Research Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
Rich Lab 342 Computer Court
Anderson, SC 29625
864.656.3276
E-mail: huanc@clemson.edu
2013–2016, Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, US.
2013–2016, M.S. in Statistics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, US.
2006–2009, M.S. in Environmental Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
2002–2006, B.E. in Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China.
Publications | CV
Faculty Overview
Dr. Chen’s primary research focuses on understanding and enhancing water resilience in response to land use and cover changes (e.g., wildfire, sea-level rise, and hurricanes). He is particularly interested in integrating disciplines such as biogeochemistry, environmental chemistry, process engineering, and computing to develop innovative and sustainable technological solutions aimed at achieving high pollutant removal and efficient resource recovery.
Dr. Chen’s interested research areas are a) drinking water; b) water reuse, c) resource recovery, and d) data analysis. Within these general areas, he specializes in:
a) Investigating the influence of disturbances across the aquatic-terrestrial interface on water quality - Dr. Chen examines how terrestrial biogeochemical processes (e.g., throughfall, litter decomposition, wildland fire, and extreme rainfalls) impact source drinking water quality. By utilizing advanced analytic techniques (e.g., pyrolysis GC/MS, FT-IR, 13C-NMR, 1H-NMR, FT-ICR MS, LC-QqQ, and LC-Orbitrap), he characterizes the compositional changes of dissolved organic matter and quantifies the distribution of emerging contaminants (e.g., PFAS, antibiotics, pesticides, and resistance genes).
b) Improving water reuse and resource recovery for environmental sustainability - Dr. Chen explores water reuse in hydraulic fracturing in the US and assesses the transport and fate of contaminants [e.g., heavy metal(loid)s and PAHs] when using treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation. He also investigates nutrient recovery and potential biofuel production by cultivating microalgae with livestock wastewater.
c) Applying statistical and computing techniques for environmental big data analysis - Dr. Chen employs computing tools such as MATLAB, R, and Python to process large datasets generated by instruments (e.g., pyrolysis GC/MS) and in-situ sensors (e.g., DOC sensors). He integrates machine learning algorithms with hyperspectral imaging to identify the microplastics in soil.
Selected Publications
‡ Corresponding author; 1 Equal contribution.
Huan Chen, Alexander Martin Rücker, Yi-Na Liu, David Miller, Jia-Ning Dai, Jun-Jian Wang, Dennis O. Suhre, Li-Jung Kuo, William H. Conner, Barbara J. Campbell, Robert C. Rhew, Alex T. Chow ‡ (2023), Unique biogeochemical characteristics in coastal ghost forests – The transition from freshwater forested wetland to salt marsh under the influences of sea level rise. Soil & Environmental Health 1: 100005 [highlighted in Zinke, L. (2023). "Ghost forests stand apart." Nature Reviews Earth & Environment; “Excellent Papers of 2023” by the editorial board]
Jing-Run Hu, Yi-Tao Lyu, Huan Chen ‡, Lei-Lei Cai, Jie Li, Xiao-Qiang Cao, Wei-Ling Sun ‡ (2023), Integration of target, suspect, and nontarget screening with risk modeling for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances prioritization in surface waters. Water Research 233: 119735
Jing-Run Hu, Yi-Tao Lyu, Huan Chen ‡, Si Li, Wei-Ling Sun ‡ (2023), Suspect and nontarget screening reveal the underestimated risks of antibiotic transformation products in wastewater treatment plant effluents. Environmental Science & Technology 57(45): 17439–17451
Huan Chen, Jun-Jian Wang, Pei-Jia Ku, Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui, Rebecca B. Abney, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Qiang Zhang, Sarah D. Burton, Randy A. Dahlgren, Alex T. Chow ‡ (2022), Burn intensity drives the alteration of phenolic lignin to (poly) aromatic hydrocarbons as revealed by pyrolysis-Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Environmental Science & Technology 56(17): 12678-12687
Huan Chen 1, Mahmut Selim Ersan 1, Nikola Tolić, Rosalie K. Chu, Tanju Karanfil, Alex T. Chow ‡ (2022), Chemical characterization of dissolved organic matter as disinfection byproduct precursors by UV/fluorescence and ESI FT-ICR MS after smoldering combustion of leaf needles and woody trunks of pine (Pinus jeffreyi). Water Research 209: 117962
Xu-Ming Xu 1, Huan Chen 1, Jin-Yun Hu, Tong Zheng, Rui-Jie Zhang, Hao-Hui Zhong, Qiang Gao, Wei-Ling Sun, Qian Chen ‡, Jin-Ren Ni (2022), Unveil the role of dissolved and sedimentary metal(loid)s on bacterial communities and metal resistance genes (MRGs) in an urban river of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Water Research 211: 118050
Jin-Yun Hu, Qian Chen ‡, Si-Ning Zhong, Ya-Ping Liu, Qiang Gao, Emily B. Graham, Huan Chen ‡, Wei-Ling Sun (2022), Insight into co-hosts of nitrate reduction genes and antibiotic resistance genes in an urban river of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Water Research 225(D1): 119189
Han-Han Li, Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui ‡, Pei-Jia Ku, Huan Chen, Zi-Yu Yin, Randy A. Dahlgren, Sanjai J. Parikh, Jianjun Wei, Tham C. Hoang, Alex T. Chow, Zhang Cheng ‡, Xue-Mei Zhu ‡ (2022), Impacts of forest fire ash on aquatic mercury cycling. Environmental Science & Technology 56(16): 11835–11844
Huan Chen, Kuo-Pei Tsai, Yi-Na Liu, Nikola Tolić, Sarah D. Burton, Rosalie K. Chu, Tanju Karanfil, Alex T. Chow ‡ (2021), Characterization of dissolved organic matter from wildfire-induced Microcystis aeruginosa blooms controlled by copper sulfate as disinfection byproduct precursors using APPI(-) and ESI(-) FT-ICR MS. Water Research 189: 116640
Huan Chen 1, Habibullah Uzun 1, Alex T. Chow, Tanju Karanfil ‡ (2020), Low water treatability efficiency of wildfire-induced dissolved organic matter and disinfection by-product precursors. Water Research 184: 116111
Huan Chen ‡, Alexander Martin Rücker, Qiong Su, Gavin D. Blosser, Xi-Jun Liu, William H. Conner, Alex T. Chow (2020), Dynamics of dissolved organic matter and disinfection byproduct precursors along a low elevation gradient in woody wetlands - An implication of hydrologic impacts of climate change on source water quality. Water Research 181:115908
Kuo-Pei Tsai, Habibullah Uzun, Huan Chen, Tanju Karanfil, Alex T. Chow ‡ (2019), Control wildfire-induced Microcystis aeruginosa blooms by copper sulfate: Trade-offs between reducing algal organic matter and promoting disinfection byproduct formation. Water Research 158: 227-236
Qiong Su, Han-Cheng Dai ‡, Huan Chen, Yun Lin, Yang Xie, Raghupathy Karthikeyan (2019), General equilibrium analysis of the co-benefits and trade-offs of carbon mitigation on local industrial water use and pollutants discharge in China. Environmental Science & Technology 53 (3): 1715–1724
Pei-Jia Ku, Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui ‡, Xiang-Ping Nie ‡, Huan Chen, Tham C. Hoang, Joel D. Blum, Randy A. Dahlgren, Alex T. Chow (2018), Origin, reactivity, and bioavailability of mercury in wildfire ash. Environmental Science & Technology 52 (24): 14149-14157 [highlighted in "Wildfire ash could trap mercury" by ACS press release]
Awards and Honors
“Excellent Papers of 2023” by the editorial board of Soil & Environmental Health
Excellent Undergraduate Thesis (5%), 2006
