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Postdoctoral Fellow 2019-2022

Dr. Maya Engel

Cohort: 2019

About

Iron oxide minerals are dominant binding agents of heavy metals in soils, contributing
to their stability and limiting their transfer. However, iron oxides are seldom pristine and
homogeneous, and are typically associated with organic matter that can enhance or
retard heavy metal binding through complexation or alteration of mineral surfaces.
My goal is to decipher the role of iron oxide mineral-organic compound associations in
heavy metal binding, which ultimately control their transport and bioavailability in soils.
I expect my research will assist in bridging knowledge gaps on whether heavy metal
retention in soils is enhanced or retarded in the absence/presence of organic
compounds with various properties. This study is of immense importance due to the
persistence of heavy metals in agricultural soils.

Funding

  • Vaadia – Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Israeli Council for Higher Education Postdoctoral Scholarship for Excellent Female Scientists

Publications

  • Engel M., Hadar Y., Belkin S., Lu X., Elimelech M. and Chefetz B. (2018). Bacterial inactivation by a carbon nanotube-iron oxide nanocomposite: A mechanistic study using E.coli mutants. Environmental Science: Nano 5:372-380.
  • Bhaduri B., Engel M., Polubesova T., Wu W., Xing B. and Chefetz B. (2018). Dual functionality of an Ag-Fe 3 O 4 -carbon nanotube composite material: Catalytic reduction and antibacterial activity. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 6:4103-4113.
  • Engel M. and Chefetz B. (2016). Removal of triazine-based pollutants from water by carbon nanotubes: Impact of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and solution chemistry. Water Research 106:146-154.
  • Engel M. and Chefetz B. (2016). Adsorption and desorption of dissolved organic matter by carbon nanotubes: Effects of solution chemistry. Environmental Pollution 213:90-98.
  • Engel M. and Chefetz B. (2015). Adsorptive fractionation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by carbon nanotubes. Environmental Pollution 197:287–294.

Education

Ph.D. in Soil and Water Science (2018), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
B.Sc. in Chemistry (2012), Tel Aviv University, Israel