Shilai Hao

My research explores what happens to emerging contaminants once they enter our environment and how we can address them effectively. By leveraging advanced analytical technologies (LC-HRMS) and working across disciplines, my goal is to develop cost-effective solutions that can be applied in real-world settings to protect water resources and public health.

• Emerging Contaminants of Concern (CECs): Analysis and treatment in both natural and engineered systems, with a focus on PFAS and other persistent pollutants.
• Resource Recovery from Waste: Designing processes to recover valuable products, such as lithium and rare earth elements (REEs), from end-of-life materials (e.g., spent lithium-ion batteries, solar panels).
• Environmental Analytical Chemistry: Enhancing environmental analysis through optimized sample preparation and advanced protocols, including total organic halogen (TOX) analysis.

Assistant Professor | 2025-Present
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Early Career Editorial Advisory Board | 2024-2027
Environmental Science and Technology

Research Assistant Professor | 2024-2025
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Colordao School of Mines

Postdoctoral Researcher | 2022-2024
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Colordao School of Mines

• Undergraduate Research Scholar Mentor Award, Colorado School of Mines 2024
• (awarded to only four faculty per year across campus)
• Postdoctoral Travel Award, Colorado School of Mines 2023
• CEE Graduate Fellowship, Colorado School of Mines 2022
• Gavora Thirst for Knowledge Graduate Fellowship, Colorado School of Mines 2022
• Edna Bailey Sussman Trust Special Merit Award, Colorado School of Mines 2021
• Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award, American Chemical Society 2020

1. Hao, S. Cutting All Carbon–Fluorine Bonds from PFAS. Nature Water (2024). (https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00237-2)
2. 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. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133591)
3. 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. (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c05140).
4. 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. (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c00654).
5. 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. (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c06906)
6. 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, p.121163. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121163)
7. 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, p.105257. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105257)
8. 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. (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b04983)
9. 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. (https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.201600126)
10. 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, p.123794 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135425007031)
11. Zhi, Y., Lu, X., Munoz, G., Yeung, L., Silva, A., Hao, S., He, H., Jia, Y., Higgins, C., Zhang, C. Environmental Occurrence and Biotic Concentrations of Ultrashort-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids: Overlooked Global Organofluorine Contaminants. Environmental Science & Technology, 2024. In press (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c04453).
12. 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. 2024, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 104382. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104382)
13. 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. (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00161)
14. 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. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115199)
15. 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. (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00506)
16. Chen, H., Rao, Y., Cao, L., Shi, Y., Hao, S., Luo, G., 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. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2018.09.180)
17. 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, pp.100-106. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2016.08.004)
18. Younas, R., Hao, S., Zhang, L., & Zhang, S. (2017). Hydrothermal liquefaction of rice straw with NiO nanocatalyst for bio-oil production. Renewable Energy, 113, 532-545. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2017.06.032)
19. 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), pp.18942-18951. (10.1039/C6TA06614C)
20. 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, pp.471-478. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2016.08.110)
21. Younas R., Zhang S., Zhang L., Luo G., Chen K., Cao L, Hao, S. Lactic Acid Production from Rice Straw in Alkaline Hydrothermal Conditions In Presence of Nio Nanoplates. Catalysis Today. 2016, 274, 40-48. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2016.03.052)
22. 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, pp.160-168. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2015.01.124)
23. Cao, L., Chen, H., Tsang, D. C., Luo, G., Hao, S., Zhang, S., & Chen, J. (2018). Optimizing xylose production from pinewood sawdust through dilute-phosphoric-acid hydrolysis by response surface methodology. Journal of Cleaner Production, 178, 572-579. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.01.039)

1. Strathmann, T., Higgins, C., Wu, B., and Hao, S. "Hydrothermal Technology for Decontamination and Mineralization of Perfluoro-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) in Wastes, Concentrate Solutions, and Chemical Stockpiles." May 21, 2020 (US20200155885A1). The patent is licensed by a startup company (Aquagga Inc) which is currently scaling up the technology for site remediation of PFAS.
2. Strathmann, T., Soker, O., and Hao, S. “Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment of PFAS-Contaminated Adsorbents for Contaminant Mineralization and Adsorbent Regeneration.” US20240207820A1 Status: Pending.
3. Strathmann, T., Cronmiller, E., and Hao, S. “Catalyst-Enhanced Subcritical Hydrothermal Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).” US20250236545A1 Status: Pending.