List of Funded Projects:

Ongoing projects

1. I. Zucker, O. Apul (co-PI), S. Garcia-Segura. Nanobubble Enrichment in Agriculture Systems- from Fundamentals to Applications. BARD US-Israel Partnership ($45,000). 2026. Penn State.

2.        O. Apul (PI), C. Anderson. Unraveling Molecular Level Interactions between Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Plant Tissues via Process Guided AI towards Advancing Phytoremediation at Sites Impacted by Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). Institute of Energy and the Environment ($40,000). 2026-2027. Penn State.

3.        O. Apul (PI), A. Venkatesan, P. McKeown. Release Potential of PFAS from Biosolids. Environmental Research and Education Foundation ($200,000) 2026 – 2028. Penn State.

4.        H. Preisendanz, F. Kibuye, J. Sweetman, M. Royer, T. Groh, O. Apul (co-PI), O. Mina. Monitoring PFAS in Small Agricultural Watersheds to Assess Transport, Exposure Pathways, and Mitigation Strategies. Water Research Foundation ($308,965). 2026-2028 Contracting to Penn State.

5.        X. Zhao, M. Choudhary, O. Apul (co-PI). Energy-efficient PFAS immobilization and degradation in soil using non-thermal plasma electrodes coated with activated carbon. Maine DACF ($360,858 including $75,989 cost share). 2025. Transferring from UMaine to Penn State.

6.        L. Li., Y. Zhang, O. Apul (co-PI), K. Pennell. Effects of Biochar Aging, Application Ratio, and Low-Cost Modification on Reducing PFAS Uptake by Vegetables: Laboratory and Field Studies Maine DACF ($593,581 including 93,581 cost share). 2025. Transferring from UMaine to Penn State.

7.        O. Apul (PI), A. Venkatesan. Collaborative Research: RAPID: Assessing the impact of firefighting foam spill on spatiotemporal distribution of PFAS in Brunswick Maine. NSF ($200,000). 2024-2025. Penn State.

8.        O. Apul (PI), D. Hanigan. PFAS ERASE: Thermal Regeneration of PFAS-laden Granular Activated Carbon presents an Opportunity to Break the Forever PFAS Cycle. NSF ($500,000). 2023-2026. Penn State.

9.        T. Hahmann, H. Palani, P. O. Apul (co-PI), Hitzler, G. Hettiarachchi. Safe Agricultural Products and Water Graph (SAWGraph): An Open Knowledge Network (OKN) to Monitor and Trace PFAS and Other Contaminants in the Nation’s Food and Water Systems. NSF ($1,499,735). 2024-2026. Transferring from UMaine to Penn State.

10.     A. Venkatesan, O. Apul (co-PI). Application of hydrophobic ion pairing to capture poorly adsorbed PFAS by granular activated carbon. DoD SERDP ($150,000). 2025-2027. Contracting to Penn State.

Completed/Past projects as PI or co-I

1.        P. Mayewski, M. Potocki, M. Estapa, O. Apul (co-PI). MRI Track 1: Acquisition of Microplastics Instrumentation for Environmental, Engineering, and Health Research and Education at the University of Maine. NSF ($466,000). 2026-2028. (Transferred to PI Mayewskiduring transition from UMaine).

11.     H. Carter, J. Bolton, O. Apul (co-PI). PFAS Analysis and Detection Center. NIST ($5,000,000). 2024-2025 (Transferred to PI Carter during transition from UMaine). 

12.     S. Garcia, O. Apul (co-PI). Characterizing Production and Stability of Nanobubbles in Variable Gravity. NASA ($437,555). 2024-2025. Completed.

13.     D. Hart, O. Apul (co-PI), C. Noblet, J. Peckenham, D. Kopec, J. MacRae. Developing and Deploying a Risk framework for PFAS Management in Rural America: Connecting Predictive Models of PFAS Contamination with Risk Perceptions to Guide Management Decisions. USGS (2021) ($507,394 includes $250,000 cost share). 2022-2026. Transferred to PI Hart during transition from UMaine.

14.     R. Miller, O. Apul (co-PI), J. MacRae. Guiding Sustainable Enhanced PFAS Drinking Water Treatment Options. USGS ($80,000 including $40,000 cost share). 2024-2025. Completed.

15.     L. Li, K. Tilbury, V. Klein, J. Leahy, J. Zhang, O. Apul (co-PI), R. Schattman, W. Livingston Sustainable Engineering Leaders of the Future-Residential Summer Institute for Girls. USDA ($261,000). 2024-2025. Completed.

16.     O. Apul (PI), A. Abedi, S. Garcia-Segura. Metastable Oxygen Nanobubbles to Advance Life Support Systems in Space Exploration. NASA ($1,010,741 includes $375,000 cost share). 2022-2025. Transferred to Aaron Gallant after moving to Penn State.

17.     O. Apul (PI). LL Bean PFAS Research Solutions. LL Bean ($150,000) 2023-2025. Completed.

18.     O. Apul (PI). PFAS Spill Response and Environmental Monitoring. USDA ARS ($100,000). 2025. Completed.

19.     O. Apul (PI). PFAS Release for Spent Granular Activate Carbons in Solid Waste Management Facilities. EREF ($150,000). 2023-2024. Completed.

20.     O. Apul (PI), M. Choudhary, S. Mukhopadhyay, W. Wang. Graphene-Enabled Water Treatment Technology for Targeted PFAS Removal from Natural Source Waters. UMaine Foster Center for Innovation ($25,000) 2024. Completed.

21.     O. Apul (PI). Assessment of Thermal Issues Associated with Emergency Breathing Devices. NASA ($62,832). 2023-2024. Completed.

22.     O. Apul (PI). Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) as Recoverable Microwave Susceptors for Pre-hydrolysis of Waste Activated Sludge Prior to Anaerobic Digestion. NSF ($133,664). 2022-2024. Completed.

23.     O. Apul (PI). Nanobubble Production from Porous Metals. Mott Corporation ($15,000) 2024. Completed.

24.     O. Apul (PI). Proof of Nanobubble Production and Cleaning Potential in Hot Tubs. Jacuzzi ($27,000) 2023-2024. Completed.

25.     F. Perreault, J. Oswald, O. Apul (co-PI). CAS-MNP: Understand and Predict the Adsorption of Organic Contaminants by Aging Microplastics. NSF ($242,000). 2020-2023. Completed.

26.     O. Apul (PI). Conference: Supporting Students and Early Career Researchers as Participants in the 11th SNO Workshop and Conference 2022. NSF ($15,000). 2022-2023. Completed.

27.     O. Apul (PI), L. Ross, S. Smith. Interpreting the Extent and Characteristics of Microplastics Pollution in Maine Freshwater Streams to Guide a Holistic Mitigation Strategy. USGS ($68,000 includes $34,000 cost share). 2022-2023. Completed.

28.     O. Apul (PI). Exploration of physicochemical properties for commercial and novel CO oxidation catalysts that are employed in gas mask cannisters. NASA ($57,286). 2023. Completed.

29.     O. Apul (PI), S, Smith. Art for the Environment: UMaine Community Challenge. University of Maine Internal Seed Grant ($10,000). 2022-2023. Completed.

30.     M. Estapa, O. Apul (co-PI), L. Ross Do biological particles scavenge and remove microplastic fibers from the ocean? MARINE Sea Grant ($34,970). 2022-2023. Completed.

31.     N. Yarayan, O. Apul (co-PI), S. Garcia. Investigation of Market Potential and Collaboration Opportunities for Mainstreaming Nanobubble Technologies in Turkish Water/Wastewater Recycling Industry. DoS U.S. Mission to Turkey's Grants Program ($50,000). 2021-2022. Completed.

32.     O. Apul (PI), Characterization of a novel catalyst for CO oxidation in fire cartridges of gas masks. NASA ($120,000). 2022-2023. Completed.

33.     O. Apul (PI), S. Garcia. Evaluating Fundamental Properties of Metastable Nanobubbles towards their Integration into Water Processor Assembly of International Space Station. Maine Space Grant Consortium ($100,000, includes $60,000 cost share). 2021-2022. Completed.

34.     O. Apul (PI). Use of nanobubbles to improve the performance of recirculating aquaculture systems. Aquaculture Research Institute ($5,000). 2021-2022. Completed.

35.     D. Kopec, O. Apul (co-PI), C. Noblet, J. MacRae, J Peckenham. Integrated assessment of alternative management strategies for PFAS-contaminated wastewater residuals. USGS WRRI ($94,258, includes 1:1 cost share). 2021-2022. Completed.

36.     O. Apul (PI). Girl Scouts of Maine are Learning Nanotechnology Crayon Drawing Contest. Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) ($2,000). 2019-2020. Completed.

37.     J. Reuther, O. Apul (co-PI). Oxime-Modified Activated Carbon Composites for Adsorption and Detoxification of Nerve Agents. U.S. Army, HEROES Center for Advanced Materials ($196,529). 2019-2020. Completed.

38.     D. Reckhow, J. Tobiason, O. Apul (co-PI). Statewide Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Sampling Campaign. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection ($1,100,000) *transferred the project in 2020 to X. Zhang at UMass Lowell because of my transition to UMaine. 

39.     O. Apul (PI). Thermal Regeneration Technologies for Granular Activated Carbons Laden with Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. USGS Water Resources Research Institute at UMass Amherst (2020) ($50,000 + $100,000 cost share) *transferred the project in 2020 to J. Reuther at UMass Lowell because of my transition to UMaine. 

40.     O. Apul (PI), H. Mack. Carbon Nanomaterial Enabled Combustion of Natural Gas in Constant Volume Isothermal Chambers. Industry Sponsor ($150,000). Completed.

41.     J. Reuther, O. Apul (co-PI). Self-Healable, Regenerable Polymer Adsorbents for Low-Energy, Reusable Water Filters. Massachusetts Office of Technology Commercialization and Ventures ($19,400). Completed.

42.     O. Apul (PI). Repeated Use of Carbon Additives during Microwave Remediation for Targeted Heating of Petroleum Hydrocarbons. Industry Sponsor ($16,000). Completed.

43.     O. Apul (PI). Nitrogen Gas Adsorption for Detecting the Specific Surface Area of Novel Biopolymers. Industry Sponsor ($7,000). Completed.

44.     J. Reuther, O. Apul (co-PI). Self-Healable, Regenerable Nanoporous Membranes for Low-Energy, Reusable Water Filters. University of Massachusetts Lowell ($10,000). Completed.

45.     O. Apul (PI), J. Reuther. Modular Polymer-Immobilized Nano-Enabled Device for Lead Capture from Drinking Water Distribution Systems. Massachusetts Office of Technology Commercialization and Ventures ($15,000). Completed.

46.     O. Apul (PI), X. Zhang. Increasing Biogas Production from Wastewater Residual Sludge by a Novel, Single-Step Nano-Enabled Thermal Pretreatment Method. Massachusetts Clean Energy Center ($65,000). Completed.

47.     O. Apul (PI), Nitrogen Adsorption for Detecting the Specific Surface Area of Hybrid Metal Oxides. Industry Sponsor ($2,000). Completed.

48.     O. Apul (PI), The Value of Lead-Free Water for Lowell General Public. University of Massachusetts Lowell Community Engaged Research Program ($1,500). Completed.

49.     P. Dahlen, O. Apul (co-PI), P. Westerhoff. Additive-Augmented Microwave Remediation of Soils Containing Heavy-Hydrocarbons. Industry Sponsor ($100,000). Completed.

50.     E. Agar, O. Apul (co-PI), S. Pagsuyoin. High-Resolution Capacitive Deionization for Selective PFAS Removal, University of Massachusetts Lowell ($10,000). Completed.