Arjun Venkatesan
Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
217 Colton Hall (COLT)
About Me
Dr. Venkatesan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Prior to joining NJIT, he served as the Associate Director for the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology and held a joint appointment in Civil Engineering and the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University as a Research Associate Professor. He is currently the director of the Emerging Contaminants Research Laboratory (ECRL) at NJIT, where his team’s research focuses on the occurrence, fate and treatment of emerging contaminants in the environment. Additionally, he develops novel analytical and monitoring approaches to assess human and environmental health risks associated with toxic exposures and drug use. His work has been funded by NSF, US DoD, US DOE, USBR, New York State, and several industry and foundations, and has been featured in media, including National Geographic, PBS programming and the National Institutes of Health, among others.
Education
Ph.D.
; Arizona State University
; Environmental Engineering
; 2013
M.S. ; University of Nevada-Las Vegas ; Environmental Engineering ; 2009
B.Tech. ; Anna University ; Chemical Engineering ; 2007
M.S. ; University of Nevada-Las Vegas ; Environmental Engineering ; 2009
B.Tech. ; Anna University ; Chemical Engineering ; 2007
2025 Fall Courses
CE 701B - MASTER'S THESIS
CE 491 - RESEARCH EXPER-CIVIL ENGR
CE 727 - INDEPENDENT RESEARCH III
ENE 790A - DOCTORAL DISSERT & RES
ENE 726 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
CE 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
ENE 262 - INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGR
CE 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
CE 726 - INDEPENDENT STUDY II
ENE 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
CE 490 - CIVIL ENGR PROJECTS
CE 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
ENE 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
ENE 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
CE 790A - DOCT DISSERTATION & RES
ENE 490 - SENIOR PROJECT
ENE 700B - MASTER'S PROJECT
ENE 701B - MASTER'S THESIS
CE 491 - RESEARCH EXPER-CIVIL ENGR
CE 727 - INDEPENDENT RESEARCH III
ENE 790A - DOCTORAL DISSERT & RES
ENE 726 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
CE 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
ENE 262 - INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGR
CE 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
CE 726 - INDEPENDENT STUDY II
ENE 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
CE 490 - CIVIL ENGR PROJECTS
CE 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
ENE 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
ENE 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
CE 790A - DOCT DISSERTATION & RES
ENE 490 - SENIOR PROJECT
ENE 700B - MASTER'S PROJECT
ENE 701B - MASTER'S THESIS
Past Courses
CE 791: GRADUATE SEMINAR
ENE 262: INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
ENE 360: WATER AND WASTE WATER ENGINEERING
ENE 663: WATER CHEMISTRY
ENE 665: BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT
ENE 262: INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
ENE 360: WATER AND WASTE WATER ENGINEERING
ENE 663: WATER CHEMISTRY
ENE 665: BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT
Research Interests
The Emerging Contaminants Research Laboratory (ECRL) is interested in studying the occurrence, fate, and treatment of emerging contaminants in the natural and built environment. We apply novel analytical and monitoring techniques to assess both human and environmental health risks associated with toxic and harmful substances. We also develop and test novel treatment technologies to reduce exposures to toxic contaminants and improve water quality. For more information visit: https://sites.google.com/view/ecrl-njit/
Journal Article
Arjun K Venkatesan, Benny FG Pycke, Rolf U Halden.
"Detection and Occurrence of N-Nitrosamines in Archived Biosolids from the 2006-7 Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey of the US Environmental Protection Agency."
Environ Sci Technol (In Press) 2014c doi , vol. 10 .
Yuyin Tang, Mian Wang, Cheng-Shiuan Lee, Arjun Venkatesan, Xinwei Mao. "Structural and Kinetic Characteristics of 1, 4-Dioxane Degrading Microbial Community Enriched from Uncontaminated Environment." Available at SSRN 4167625 .
Paulina Alulema-Pullupaxi, Yi Zhang, Navid B. Saleh, Arjun Venkatesan, Onur G. Apul. 2025. "Analyzing the Release of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Spent Granular Activated Carbons by Standard Leaching Procedures." Environmental Science & Technology , vol. 59 , no. 17 , pp. 8681-8693.
Cheng-Shiuan Lee, Mian Wang, Patricia M Clyde, Xinwei Mao, Bruce J Brownawell, Arjun K Venkatesan. 2023. "1, 4-Dioxane removal in nitrifying sand filters treating domestic wastewater: Influence of water matrix and microbial inhibitors." Chemosphere , vol. 324 , pp. 138304.
Yuyin Tang, Mian Wang, Cheng-Shiuan Lee, Arjun K Venkatesan, Xinwei Mao. 2023. "Characterization of 1, 4-dioxane degrading microbial community enriched from uncontaminated soil." Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology , vol. 107 , no. 2-3 , pp. 955--969.
Yuyin Tang, Mian Wang, Cheng-Shiuan Lee, Arjun Venkatesan, Xinwei Mao. "Structural and Kinetic Characteristics of 1, 4-Dioxane Degrading Microbial Community Enriched from Uncontaminated Environment." Available at SSRN 4167625 .
Paulina Alulema-Pullupaxi, Yi Zhang, Navid B. Saleh, Arjun Venkatesan, Onur G. Apul. 2025. "Analyzing the Release of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Spent Granular Activated Carbons by Standard Leaching Procedures." Environmental Science & Technology , vol. 59 , no. 17 , pp. 8681-8693.
Cheng-Shiuan Lee, Mian Wang, Patricia M Clyde, Xinwei Mao, Bruce J Brownawell, Arjun K Venkatesan. 2023. "1, 4-Dioxane removal in nitrifying sand filters treating domestic wastewater: Influence of water matrix and microbial inhibitors." Chemosphere , vol. 324 , pp. 138304.
Yuyin Tang, Mian Wang, Cheng-Shiuan Lee, Arjun K Venkatesan, Xinwei Mao. 2023. "Characterization of 1, 4-dioxane degrading microbial community enriched from uncontaminated soil." Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology , vol. 107 , no. 2-3 , pp. 955--969.
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Other
"Aftermath of a Major Firefighting Foam Spill in Brunswick, Maine: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Downstream Aquatic Environment"
Elsevier BV, 2025.
"Methods and systems for pH treatment and extraction of leachable resources and pollutants from sludge"
June, 2019.
"Contaminants of Emerging Concern in US Sewage Sludges and Forecasting of Associated Ecological and Human Health Risks Using Sewage Epidemiology Approaches"
Arizona State University, 2013.
"Investigation of feasibility and potential mechanisms for the bioregeneration of perchlorate laden gel-type anion exchange resin"
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2009.
Elsevier BV, 2025.
"Methods and systems for pH treatment and extraction of leachable resources and pollutants from sludge"
June, 2019.
"Contaminants of Emerging Concern in US Sewage Sludges and Forecasting of Associated Ecological and Human Health Risks Using Sewage Epidemiology Approaches"
Arizona State University, 2013.
"Investigation of feasibility and potential mechanisms for the bioregeneration of perchlorate laden gel-type anion exchange resin"
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2009.
Conference Proceeding
"Accumulation of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) by sharks from two contrasting habitats: New York Bight and The Bahamas"
2023.
"Evaluating the Effects of Antibiotics on the Biological Transformation of Nitrogen and Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products Removal From Onsite Wastewater in Nitrifying Sand Columns"
2022.
"Evaluation of granular activated carbon performance to remove 1, 4-dioxane degradation byproducts and residual H2O2 from UV/H2O2 treatment system"
2019.
"Impact of groundwater quality parameters on 1, 4-dioxane removal and associated byproducts formation during UV/hydrogen peroxide advanced oxidation process treatment"
2019.
"Analytical challenges and alternatives for monitoring opioid consumption in communities using wastewater-based epidemiology"
2018.
2023.
"Evaluating the Effects of Antibiotics on the Biological Transformation of Nitrogen and Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products Removal From Onsite Wastewater in Nitrifying Sand Columns"
2022.
"Evaluation of granular activated carbon performance to remove 1, 4-dioxane degradation byproducts and residual H2O2 from UV/H2O2 treatment system"
2019.
"Impact of groundwater quality parameters on 1, 4-dioxane removal and associated byproducts formation during UV/hydrogen peroxide advanced oxidation process treatment"
2019.
"Analytical challenges and alternatives for monitoring opioid consumption in communities using wastewater-based epidemiology"
2018.
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Technical Report
"Application of electron beam technology to decompose persistent emerging drinking water contaminants: poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and 1,4-Dioxane"
Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), December, 2021.
Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), December, 2021.
Chapter
Arjun K Venkatesan, Jing Chen, Erin Driver, Adam Gushgari, Rolf U Halden.
"Assessing the potential to monitor plant-based diet trends in communities using a wastewater-based epidemiology approach."
"Wastewater-Based Epidemiology: Estimation of Community Consumption of Drugs and Diets,"
pp. 187--198. American Chemical Society, 2019.