Abinash Agrawal, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
268 Brehm Lab
Wright State University
3640 Colonel Glenn Highway
Dayton, OH 45435

E-mail:
Office phone: (937) 775-3452
Dept phone: (937) 775-2201
Dept fax: (937) 775-4997

Courses Taught

Dr. Agrawal's teaching includes a sequence of two courses for an in-depth study of the sources and fate of contaminants in the groundwater and its remediation techniques. These are: (i) EES 456/GL 668/ES 701-04 (Ground Water Contamination) in the Winter term, followed by (ii) EES 457/ GL 669 (Site Remediation) in the Fall term. In addition, the EES 458/GL 670 course (Environmental Geochemistry) is offered alternate years and it covers a variety of topics in biogeochemistry. He also team-teaches an interdisciplanry course (ES 702: Earth Processes & Environmental Systems) for the Environmental Sciences Ph.D. program.

Fall Quarter

• EES 457/ GL 669: Site Remediation, 3 Credit Hrs (Pre-requisite: EES 456/GL 668)

Winter Quarter

• EES 456/GL 668/ES 701: Ground Water Contamination, 4 Credit Hrs

Spring Quarter

• ES 702: Earth Processes & Environmental Systems, 3 Credit Hrs (odd years)
• EES 458/GL 670: Environmnetal Geochemistry, 4 Credit Hrs (even years)

Research

Dr. Agrawal's research interests include the chemical and biological treatment techniques for aquifers contaminated with organic pollutants. His research has been on bench-scale and field-scale investigations in the following area:

1. Treatment of Contaminated Ground Water by Metallic Reductants:
   
   Bench-scale investigations of the treatment of groundwater contaminated with nitro aromatic compounds or NAC (nitrotoluenes, in particular), chlorinated hydrocarbons or CHCs (e.g., perchloroethene, trichloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, chlorinated phenols), and nitrate through their reaction with metallic reductants. The destruction of CHCs by iron metal (zero-valent iron or ZVI), bimetallic (Pd/Fe) catalyst, and noble metal catalyst (palladium) in bench-scale systems have been investigated.
2. Destruction of Groundwater Pollutants (chlorinated ethenes) by Constructed Wetlands:
   
   Since 1999, Dr. Agrawal's research has emphasized the characterization of biogeochemical processes in a constructed wetland designed for the treatment of chlorinated solvents in groundwater. He is studying a vertical-flow wetland constructed at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (and its simulations in mesocosms in a greenhouse) to evaluate the degradation potential of chlorinated ethenes in the wetland.