About

Linda Abriola is the Joan Wernig and E. Paul Sorensen Professor of Engineering in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Brown University. She is involved in the field of Computational Engineering, with a focus on environmental engineering. Her role includes advising students and contributing to the academic community at Brown University, which is located in Providence, RI. Specific details about her research focus, background, or key contributions are not provided in the page text.

Research topics

• Environmental chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Chemistry
• Materials science
• Composite material
• Chromatography
• Nuclear chemistry

Selected publications

• Rapid Screening Method to Assess Formation Damage During Injection of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Sandstone

  Nanomaterials · 2026-03-26

  articleOpen access

  Many advances in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) take advantage of the unique properties of nanomaterials to improve characterization of formation properties, achieve conformance control during flood operations, and extend the controlled release time of polymers. Magnetite nanoparticles (nMag) have been employed in these processes due to their low cost, low toxicity, and ability to be engineered to meet desired needs, especially with the application of a magnetic field. Similarly, silica dioxide (SiO2) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles have been evaluated for the delivery of scale and asphaltene inhibitors. However, the injection of nanoparticles into porous media comes with the risk of formation damage due to particle deposition, which can lead to increased injection pressures and reductions in permeability. The goal of this study was to develop a method to evaluate and assess nanoparticle formulations for their potential to cause formation damage. A screening apparatus was constructed to hold small sandstone discs (~2 mm) or cores (~2.5 cm) for rapid testing with minimal material use and the capability to be used with either aqueous brine solutions or non-polar solvents as the mobile phase. Image analysis of the disc and pressure measurements demonstrated increasing deposition of nMag and face-caking when the salinity was increased from 500 mg/L NaCl (8.56 mM) to API brine (2.0 M). Similarly, when the injected concentration of silica nanoparticles in 500 mg/L NaCl was increased from 1 to 10 wt%, the back pressure increased by 55 psi, and face-caking was observed. The screening test results were consistent with traditional core-flood tests and was able to be modified to accommodate organic liquid mobile phases. The screening test results closely matched nanoparticle transport and retention measured in sandstone cores, confirming the ability of the system to rapidly screen nanoparticle formulations for potential formation damage.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Field-scale modeling of PFAS transport and transformation at a biosolids land disposal site

  Journal of Hazardous Materials · 2026-03-18

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Biosolids derived from wastewater sludge are ideal soil fertilizers because of their rich content of organic carbon and nutrients. However, biosolids can also contain elevated concentrations of contaminants, thus posing a risk to the environment when applied to the land as a disposal approach. This work presents and demonstrates a modeling approach to describe the reactive transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at land application sites. Consistent with state-of-the-art formulations for the fate and transport of PFAS in natural porous media, this approach incorporates unsaturated water flow and PFAS retention mechanisms that include sorption to the solid phase and competitive adsorption at the air-water interface. Furthermore, the model accounts for the phase-out of some of the compounds and the transformation of PFAS precursors. This work underscores the need to model the seemingly opposite effects that each biosolids applications can have on the PFAS availability in soils: the increase in total PFAS concentrations and the potential decrease of pore water levels due to an enhanced retention because of the organic carbon introduction. Overall, this work provides a data-driven modeling framework for predicting the long-term behavior of PFAS that can be used to inform management practices at biosolids-amended sites. • Biosolids applications increase PFAS levels and can enhance PFAS retention. • Modeling suggests precursor degradation is proportional to pore water concentrations. • Colloid-facilitated transport could potentially explain some of the field observations. • Solid-phase sorption could surpass adsorption at the air-water interface for most PFAS. • The use of laboratory-derived K oc values may underestimate in-situ sorption of PFAS.

  PublisherDOI

• Competitive adsorption of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on a gel-type anion-exchange resin: Experiments and modeling

  Water Research · 2026-04-30

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Effects of transient air-water interfacial area on PFOA transport in unsaturated soil

  Journal of Contaminant Hydrology · 2026-01-16 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may be retained in the vadose zone for extended periods due to adsorption on soil and at the air-water interface (AWI). While adsorption to the AWI has been shown to slow PFAS leaching, the magnitude of interfacial area can fluctuate with precipitation events, leading to its reduction or collapse. The objective of this study was to investigate PFAS mass transfer from the AWI into mobile pore water in response to changes in water saturation, and to determine the corresponding effects on PFAS transport through the soil profile. To quantify these processes, a combination of batch experiments and water-saturated and unsaturated column studies were performed with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Appling soil. At 56% water saturation, the effluent PFOA breakthrough curve exhibited greater spreading than expected under equilibrium conditions, indicating rate-limited adsorption-desorption at the AWI. Under transient conditions, where the average water saturation increased from approximately 60% to 82%, the corresponding decrease in the AWI area led to a spike in effluent PFOA concentrations. These observations were accurately reproduced by a mathematical model that incorporated (1) symmetric rate-limited adsorption/desorption to/from the AWI, (2) regions of immobile water, as determined from non-reactive tracer data, and (3) a dynamic AWI area, as estimated using the Leverett model with a scaling factor. This work demonstrates the potential for precipitation events to temporarily increase PFAS leaching due to a reduction or collapse of the AWI and shows that these fluctuations can be predicted using an existing multiphase reactive transport simulator.

  PublisherDOI

• Ultra long-term release of oligomeric surfactants from mesoporous silica nanoparticles into organic solvents

  Colloids and Surfaces A Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects · 2025-10-12

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Ultra Long-Term Release of Oligomeric Surfactants from Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles into Organic Solvents

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Biotransformation of Perfluorooctane Sulfonamide (FOSA) and Microbial Community Dynamics in Aerobic Soils

  ACS ES&T Water · 2025-06-11 · 10 citations

  article

  Despite widespread detection of perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) in the environment, its potential for biotransformation by native soil microorganisms and the resulting impacts on microbial communities remain poorly understood. This study examined the biotransformation of FOSA over 308 days in microcosms prepared with two soils, a historically per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-contaminated soil and a PFAS-free agricultural soil. Indigenous microorganisms in both soils were able to biotransform FOSA with half-lives ranging from 203.0 to 335.1 days. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was the primary biotransformation product, with a molar yield of 21.6 ± 5.2 mol% in the historically PFAS-contaminated soil and 29.5 ± 3.8 mol% in the initially PFAS-free soil. Microbial community analysis revealed that members of the phyla Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidota, as well as the genus Afipia, exhibited greater tolerance to elevated concentrations of FOSA and/or its biotransformation products. Metagenomic predictions using Tax4Fun2 identified functional genes related to amino acid metabolism, sulfur metabolism, and the two-component system, which may be linked to FOSA exposure and/or its biotransformation. These findings highlight the role of biotransformation processes in shaping the environmental fate of FOSA and PFOS, and offer insights into the capacity of native soil microbial communities to transform FOSA and related perfluorooctane sulfonamide derivatives.

  PublisherDOI

• Reply for comment on “Transport and competitive interfacial adsorption of PFOA and PFOS in unsaturated porous media: Experiments and modeling’’, published by GARZA-RUBALCAVA et al. [Water Research 268 (2025) 122728]

  Water Research · 2025-08-12 · 1 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Fate and Transformation of 15 Classes of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF)-Amended Soil Microcosms

  Environmental Science & Technology · 2024-12-10 · 23 citations

  article

  The environmental fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs), especially those synthesized by electrochemical fluorination (ECF) processes, remains largely unknown. This study evaluated the transformation of AFFF-derived ECF-based precursors in aerobic soil microcosms amended with a historically used AFFF formulation (3M Light WaterTM). Fifteen classes of PFAS, including AFFF components and transformation products, were identified or tentatively identified by suspect screening/nontargeted analysis (SSA/NTA) throughout a 308-day incubation. This study demonstrates that AFFF-derived ECF-based precursors serve as sources of perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FASAs) and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), which are commonly detected at AFFF-impacted sites. Temporal sampling provided evidence for biotransformation of multiple precursors including tri- or dimethyl ammonio propyl perfluoroalkane sulfonamides. Additionally, the environmental stability (i.e., resistance to transformation) of ECF-based precursors was found to depend upon structural characteristics, including perfluoroalkyl chain length, presence of sulfonamide or carboxamide groups, and functional groups (e.g., a branch of carboxyalkyl group) attached to the nitrogen atoms. These findings provide insights into the transformation pathways of AFFF-derived PFAS and other structurally similar ECF-based PFAS, which will support the management and remediation of PFAS contamination at legacy AFFF-impacted sites.

  PublisherDOI

• Using Network Analysis and Predictive Functional Analysis to Explore the Fluorotelomer Biotransformation Potential of Soil Microbial Communities

  Environmental Science & Technology · 2024-04-19 · 38 citations

  article

  Microbial transformation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including fluorotelomer-derived PFAS, by native microbial communities in the environment has been widely documented. However, few studies have identified the key microorganisms and their roles during the PFAS biotransformation processes. This study was undertaken to gain more insight into the structure and function of soil microbial communities that are relevant to PFAS biotransformation. We collected 16S rRNA gene sequencing data from 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate biotransformation studies conducted in soil microcosms under various redox conditions. Through co-occurrence network analysis, several genera, including Variovorax, Rhodococcus, and Cupriavidus, were found to likely play important roles in the biotransformation of fluorotelomers. Additionally, a metagenomic prediction approach (PICRUSt2) identified functional genes, including 6-oxocyclohex-1-ene-carbonyl-CoA hydrolase, cyclohexa-1,5-dienecarbonyl-CoA hydratase, and a fluoride-proton antiporter gene, that may be involved in defluorination. This study pioneers the application of these bioinformatics tools in the analysis of PFAS biotransformation-related sequencing data. Our findings serve as a foundational reference for investigating enzymatic mechanisms of microbial defluorination that may facilitate the development of efficient microbial consortia and/or pure microbial strains for PFAS biotransformation.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Kurt D. Pennell

  Providence College

  253 shared

• C. Andrew Ramsburg

  Tufts University

  63 shared

• Klaus Rathfelder

  48 shared

• John A. Christ

  S&B Christ Consulting (United States)

  45 shared

• Shuchi Liao

  Zhejiang University

  38 shared

• Natalie L. Cápiro

  Cornell University

  35 shared

• Erik Petrovskis

  35 shared

• Lawrence D. Lemke

  Central Michigan University

  32 shared