Onur Apul

Associate Professor

Research Expertise

Water Treatment

Adsorption

Activated Carbon

Environmental Nanotechnology

PFAS

Microplastics

Biochar

Publications

Adsorption of organic contaminants by graphene nanosheets: A review

Adsorption of aromatic organic contaminants by graphene nanosheets: Comparison with carbon nanotubes and activated carbon

Nanobubble Technologies Offer Opportunities To Improve Water Treatment

Accounts of Chemical Research

Adsorption of synthetic organic contaminants by carbon nanotubes: A critical review

Aging of microplastics increases their adsorption affinity towards organic contaminants

Thermal Regeneration of Spent Granular Activated Carbon Presents an Opportunity to Break the Forever PFAS Cycle

Environmental Science & Technology

Adsorption of organic pollutants by microplastics: Overview of a dissonant literature

Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances

Ultrasonic pretreatment and subsequent anaerobic digestion under different operational conditions

Bioresource Technology

Coexisting ions and long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) inhibit the adsorption of short-chain PFAS by granular activated carbon

Journal of Hazardous Materials

Removal of poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances from aqueous systems by nano-enabled water treatment strategies

Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology

Adsorption of organic contaminants by graphene nanosheets, carbon nanotubes and granular activated carbons under natural organic matter preloading conditions

Science of The Total Environment

Elucidating Adsorptive Fractions of Natural Organic Matter on Carbon Nanotubes

Environmental Science & Technology

Predictive Model Development for Adsorption of Aromatic Contaminants by Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Environmental Science & Technology

Adsorption of halogenated aliphatic contaminants by graphene nanomaterials

Elucidating CO2 nanobubble interfacial reactivity and impacts on water chemistry

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

Microplastic particle versus fiber generation during photo-transformation in simulated seawater

Science of The Total Environment

Effect of bead milling on chemical and physical characteristics of activated carbons pulverized to superfine sizes

Critical review for microwave pretreatment of waste-activated sludge prior to anaerobic digestion

Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health

Comparing graphene, carbon nanotubes, and superfine powdered activated carbon as adsorptive coating materials for microfiltration membranes

Journal of Hazardous Materials

Linear solvation energy relationships (LSER) for adsorption of organic compounds by carbon nanotubes

Impact of carbon nanotube morphology on phenanthrene adsorption

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Effect of air nanobubbles on oxygen transfer, oxygen uptake, and diversity of aerobic microbial consortium in activated sludge reactors

Bioresource Technology

Removal of bromide from surface waters using silver impregnated activated carbon

Nanobubble applications in aquaculture industry for improving harvest yield, wastewater treatment, and disease control

Science of The Total Environment

Adsorption kinetics and aggregation for three classes of carbonaceous adsorbents in the presence of natural organic matter

Mechanisms and modeling of halogenated aliphatic contaminant adsorption by carbon nanotubes

Journal of Hazardous Materials

Carbonaceous nano-additives augment microwave-enabled thermal remediation of soils containing petroleum hydrocarbons

Environmental Science: Nano

Optimization of biomethane production from anaerobic Co-digestion of microalgae and septic tank sludge

Biomass and Bioenergy

Modified linear solvation energy relationships for adsorption of perfluorocarboxylic acids by polystyrene microplastics

Science of The Total Environment

Adsorption kinetics of synthetic organic contaminants onto superfine powdered activated carbon

Development of a 3D QSPR model for adsorption of aromatic compounds by carbon nanotubes: comparison of multiple linear regression, artificial neural network and support vector machine

Treatment of Heavy, Long-Chain Petroleum-Hydrocarbon Impacted Soils Using Chemical Oxidation

Journal of Environmental Engineering

Predictive models for adsorption of organic compounds by Graphene nanosheets: comparison with carbon nanotubes

Science of The Total Environment

The Dewaterability of Disintegrated Sludge Samples Before and After Anaerobic Digestion

Drying Technology

Influence of carbon nanotubes on the bioavailability of fluoranthene

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in a weathered, unsaturated soil is inhibited by peroxide oxidants

Journal of Hazardous Materials

Superfine powdered activated carbon incorporated into electrospun polystyrene fibers preserve adsorption capacity

Science of The Total Environment

Electrostatic forces and higher order curvature terms of Young–Laplace equation on nanobubble stability in water

npj Clean Water

Nano‐scale applications in aquaculture: Opportunities for improved production and disease control

Journal of Fish Diseases

Effect of superfine pulverization of powdered activated carbon on adsorption of carbamazepine in natural source waters

Science of The Total Environment

Removal of Bromide from Surface Water: Comparison Between Silver-Impregnated Graphene Oxide and Silver-Impregnated Powdered Activated Carbon

Environmental Engineering Science

Unlocking the Potential of Nanobubbles: Achieving Exceptional Gas Efficiency in Electrogeneration of Hydrogen Peroxide

High porosity scintillating polymer resins for ionizing radiation sensor applications

Management of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-laden wastewater sludge in Maine: Perspectives on a wicked problem

Emerging investigator series: microplastic-based leachate formation under UV irradiation: the extent, characteristics, and mechanisms

Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology

Chain Extensions in PhotoATRP-Induced Self-Assembly (PhotoATR-PISA): A Route to Ultrahigh Solids Concentrations and Click Nanoparticle Networks as Adsorbents for Water Treatment

Transformation potential of cannabinoids during their passage through engineered water treatment systems: A perspective

Environment International

Linear solvation energy relationship development for adsorption of synthetic organic compounds by carbon nanomaterials: an overview of the last decade

Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology

Bioavailability of Carbon Nanomaterial-Adsorbed Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons to Pimphales promelas: Influence of Adsorbate Molecular Size and Configuration

Environmental Science & Technology

Trends on arsenic species removal by metal-based nanoadsorbents

Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health

Comparing the morphologies and adsorption behavior of electrospun polystyrene composite fibers with 0D fullerenes, 1D multiwalled carbon nanotubes and 2D graphene oxides

Chemical Engineering Journal Advances

Effect of residual H2O2 on the removal of advanced oxidation byproducts by two types of granular activated carbon

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

Effect of Biofouling on the Sorption of Organic Contaminants by Microplastics

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

The Genesis of a Critical Environmental Concern: Cannabinoids in Our Water Systems

Environmental Science & Technology

The effect of metal (hydr)oxide nano-enabling on intraparticle mass transport of organic contaminants in hybrid granular activated carbon

Science of The Total Environment

Towards Selective Removal of Bromide from Drinking Water Resources using Electrochemical Desalination

Chemical Engineering Journal Advances

Divided Perception of Drinking Water Safety: Another Manifestation of America’s Racial Gap

Dynamic Worm-Gel Materials as Tunable, Regenerable Adsorbents for Water Treatment

Emerging investigator series: suspended air nanobubbles in water can shuttle polystyrene nanoplastics to the air–water interface

Environmental Science: Nano

Linear solvation energy relationships for adsorption of aromatic organic compounds by microplastics

Chemical Engineering Science

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Additives for Microwave-Based Sludge Prehydrolysis: A Perspective

Environmental Science & Technology

Bromide and Other Halide Ion Removal From Drinking Waters Using Silver‐Amended Coagulation

Disruption of the Conjugated π-Electron System of Graphene Oxides Diminishes Their Microwave Reactivity

Oxime-Functionalized, Nonwoven Nanofabrics for Rapid, Inexpensive Decontamination of a Nerve Agent Simulant

ACS Applied Nano Materials

Photocatalytic activity of micron-scale brass on emerging pollutant degradation in water: mechanism elucidation and removal efficacy assessment

Increasing bromide removal by graphene-silver nanocomposites: Nanoparticulate silver enhances bromide selectivity through direct surface interactions

Repeatable use assessment of silicon carbide as permanent susceptor bed in ex situ microwave remediation of petroleum-impacted soils

Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Unraveling the behavior of highly-concentrated nanobubble solutions: The influence of colloidal nature on their generation and stability

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

Incorporation of nanobubbles in spaceflight food production systems

Journal of Plant Interactions

Mesoporous activated carbon shows superior adsorption affinity for 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in water

npj Clean Water

A critical review of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances adsorption by soil

Journal of Hazardous Materials: Organics

Permeation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-laden leachate in landfills as an outcome of puncture failures of high-density polyethylene geomembranes

Environmental Pollution

Effects of carbonaceous susceptors on microwave pretreatment of waste activated sludge and subsequent anaerobic digestion

Bioresource Technology Reports

Interplay of surface oxygen content and pore water during thermal regeneration of granular activated carbons

Journal of Hazardous Materials

Combined Adsorption and Michaelis–Menten Approach Reveals Predominant Enzymatic Depolymerization of Crystalline Poly(ethylene terephthalate) by Humicola insolens Cutinase in the Solution Phase

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

Land–Sea Connection of Microplastic Fiber Pollution in Frenchman Bay, Maine

Environmental Engineering Science

Interaction effects of feedstock and temperature on biogas production during torrefaction-coupled catalytic stepwise pyrolysis of phytoremediation biomass

Renewable Energy

Analyzing the Release of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Spent Granular Activated Carbons by Standard Leaching Procedures

Environmental Science & Technology

CompTox Ontology: Leveraging Knowledge Graphs for PFAS Monitoring and Decision-Making

Proceedings of the ACM Web Conference 2026

Accessibility of adsorption sites for superfine powdered activated carbons incorporated into electrospun polystyrene fibers

Chemical Engineering Journal

Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions from PFAS Treatment of Maine Drinking Water

Maine Policy Review

Alkaline solubilization and microwave irradiation as a combined sludge disintegration and minimization method

Oxidative cleaning of surface fouling in heated sanitary systems at low ozone concentrations: Unveiling the role of nanobubbles in mass transfer

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

Aftermath of a major firefighting foam spill in Brunswick, Maine: Spatiotemporal dynamics of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the downstream surface waters

Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters

Variable-Area Sensor Permits Near-Continuous Multi-Point Measurements of Aqueous Biological and Chemical Analytes

Interplay of adsorptive properties and dielectric reactivity of graphenes upon edge functionalization

Chemical Engineering Science

Symbiotic Engineering: A Novel Approach for Environmental Remediation

ACS ES&T Engineering

Çevre Eğitiminin Güdüsel Satın Alma Ve Çevre Tutumu Üzerine Etkileri

Uluslararasi Akademik Birikim Dergisi

Precision nanobubble irrigation tailors plant physiology to drive sustainable lettuce growth with water savings

Agricultural Water Management

Microwave Heating of Superparamagnetic Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles Toward Environmental Hyperthermia-Based Applications

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

Implications of water chemistry on ozone nanobubble-based advanced oxidation processes

Differential morphological and physicochemical responses of polyvinyl chloride and Polyamide-12 micro- and nanoplastics to Fenton oxidation

Science of The Total Environment

Mechanistic inferences from empirical and LSER modeling approaches concerning sorption of organic compounds by pristine and aged PE microplastics

Author response for "Molecular Connectivity Indices and Soil Properties to Predict Sorption of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances"

Interdisciplinary Pedagogy for Environmental Chemistry Communication through Art–Engineering Collaboration

Journal of Chemical Education

Protecting the environment pays off for the USA economy and public health

Mass-manufactured diffraction pattern enables large-scale spectroscopic, temporal, and spatial measurements of fluid movement and mixing

Results in Engineering

Variable-Area Sensor Permits Near-Continuous Multipoint Measurements of Aqueous Biological and Chemical Analytes

Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the interface of biological and environmental systems

Editorial - Advanced materials and novel processes for safe and sustainable water treatment

Chemical Engineering Journal Advances

Education

Clemson University

Ph.D., Environmental Engineering / 2014

Middle East Technical University

MSBS, Environmental Engineering / 2009

Experience

Civil and Environmental Engineering Penn State University Park PA

Assoc. Prof. / August, 2025 — December

Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Maine Orono ME

Assoc. Prof. / September, 2024 — August, 2025

Asst. Prof. / September, 2020 — August, 2024

PFAS+ Research Initiative University of Maine Orono ME

Director / July, 2024 — August, 2025

Chemical and Environmental Engineering Yale University New Haven CT

Visit. Prof. / June, 2023 — August, 2024

Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell MA

Asst. Prof. / September, 2017 — August, 2020

Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Arizona State University Tempe AZ

Post-Doc / February, 2015 — August, 2017

Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Clemson University Clemson SC

Post-Doc / September, 2014 — January, 2015

Grad. Asst. / August, 2009 — August, 2014

Environmental Engineering Middle East Technical University Ankara Turkey

Grad. Asst. / December, 2006 — August, 2009

Links & Social Media

Research Web Site

Personal Web Site

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