Heather Preisendanz, Ph.D.
- Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
- Natural Resource Engineering
- Director of the Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science
Agricultural Engineering Building, Rm. 252
University Park, PA 16802
- Email heg12@psu.edu
- Office 814-863-1817
Areas of Expertise
- Emerging Contaminants
- Contaminant Fate and Transport
- Environmental Hydrology
Education
- B.S. Civil Engineering, Rutgers University, May 2007
- M.S. Civil Engineering, Purdue University, Dec 2008
- Ph.D. Civil Engineering, Purdue University, May 2011
Research Interests
Our research group seeks to understand the factors that affect the presence, movement, and ecological impacts of traditional and emerging contaminants in the environment and design solutions to reduce their impact.
Trace-level organic contaminants with endocrine disrupting properties are known to impact aquatic ecosystems at concentrations on the ng-ug/L level. While many laboratory studies have been conducted to estimate physicochemical parameters (i.e., half-lives, sorption coefficients, etc.) that should predict their transport in the environment, these chemicals are found nearly ubiquitously in the environment and persist longer than laboratory studies suggest they should. Our research group conducts field and modeling-based studies to understand how land management practices, biogeochemical processes, hydrologic transport pathways, and water treatment technologies affect the occurrence, persistence, and potential impacts of emerging contaminants in aquatic environments. As the general public becomes increasingly aware of the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and novel pesticides (e.g., neonicotinoids) in the environment, our recent efforts have expanded to include community-based science initiatives.
EDC Footprint Calculator
Products we use in our everyday lives can be a source of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the environment. Access our Endocrine Disrupting Compounds Footprint Calculator to estimate the amount of EDCs in your personal care and household products. You can watch a webinar on the topic, too!
Publications
Simulating PFAS transport in effluent-irrigated farmland using PRZM5, LEACHM, and HYDRUS-1D models
Journal of Environmental Quality, Liao, Shuchi, Garza-Rubalcava, Uriel, Abriola, Linda M., Preisendanz, Heather E., Lee, Linda S., Pennell, Kurt D., 2025
PFAS in agroecosystems: Sources, impacts, and opportunities for mitigating risks to human and ecosystem health
Journal of Environmental Quality, Preisendanz, Heather E., Li, Hui, Mashtare, Michael, Mina, Odette, 2025
Incorporating the benefits of vegetative filter strips into risk assessment and risk management of pesticides
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, Chen, Huajin, Carley, Danesha Seth, Muñoz-Carpena, Rafael, Ferruzzi, Giulio, Yuan, Yongping, Henry, Eric, Blankinship, Amy, Veith, Tamie L., Breckels, Ross, Fox, Garey, Luo, Yuzhou, Osmond, Deanna, Preisendanz, Heather E., Tang, Zhenxu, Armbrust, Kevin, Costello, Kevin, McConnell, Laura L., Rice, Patricia, Westgate, Johnny, Whiteside, Mélanie, 2024
From wastewater to feed: Understanding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances occurrence in wastewater-irrigated crops
Journal of Environmental Quality, Kosiarski, Kelly, Usner, Charles, Preisendanz, Heather E., 2024
Priority screening of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in surface water: Comparing cell-based bioassays and exposure-activity ratios (EARs)
Science of the Total Environment, Vanden Heuvel, John P., Granda, Megan, Ferguson, Francesca, Glaberman, Scott R., Preisendanz, Heather E., 2024
Prioritizing conservation practice locations for effective water quality improvement using the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)
Journal of Environmental Management, Rohith, A. N., Karki, R., Veith, T. L., Preisendanz, H. E., Duncan, J. M., Kleinman, Peter J A, Cibin, R., 2024
From wastewater to feed: Understanding PFAS occurrence in wastewater-irrigated crops
2024 ASABE Annual International Meeting, Kosiarski, Kelly, Usner, Charles, Preisendanz, Heather E., 2024
A Review of Data Quality and Cost Considerations for Water Quality Monitoring at the Field Scale and in Small Watersheds
Water (Switzerland), Harmel, Robert Daren, Preisendanz, Heather Elise, King, Kevin Wayne, Busch, Dennis, Birgand, Francois, Sahoo, Debabrata, 2023
Fixed bed column experiments using cotton gin waste and walnut shells-derived biochar as low-cost solutions to removing pharmaceuticals from aqueous solutions
Chemosphere, Preisendanz, Heather, Ndoun, Marlene C., Knopf, Allan, Ndoun, Marlene, Knopf, Allan, Preisendanz, Heather E., Vozenilek, Natasha, Elliott, Herschel A., Elliot, Herschel, Mashtare, Michael L., Velegol, Stephanie, Veith, Tamie L., Williams, Clinton F., 2023
I Wouldn’t be Me Without ASABE: Heather Preisendanz
Resource: Engineering and Technology for a Sustaianble World, Gall, Heather, 2023
Optimization and reflexivity in interdisciplinary agri-environmental scholarship
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Chiles, Robert Magneson, Drohan, Patrick, Cibin, Raj, O’Sullivan, Lilian, O'Sullivan, Lilian, Doody, Donnacha, Schulte, Rogier, Grady, Caitlin, Jiang, Fei, Preisendanz, Heather E., Gall, H, Dingkuhn, Elsa Ligaya, Veith, Tamie, Anderson, Aine, 2023
PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOCHAR DERIVED FROM THE PYROLYSIS OF COTTON GIN WASTE AND WALNUT SHELLS
Journal of the ASABE, Ndoun, Marlene C., Knopf, Allan, Preisendanz, Heather E., Vozenilek, Natasha, Elliott, Herschel A., Veith, Tamie L., Mashtare, Michael L., Velegol, Stephanie, Williams, Clinton F., 2023
Development and Demonstration of an Endocrine-Disrupting Compound Footprint Calculator
Water (Switzerland), Taylor, Rachel, Hayden, Kathryn, Gluberman, Marc, Garcia, Laura, Gorucu, Serap, Swistock, Bryan, Preisendanz, Heather, 2022
Meeting the Moment: Leveraging Temporal Inequality for Temporal Targeting to Achieve Water-Quality Load-Reduction Goals
Water (Switzerland), Opalinski, Nicole, Schultz, Daniel, Veith, Tamie L., Royer, Matt, Preisendanz, Heather E., 2022
Culturable antibiotic-resistant fecal coliform bacteria in soil and surface runoff after liquid dairy manure surface application and subsurface injection
Journal of Environmental Quality, Hilaire, Sheldon Shervon, Chen, Chaoqi, Radolinski, Jesse, Leventhal, Talia, Preisendanz, Heather, Kleinman, Peter J.A., Maguire, Rory, Stewart, Ryan D., Saporito, Lou S., Xia, Kang, 2022
Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmaceuticals in wastewater treated for beneficial reuse: Two case studies in central Pennsylvania
Journal of Environmental Quality, Hayden, Kathryn, Jones, Matthew, Elkin, Kyle, Shreve, Michael, Clees, William, Clark, Shirley, Mashtare, Michael L., Veith, Tamie, Elliott, Hershel, Watson, J, Silverman, Justin, Richard, Thomas L., Read, Andrew F., Preisendanz, Heather E., 2022
Comparison of POCIS and grab sampling techniques for monitoring PPCPs in vernal pools in central Pennsylvania
Science of the Total Environment, Hayden, Kathryn R., Preisendanz, Heather E., Elkin, Kyle R., Saleh, Laura B., Weikel, Jamie, Veith, Tamie L., Elliott, Herschel Adams, Watson, John E., 2022
Toward a Robust Land Suitability Framework for Manure Management: Modeling Impacts and Evaluating Biophysical Characteristics
Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Saha, Gourab K., Cibin, Raj, Elliott, Herschel Adams, Preisendanz, Heather E., 2022
Assessing the potential impacts of biosolids applications on the presence of PFAS compounds in nearby groundwater wells: A citizen science-based study in Pennsylvania, Alam, Md Shahin, Preisendanz, Heather E., Fetter, Jennifer R., Boser, Susan, Swisock, Bryan R., 2022
Linking water quality stressors and macroinvertebrate diversity in central Pennsylvania using passive samplers, Ferguson, Francesca, Elkin, Kyle, Stout, Robert, Veith, Tamie, Tooker, John, Gall, H, Preisendanz, Heather E., 2022
Physicochemical characterization of biochar derived from the pyrolysis of cotton gin waste and walnut shells, Ndoun, Marlene C., Williams, Clinton F., Knopf, Allan, Elliott, Herschel A., Mashtare, Michael L., Vozenilek, Natasha, Velegol, Stephanie, Veith, Tamie L., Preisendanz, Heather E., 2022
Spatiotemporal patterns of PFAS in water and crop tissue at a beneficial wastewater reuse site in central Pennsylvania
Journal of Environmental Quality, Mroczko, Olivia, Preisendanz, Heather E., Wilson, Christopher, Mashtare, Michael L., Elliott, Herschel A., Veith, Tamie L., Soder, Kathy J., Watson, John E., 2022
From waste to wisdom: The utility of wastewater surveillance for community-level health information, Clark, S, Dahal, S, Preisendanz, Heather, Shreve, M, Hayden, K, Jones, M, Read, A, Richard, T, Silverman, J, Seidl-Adams, I, 2022
Mitigating lake eutrophication through stakeholder-driven hydrologic modeling of agricultural conservation practices: A case study of Lake Macatawa, Michigan
Journal of Great Lakes Research, Iavorivska, Lidiia, Veith, Tamie L., Cibin, Raj, Preisendanz, Heather, Steinman, Alan D., 2021
Nevertheless, They Persisted: Can Hyporheic Zones Increase the Persistence of Estrogens in Streams?
Water Resources Research, Cheng, Frederick Y., Preisendanz, Heather, Mashtare, Michael L., Lee, Linda S., Basu, Nandita B., 2021
Assessing surface and subsurface transport of neonicotinoid insecticides from no-till crop fields
Journal of Environmental Quality, Frame, Sarah, Pearsons, Kirsten, Elkin, Kyle, Saporito, Louis, Gall, H, Preisendanz, Heather E., Karsten, Heather D., Tooker, John, 2021
Role of concentrated flow pathways on the movement of pesticides through agricultural fields and riparian buffer zones
Transactions of the ASABE, Chandler, Joseph W., Preisendanz, Heather E., Veith, Tamie L., Elkin, Kyle R., Elliott, Herschel A., Watson, John E., Kleinman, Peter J.A., 2021
A Conceptual Framework for Social, Behavioral, and Environmental Change through Stakeholder Engagement in Water Resource Management
Society and Natural Resources, Eaton, Weston M., Brasier, Kathryn J., Burbach, Mark E., Whitmer, Walt, Engle, Elyzabeth W., Burnham, Morey, Quimby, Barbara, Kumar Chaudhary, Anil, Kumary Chaudhary, A, Whitley, Hannah, Delozier, Jodi, Fowler, Lara B., Wutich, Amber, Bausch, Julia C., Beresford, Melissa, Hinrichs, C. Clare, Burkhart-Kriesel, Cheryl, Gall, H, Preisendanz, Heather E., Williams, Clinton, Watson, J, Weigle, Jason, 2021
Spatial and temporal patterns of PFAS occurrence at a wastewater beneficial reuse site in central Pennsylvania, Mroczko, Olivia, Preisendanz, Heather E., Wilson, Christopher, Veith, Tamie L., Mashtare, Michael L., Watson, Jack E., Elliott, Herschel A., 2021
Integrating daily CO2 concentrations in SWAT-VSA to examine climate change impacts on hydrology in a karst watershed
Transactions of the ASABE, Gunn, Kpoti M., Buda, Anthony R., Preisendanz, Heather E., Cibin, Raj, Kennedy, Casey D., Veith, Tamie L., 2021
Cover cropping and interseeding management practices to improve runoff quality from dairy farms in central Pennsylvania
Transactions of the ASABE, Barnes, Ryan G., Gall, H, Rotz, C. Alan, Rotz, C., Preisendanz, Heather E., Watson, Jack E., Elliott, Herschel A., Veith, Tamie L., Williams, Clinton, Brasier, Kathryn J., 2021
The emergence, trajectory, and impacts of emerging contaminants publications in the Journal of Environmental Quality
Journal of Environmental Quality, Preisendanz, Heather E., Barnes, Ryan G., Mashtare, Michael L., Lintern, Anna, Mina, Odette, Williams, Clinton, Elliott, Herschel Adams, 2021
Adsorption of pharmaceuticals from aqueous solutions using biochar derived from cotton gin waste and guayule bagasse
Biochar, Ndoun, Marlene C., Elliott, Herschel A., Preisendanz, H, Williams, Clinton F., Knopf, Allan, Watson, John E., 2021
Development of a land suitability framework for sustainable manure utilization
Transactions of the ASABE, Saha, Gourab, Cibin, R., Raj, Cibin, Elliott, Herschel, Preisendanz, H, Gall, H, Preisendanz, Heather, Elliott, H, 2021
Reallocating crop rotation patterns improves water quality and maintains crop yield
Agricultural Systems, Jiang, Fei, Drohan, Patrick, Cibin, Raj, Preisendanz, H, Gall, H, White, Charles M., Veith, Tamie, 2021
Temporal inequality of nutrient and sediment transport: A decision-making framework for temporal targeting of load reduction goals
Environmental Research Letters, Preisendanz, Heather E., Veith, Tamie L., Zhang, Qian, Shortle, James, 2020
Modeling carbamazepine transport in wastewater-irrigated soil under different land uses
Journal of Environmental Quality, Filipović, Lana, Filipović, Vilim, Walker, Charles W., Williams, Clinton, Preisdanz, Heather E., Watson, John E., 2020
Characterizing transport of natural and anthropogenic constituents in a long-term agricultural watershed in the northeastern United States
Journal of Soils and Water Conservation, Veith, T. L., Preisendanz, H. E., Elkin, K. R., 2020
Role of concentrated flow pathways on the movement of pesticides through agricultural fields and riparian buffer zones, Chandler, Joseph W., Preisendanz, Heather E., Veith, Tamie L., Elkin, Kyle R., Elliott, Herschel A., Watson, John E., Kleinman, Peter J.A., 2020
Riparian buffer effectiveness as a function of buffer design and input loads
Journal of Environmental Quality, Jiang, Fei, Gall, H, Preisendanz, Heather E., Veith, Tamie, Raj, Cibin, Cibin, Raj, Drohan, Patrick, 2020
Influence of hydrologic and anthropogenic drivers on emerging organic contaminants in drinking water sources in the Susquehanna River Basin
Chemosphere, Kibuye, Faith, Gall, Heather E., Veith, Tamie, Elkin, Kyle, Elliott, Herschel, Harper, Jeremy, Watson, John E., 2020
Fate of pharmaceuticals in a spray-irrigation system: From wastewater to groundwater
Science of the Total Environment, Kibuye, Faith, Gall, Heather E., Elkin, Kyle, Ayers, Brittany, Veith, Tamie, Miller, Megan, Jacob, Shannon, Hayden, Kathryn, Watson, John E., Elliott, Herschel A., 2019
Load-discharge relationships reveal the efficacy of manure application practices on phosphorus and total solids losses from agricultural fields
Agro-Ecosystems, Miller, Melissa D., Gall, Heather E., Buda, Anthony R., Saporito, Lou S., Veith, Tamie L., White, Charles M., Williams, Clinton F., Brasier, Kathryn J., Kleinman, Peter J.A., Watson, John E., 2019
Assessment of riparian buffers' effectiveness in controlling nutrient and sediment loads as a function of buffer design, site characteristics and upland loadings, Jiang, Fei, Gall, Heather, Veith, Tamie, Cibin, Raj, Drohan, Patrick, 2019
Seasonal hydroclimatic ensemble forecasts anticipate nutrient and suspended sediment loads using a dynamical-statistical approach
Environmental Research Letters, Sharm, S, Sharma, S, Gall, Heather, Gironás, Jorge, Gironas, J, Mejia, A, 2019
Occurrence, concentrations, and risks of pharmaceutical compounds in private wells in central Pennsylvania
Journal of Environmental Quality, Kibuye, Faith, Gall, Heather, Elkin, Kyle, Swistock, Bryan, Veith, Tamie, Watson, John E., Elliott, Herschel A., 2019
Seasonal variations of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in drinking water sources in the Susquehanna River Basin
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Kibuye, Faith, Gall, Heather E., Veith, Tamie, Elkin, Kyle, Harper, Jeremy, Elliott, H, Watson, J, 2019
The effects of disproportional load contributions on quantifying vegetated filter strip sediment trapping efficiencies
Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, Gall, Heather E., Schultz, Daniel, Veith, Tamie L., Goslee, Sarah C., Mejia, Alfonso, Harman, Ciaran J., Raj, Cibin, Patterson, Paul H., 2018
Estrogen occurrence and persistence in vernal pools impacted by wastewater irrigation practices
Agro-Ecosystems, Mina, Odette, Gall, Heather E., Elliott, Herschel A., Watson, John E., Mashtare, Michael L., Langkilde, Tracy, Harper, Jeremy P., Boyer, Elizabeth W., 2018
Lorenz Curve and Gini Coefficient Reveal Hot Spots and Hot Moments for Nitrous Oxide Emissions
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Saha, Debasish, Kemanian, Armen R., Montes, Felipe, Gall, Heather, Adler, Paul R., Rau, Benjamin M., 2018
The importance of intra-management practice variability in sediment and phosphorus loss from agricultural fields, Miller, Melissa D., Saporito, Lou S., Buda, Anthony R., Gall, Heather E., Veith, Tamie L., White, Charles M., Williams, Clinton F., Brasier, Kathryn J., Kleinman, Peter J.A., Watson, John E., 2018
Geospatial landscape analysis for livestock manure management in Western Pennsylvania, Saha, Gourab, Elkin, None, Raj, Cibin, Elliott, Herschel, Shortle, J, Gall, Heather, Abler, D, Shortle, Jim, Alber, David, Abler, D, 2018
Occurrence and concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds in private wells in Central Pennsylvania, Kibuye, Faith A., Elkin, Kyle R., Gall, Heather, Elliott, Herschel A., Watson, John E., Swistock, Bryan, 2018
Continuous hydrologic and water quality monitoring of vernal ponds
Journal of Visualized Experiments, Mina, Odette, Gall, Heather E., Chandler, Joseph W., Harper, Jeremy, Taylor, Malcolm, 2017
Complexity as a streamflow metric of hydrologic alteration
Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, Jovanovic, Tijana, García, Susana, Gall, Heather, Mejía, Alfonso, 2017
Relative role of transport and source-limited controls for estrogen, TDP, and DOC export for two manure application methods
Agro-Ecosystems, Mina, O., Gall, H. E., Saporito, L. S., Elliott, H. A., Kleinman, P. J.A., 2017
Calculate the impact of your household products: Endocrine Disrupting Compounds Footprint Calculator, Gall, Heather, Garcia, L, Gluberman, M, Taylor, R, Schultz, D, Gorucu, S, 2017
Pharmaceuticals at Penn State's living filter: From wastewater to groundwater, Ayers, Brittany, Elkin, Kyle, Kibuye, Faith, Gall, Heather E., 2017
Natural and anthropogenic controls on the frequency of preferential flow occurrence in a wastewater spray irrigation field
Agricultural Water Management, Hopkins, Isaac, Gall, Heather, Lin, Henry, 2016
Complexity as a streamflow metric of hydrologic alteration
Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, Jovanovic, T, García, Susan, Gall, Heather, Mejía, A, 2016
Effect of urbanization on the long-term persistence of streamflow records
Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Jovanovic, Tijana, Mejia, Alfonso Ignacio, Gall, Heather Elise, Gironás, Jorge, 2016
Assessing the impacts of anthropogenic and hydro-climatic drivers on estrogen legacies and trajectories
Advances in Water Resources, Gall, Heather E., Basu, Nandita B., Mashtare, Michael L., C. Rao, P. Suresh, Lee, Linda S., 2016
Estrogen transport in surface runoff from agricultural fields treated with two application methods of dairy manure
Journal of Environmental Quality, Mina, Odette, Gall, Heather E., Saporito, Louis S., Peter, Kleinman A., 2016
Development of a decision-making framework for BMP design to reduce loads during "Hot Moments", Opalinski, Nicole, Schultz, Daniel, Gall, Heather, Royer, Matthew, 2016
Development of an endocrine disrupting compounds footprint calculator, Gluberman, Marc, Mandia, Laura Garcia, Taylor, Rachel, Gall, Heather, 2016
Comparison of export dynamics of nutrients and animal-borne estrogens from a tile-drained Midwestern agroecosystem
Water Research, Gall, Heather E., Sassman, Stephen A., Jenkinson, Byron, Lee, Linda S., Jafvert, Chad T., 2015
