Yuefeng Xie, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, Fellow IWA

Professor Emeritus of Environmental Engineering, School of Science, Engineering, and Technology

Dr. Xie joined Penn State Harrisburg in 1995 and retired in 2024 as Professor Emeritus of Environmental Engineering. He was a postdoctoral research associate at University of Massachusetts at Amherst from 1989 to 1994. He received a B.S. and an M.S. in chemical engineering and a PhD in environmental engineering from Tsinghua University. His teaching and research interests include drinking water quality and analysis, water disinfection and disinfection byproducts, small water systems, as well as physical, chemical, and biological water treatment processes. Dr. Xie co-founded and directed the Small Public Water Systems Technology Assistance Center and Environmental Training Center at Penn State, and received over $6 million in research grants. He published three books and over 100 journal papers.

Major Honors and Awards

  • 2023 Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Education (E4S) Award, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES) and Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP)
  • 2021 Honorary Road Name, Water Doc Lane, at Penn State University Park campus 
  • 2019 Nanova/CAPEES Lifetime Achievement Award, CAPEES
  • 2019 Distinguished Visiting Professor, Tsinghua University
  • 2014 University Faculty Outreach Award, Penn State University
  • 2012 Fellow, International Water Association
  • 2010 Fulbright Scholar, The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
  • 2009 Special Recognition Award, Pennsylvania American Water Works Association
  • 2008 Keynote Speaker, the 13th Canadian National Drinking Water Conference
  • 2005 Professional Research Award, Pennsylvania Water Environmental Association
  • 2002 Faculty Excellence in Research Award, Penn State Harrisburg

Services to government and profession

  • US EPA Science Advisory Board’s Drinking Water Committee, 2017-2021
  • Chair of Southeastern Pennsylvania Section of the American Chemical Society, 1999.
  • Chair of WWOAP Scholarship Committee, 2005-2008
  • Chair of AWWA Organic Contaminant Control Committee, 2006-2009.
  • Founding President of CAPEES, 2008
  • President of Central Pennsylvania Chinese Association, 2009
  • Editorial Board for three journals
  • Chair/Co-Chair of five professional conferences or symposiums

Registrations

  • Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE): AAEES
  • Professional Engineer (PE) in Environmental Engineering: PA

Hobbies

Canoeing, kayaking, standup paddle boarding, x-country skiing, downhill skiing, sailing, and any outdoor activities involving water. Dr. Xie is also a private pilot.

  • Water disinfection and disinfection byproduct control
  • Environmental Impacts of Shale Gas Development
  • Emerging contaminant analysis and control
  • Water quality and analysis
  • Environmental chemistry
  • Physical chemical and biological treatment processes
  • Wastewater reuse

Books

Karanfil, Mitch, Westerhoff & Xie (eds), Recent Advances in Disinfection Byproducts, American Chemical Society, 2015

Karanfil, Krasner, Westerhoff & Xie (eds), Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water: Occurence, Formation, Health Effects and Control, Oxford University Press, 2008.

Yuefeng F. Xie, Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking Water: Formation, analysis, and control, Lewis Publishers, 2003.

Recent Journal Publications

Mao, Y., Zhang, W., Qi, S., Yang, H., Xie, Y. F. (2021). Kinetics and mechanism of haloacetaldehyde formation from the reaction of acetaldehyde and chlorine. Chemosphere, 283.

Mao, Y., Qi, S., Guo, X., Yang, H., Xie, Y. F. (2021). Optimization of ozone dosage in an ozone contact tank using a numerical model. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(33), 44987-44997.

Zhang, T., Xu, Q., Shi, Y.-L., Chen, Z., Lu, Y., Yang, H.-W., Xie, Y. F., Hou, L. (2021). Study on the influence of operational and management processes of a water reclamation plant since COVID-19 situation. Environmental Pollution, 285.

Liu, D., Cabrera, J., Zhong, L., Wang, W., Duan, D., Wang, X., Liu, S., Xie, Y. F. (2021). Using loose nanofiltration membrane for lake water treatment: A pilot study. Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering, 15(4).

Guo, Y., Li, T.-y., Xiao, K., Wang, X.-m., Xie, Y. F. (2020). Key foulants and their interactive effect in organic fouling of nanofiltration membranes. Journal of Membrane Science, 118252.

Zhang, T., Tao, Y.-Z., Yang, H.-W., Chen, Z., Wang, X.-M., Xie, Y. F. (2020). Study on the removal of aesthetic indicators by ozone during advanced treatment of water reuse. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 36, 101381.

Liu, Y., Zhu, J., Zheng, J., Gao, X., Tian, M., Wang, X., Xie, Y. F., Zhang, Y., Volodin, A., Van der Bruggen, B. (2020). Porous organic polymer embedded thin-film nanocomposite membranes for enhanced nanofiltration performance. Journal of Membrane Science, 602, 117982.

Liu, L., Lopez, E., Duenas-Osorio, Leonardo, Stadler, L., Xie, Y. F., Alvarez, P. J., Li, Q. (2020). The importance of system configuration for distributed direct potable water reuse. Nature Sustainability, 3, 548-555.

Wang, W., Xie, Y. F., Tang, H. L. (2020). The haloacetic acid leap in effluent of a biologically active carbon filter experiencing a disinfectant switch. Chemosphere, 244.

Liu, Y.-l., Wang, X., Gao, X., Zheng, J., Volodin, A., Xie, Y. F., Huang, X., Van der Bruggen, B., Zhu, J. (2020). High-performance thin film nanocomposite membranes enabled by nanomaterials with different dimensions for nanofiltration. Journal of Membrane Science, 596, 285-293.

Zhao, Y., Liu, Y., Wang, C., Ortega, E., Wang, X., Xie, Y. F., Shen, J., Gao, C., Van der Bruggen, B. (2020). Electric field-based ionic control of selective separation layers. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 8(8), 4244--4251.

Zhang, K., Zhang, Z.-h., Wang, H., Wang, X.-m., Zhang, X.-h., Xie, Y. F. (2020). Synergistic effects of combining ozonation, ceramic membrane filtration and biologically active carbon filtration for wastewater reclamation. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 382, 10.

Liu, Y., Zhu, J., Zheng, J., Gao, X., Wang, J., Wang, X., Xie, Y. F., Huang, X., Van der Bruggen, B. (2020). A Facile and Scalable Fabrication Procedure for Thin-Film Composite Membranes: Integration of Phase Inversion and Interfacial Polymerization. Environmental science & technology, 54(3), 1946--1954.

Mao, Y., Qi, S., Zhao, E., Yang, H., Xie, Y. F. (2019). Mechanism of ozonation enhanced formation of haloacetaldehydes during subsequent chlorination. Chemosphere, 236.

Li, Y., Wang, X., Yang, H., Wang, X., Xie, Y. F. (2019). Oxidation of isoprothiolane by ozone and chlorine: Reaction kinetics and mechanism. Chemosphere, 232, 516-525.

Wei, C., Li, X. L., Xie, Y., Wang, X. (2019). Direct photo transformation of tetracycline and sulfanomide group antibiotics in surface water: Kinetics, toxicity and site modeling. Science of The Total Environment, 686, 1-9.

Xie, Y., Wang, Q., Wang, X., Zhang, J. (2019). Challenges and Solutions for Safe Drinking Water in China. (7), 1-5.

Liu, Y.-l., Zhao, Y., Wang, X., Wei, X., Huang, X., Xie, Y. F. (2019). Effect of varying piperazine concentration and post-modification on prepared nanofiltration membranes in selectively rejecting organic micropollutants and salts. Journal of Membrane Science, 582, 274-283.

Kong, F.-X., Wang, Z.-p., Ji, Z., Chen, J.-f., Guo, C.-M., Sun, G.-D., Xie, Y. F. (2019). Organic fouling of membrane distillation for shale gas fracturing flowback water desalination: a special interest in the feed properties by pretreatment. Environmental Science Water Research & Technology, 5, 1339-1348.

Liu, Y.-l., Xiao, K., Zhang, A.-q., Wang, X.-m., Yang, H.-w., Huang, X., Xie, Y. F. (2019). Exploring the interactions of organic micropollutants with polyamide nanofiltration membranes: A molecular docking study. Journal of Membrane Science, 577, 285-293.

Kong, F.-X., Lin, X.-f., Sun, G.-d., Chen, J.-f., Guo, C.-m., Xie, Y. (2019). Enhanced organic removal for shale gas fracturing flowback water by electrocoagulation and simultaneous electro-peroxone process. Chemosphere, 218, 252-258.

Zhao, Y.-y., Liu, Y.-l., Wang, X.-m., Huang, X., Xie, Y. F. (2019). Impacts of Metal–Organic Frameworks on Structure and Performance of Polyamide Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 11(14), 13724-13734.

Liu, Y.-l., Wang, X.-m., Yang, H.-w., Xie, Y. F., Huang, X. (2019). Preparation of nanofiltration membranes for high rejection of organic micropollutants and low rejection of divalent cations. Journal of Membrane Science, 572, 152-160.

Wang, X., Li, Y., Li, R., Yang, H., Zhou, B., Wang, X., Xie, Y. F. (2019). Comparison of chlorination behaviors between norfloxacin and ofloxacin: Reaction kinetics, oxidation products and reaction pathways. Chemosphere, 215, 124-132.

Huang, K., Tang, H. L., Xie, Y. F. (2019). Formation of disinfection by-products under influence of shale gas produced water. Science of The Total Environment, 647, 744-751.

Wang, Q.-y., Peng, J.-y., Webb, K., Fu, C.-s., XIE, Y. F. (2018). Comparative Analysis of Conventional Water Treatment Processes between China and the United States. China Water and Wastewater, 34(24), 8-13.

Huang, K., Tang, H., Xie, Y. F. (2018). Impacts of shale gas production wastewater on disinfection byproduct formation: An investigation from a non-bromide perspective. Water Research, 144, 656-664.

Tang, H. L., Tang, L., Xie, Y. F. (2018). Aerated Electrolysis for Reducing Impacts of Shale Gas Production Wastewater on Water Sources regarding Disinfection Byproduct Formation. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 5(11), 681-686.

B.S.; M.S.; Ph.D. (Tsinghua)