Biography

Dr. Tehrani established the first comprehensive review elucidating the origin, distribution, and toxicological implications of OH-PCBs in the environment in 2014. Concurrently, he became the first to characterize and document bacterial degradation pathways for OH-PCBs. Subsequent publications have centered on the transcriptomic responses elicited in model bacterial and plant cells upon OH-PCB exposure. Throughout his doctoral research, Dr. Tehrani extensively utilized molecular biology techniques to explore bacterial and plant responses to OH-PCBs, PCBs, and nanoparticles at the molecular level. Recently, he has coauthored a perspective article on elucidating plants responses to PFAS at the molecular level.
Dr. Tehrani has invented multiple novel approaches using nanoscale materials and polymeric composites for fluid purification to initiate a paradigm shift in separation processes, initially focusing on water treatment. In 2022, Dr. Tehrani received an award to translate his work in water treatment and remediation technologies to hemodialysis treatment. Dr. Tehrani has used his environmental chemistry and chemical engineering expertise to introduce novel hemodialysis and hemoperfusion treatments, offering personalized and precision medicine to dialysis patients.
Dr. Tehrani also has expertise in the biogenic synthesis of nanoscale metal-graphitic materials, focusing on rare earth elements. His Ph.D. student was the first to successfully phytoextract indium directly from electronic waste, and in a separate study, to document the plant-based synthesis of paramagnetic graphitic materials. They were the first to incorporate rare earth elements into biomass-driven graphitic materials.
Dr. Tehrani has unique expertise, including process design focusing on separation technologies, nanoengineering of adsorptive materials and polymeric composites for fluid purification, and an extensive record of publications in molecular biology tools in environmental engineering.
Dr. Tehrani has developed multiple advanced graduate courses specific for the environmental engineering curriculum to introduce nanoengineering, nanoscience, and molecular biology to environmental engineers. He also teaches graduate and undergraduate engineering design for groundwater and soil remediation and water treatment.

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ry9-ZZQAAAAJ&hl=en

Research Interests

  • Nanoengineering, Biotechnology, and Transcriptomics.

Courses Taught

Number

Name

Level

ENVT 0845

The Environment

Undergraduate

CEE 4622

Fate Pollutants in Subsurface Environments

Undergraduate

CEE 5622

Fate of Pollutants in Subsurface Environments

Graduate

Selected Publications

Recent

  • Upadhyay, A., Alimohammadi, F., & Tehrani, R. (2024). Engineering Porosity-Tuned Chitosan Beads: Balancing Porosity, Kinetics, and Mechanical Integrity. ACS Omega, 9(31), pp. 33857-33867. United States. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c03583

  • Upadhyay, A., Alimohammadi, F., Aken, B.V., & Tehrani, R. (2021). Biogenic Synthesis of Self-Incorporated Indium Graphitic Composites from Electronic Waste Using Eleocharis acicularis. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. doi: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c04326

  • Atmatzidis, K., Alimohammadi, F., Aich, N., & Tehrani, R. (2020). Nano-enhanced Dialytic Fluid Purification: CFD Modeling of Pb(II) Removal by Manganese Oxide. ACS Omega, 5(50), pp. 32697-32705. United States. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.0c05069

  • Atmatzidis, K., Alimohammadi, F., Strongin, D.R., & Tehrani, R. (2020). Biomimetic System for the Application of Nanomaterials in Fluid Purification: Removal of Arsenic with Ferrihydrite. ACS Omega, 5(11), pp. 5873-5880. United States. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.9b04121

  • Khajevand, N. & Tehrani, R. (2019). Impact of population change and unemployment rate on Philadelphia's waste disposal. Waste Manag, 100, pp. 278-286. United States. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2019.09.024

  • Aken, B.V., Subramanian, S., & Tehrani, R. (2019). Understanding the toxicity of hydroxylated PCBs for plants: A transcriptomic analysis. ABSTRACTS of PAPERS of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 257. Retrieved from http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/