Publications

Cronmiller, L.E., Muhumuza, E., Abou Khalil, C., Curtis, E.G., Doudrick, K., Hao, S. and Strathmann, T.J. Hydrothermal Decomposition of Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonic Acids with Ruthenium on Carbon Catalyst. Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 2026, 396, 126926.

Schaefer, C.E., Lavorgna, G.M., Lippincott, D.R., Hao, S. and Pritchard, J.C. Long term rebound and transport of perfluorinated sulfonic acids (PFSAs) in the vadose zone following flushing. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 2026, 277, 104848.

Silsby, S., Sühnholz, S., Qanbarzadeh, M., Silsby, N., Hao, S., Shields, E., Jackson, S., Mills, M.A., Doudrick, K., Young, C., Strathmann, T.J., Ghosh, R.S., Willey, J., Fedick, P.W., Blotevogel, J., Knappe, D.R.U. and Higgins, C.P. Air emissions during destruction of PFAS-containing materials. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 2026.

Jia, Y., Li, Y., Kang, S., Li, C., Munoz, G., Hao, S., Xiao, F., Zhi, Y., Liu, C. and Zhang, C. Sources and occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in industrial wastewater and assessment of current treatment approaches: A review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2025, 499, 140195.

Zhang, C. et al. Quantification of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF)-impacted water: Comparisons between methodologies and laboratories. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2025, 499, 140142.

Lu, W., Babcock-Adams, L., Sharifan, H., Kornuc, J.J., Hao, S., Higgins, C.P., Young, R.B., McKenna, A.M. and Blotevogel, J. Exploring the fluorinome of PFAS-impacted groundwater using 21 tesla FT-ICR mass spectrometry. Water Research, 2025, 288, 124698.

Soker, O., Tajdini, B., Abarca-Perez, A., Wadia, A., Bellona, C., Hao, S., Doudrick, K. and Strathmann, T.J. Reuse of Spent Granular Activated Carbon for PFAS Removal following Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment. Water Research, 2025, 123794.

Hao, S. Cutting All Carbon–Fluorine Bonds from PFAS. Nature Water (2024).

Zhi, Y., Lu, X., Munoz, G., Yeung, L., Silva, A., Hao, S., He, H., Jia, Y., Higgins, C. and Zhang, C. Environmental Occurrence and Biotic Concentrations of Ultrashort-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids: Overlooked Global Organofluorine Contaminants. Environmental Science & Technology, 2024.

Zhang, C., Hao, S.*, Gonda, N., Zhi, Y., Strathmann, T.J., Schaefer, C.E., and Higgins, C.P.* Quantification of Long-Chain, Short-Chain, and Ultrashort-Chain Liquid Chromatography-Amenable PFASs in Water: Evaluation of Approaches and Tradeoffs for AFFF-Impacted Waters. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2024, 466: 133591.

Stults, J.F., Schaefer, C.E., Fang, Y., Devon, J., Nguyen, D., Real, I., Hao, S. and Guelfo, J.L. Air-water interfacial collapse and rate-limited solid desorption control Perfluoroalkyl acid leaching from the vadose zone. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 2024, 104382.

Hao, S., Reardon, P.N., Choi, Y.J., Zhang, C., Sanchez, J.M., Higgins, C.P. and Strathmann, T.J. Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment (HALT) of Foam Fractionation Concentrate Derived from PFAS-Contaminated Groundwater. Environmental Science & Technology, 2023, 57(44), 17154–17165.

Soker, O., Hao, S., Trewyn, B.G., Higgins, C.P. and Strathmann, T.J. Application of Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment to Spent Granular Activated Carbon: Destruction of Adsorbed PFASs and Adsorbent Regeneration. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 2023.

Hao, S., Choi, Y.J., Deeb, R.A., Strathmann, T.J. and Higgins, C.P. Application of Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment (HALT) for Destruction of PFASs in Contaminated Groundwater and Soil. Environmental Science & Technology, 2022, 56(10), 6647–6657.

Hao, S., Choi, Y.J., Wu, B., Higgins, C.P., Deeb, R. and Strathmann, T.J. Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment for Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam. Environmental Science & Technology, 2021, 55(5), 3283–3295.

Chen, H., Hao, S., Chen, Z., Sompong, O., Fan, J., Clark, J., Luo, G. and Zhang, S. Mesophilic and Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Aqueous Phase Generated from Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Cornstalk: Molecular and Metabolic Insights. Water Research, 2020, 168, 115199.

Hao, S., Ren, S., Zhou, N., Chen, H., Usman, M., He, C., Shi, Q., Luo, G. and Zhang, S. Molecular Composition of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Wastewater from Sewage Sludge and Its Transformation During Anaerobic Digestion. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2020, 383, 121163.

Usman, M., Hao, S. (co-first author), Chen, H., Ren, S., Tsang, D.C., Sompong, O., Luo, G. and Zhang, S. Molecular and Microbial Insights Towards Understanding the Anaerobic Digestion of the Wastewater from Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Sewage Sludge Facilitated by Granular Activated Carbon (GAC). Environment International, 2019, 133, 105257.

Wu, B., Hao, S., Choi, Y., Higgins, C.P., Deeb, R. and Strathmann, T.J. Rapid Destruction and Defluorination of Perfluorooctanesulfonate by Alkaline Hydrothermal Reaction. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 2019, 6(10), 630–636.

Chen, H., Rao, Y., Cao, L., Shi, Y., Hao, S., Luo, G. and Zhang, S. Hydrothermal Conversion of Sewage Sludge: Focusing on the Characterization of Liquid Products and Their Methane Yields. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2019, 357, 367–375.

Hao, S., Zhu, X., Liu, Y., Qian, F., Fang, Z., Shi, Q., Zhang, S., Chen, J. and Ren, Z.J. Production Temperature Effects on the Structure of Hydrochar-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter and Associated Toxicity. Environmental Science & Technology, 2018, 52(13), 7486–7495.

Cao, L., Chen, H., Tsang, D.C., Luo, G., Hao, S., Zhang, S. and Chen, J. Optimizing xylose production from pinewood sawdust through dilute-phosphoric-acid hydrolysis by response surface methodology. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018, 178, 572–579.

Younas, R., Hao, S., Zhang, L. and Zhang, S. Hydrothermal liquefaction of rice straw with NiO nanocatalyst for bio-oil production. Renewable Energy, 2017, 113, 532–545.

Chen, K., Hao, S., Lyu, H., Luo, G., Zhang, S. and Chen, J. Ion Exchange Separation for Recovery of Monosaccharides, Organic Acids and Phenolic Compounds from Hydrolysates of Lignocellulosic Biomass. Separation and Purification Technology, 2017, 172, 100–106.

Qian, F., Zhu, X., Liu, Y., Hao, S., Ren, Z.J., Gao, B., Zong, R., Zhang, S. and Chen, J. Synthesis, Characterization and Adsorption Capacity of Magnetic Carbon Composites Activated by CO2: Implication For the Catalytic Mechanisms of Iron Salts. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2016, 4(48), 18942–18951.

Hao, S., Chen, K., Cao, L., Zhu, X., Luo, G., Zhang, S. and Chen, J. Separation of High-Purity Syringol and Acetosyringone from Rice Straw-Derived Bio-Oil by Combining the Basification-Acidification Process and Column Chromatography. Electrophoresis, 2016, 37(19), 2522–2530.

Cao, L., Zhang, C., Hao, S., Luo, G., Zhang, S. and Chen, J. Effect of Glycerol as Co-Solvent on Yields of Bio-Oil from Rice Straw Through Hydrothermal Liquefaction. Bioresource Technology, 2016, 220, 471–478.

Younas, R., Zhang, S., Zhang, L., Luo, G., Chen, K., Cao, L. and Hao, S. Lactic Acid Production from Rice Straw in Alkaline Hydrothermal Conditions In Presence of NiO Nanoplates. Catalysis Today, 2016, 274, 40–48.

Chen, K., Lyu, H., Hao, S., Luo, G., Zhang, S. and Chen, J. Separation of Phenolic Compounds with Modified Adsorption Resin from Aqueous Phase Products of Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Rice Straw. Bioresource Technology, 2015, 182, 160–168.