MSU SRC Postdoctoral Researcher Wins Award at SRP Annual Meeting

November 5, 2026

Michigan State University Superfund Research Center postdoctoral researcher Dr. Kirankumar P.S. received the Postdoctoral Award at the Superfund Research Program's Annual Meeting for his poster, "Dissolved Organic Carbon Enhances TCDD Mass Transfer from Soils to Activated Carbon."

Kiran’s research at the MSU SRC focuses on understanding the bioavailability of dioxins in contaminated soils and developing effective remediation strategies using activated carbon. He works under the supervision of Dr. Brian Teppen and Dr. Hui Li as part of Superfund Research Project 5, “Bioavailability as a Central Concept in Determining Remediation Goals and Strategies for PCDD/F-Contaminated Superfund Sites,” in collaboration with Dr. Cliff Johnston of Purdue University.

One of the major challenges in activated carbon-based remediation is the slow transfer of strongly sorbed contaminants from soil to activated carbon, which can limit remediation efficiency. Using ¹⁴C-labeled TCDD as a radiotracer, the study combined contaminant mass-balance experiments, modified activated carbon (MAC) treatments, kinetic modeling, and gastrointestinal bioaccessibility assessments to investigate contaminant transfer and sequestration in soils. Kiran's award-winning study demonstrates that dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a naturally occurring component of soil environments, can significantly enhance the transfer of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) from soil to activated carbon. These findings provide new mechanistic insights into contaminant mass transfer and could help improve activated carbon-based remediation strategies at Superfund and other contaminated sites.