun Zhao, Brian Brazil, and Roger Green. Metal-humic Substances Complexation Under Landfill Leachate Matrix and its Implication on UV Transmittance.
6th Global Waste Management Symposium.
February 11-14, 2018. Indian Wells, CA, USA.
- Harsh Patel and Renzun Zhao. Mitigation of UV quenching substances (UVQS) by chemical enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) in co-treatment of landfill leachate and sewage.
Texas Water.
April 10-13, 2017. Austin, TX, USA.
Poster
- Harsh V. Patel, Renzun Zhao. Quantifying Multidimensional Effects of Physicochemical Parameters on PFAS Adsorption Using a Hybrid Response Surface Methodology-Machine Learning Approach.
NC PFAS Testing Network All Scientist Meeting. NC Biotechnology Center.
June 2-3, 2025. Durham, NC, USA.
- Harsh V. Patel. Environmental Intelligence: Advancing Sustainable Water Treatment Through Data and Novel Applications.
AEESP Research and Education Conference, Duke University
May 19-22, 2025. Durham, NC, USA.
- Harsh V. Patel, Renzun Zhao, Stephanie Luster-Teasley, and Brian Brazil. Synergetic Effects of Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment on Leachate and Sewage Co-treatment.
AEESP Research and Education Conference, Arizona State University.
May 14-16, 2019. Phoenix, AZ, USA.