Irwin (Mel) Suffet, Ph.D.
msuffet@ucla.edu

Dr. Suffet is Professor of Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) and a core member of the Environmental Science and Engineering Program housed in the EHS Department. He received his B.S. degree in chemistry from Brooklyn College (1961), his M.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Maryland (1964), and his Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Chemistry from Rutgers University (1968). Dr. Suffet joined UCLA in 1991 after 21 years experience at the Department of Chemistry and the Environmental Studies Institute at Drexel University where he was the P. W. Purdom Professor of Environmental Chemistry.

His current research interests include:

  • development of new analytical methods for trace organic compounds in aquatic systems, as Nitrosoamine contaminant transport in surface water and sediments, including PCB's and organophosphate pesticides non-point source runoff of hazardous compounds, particularly, chlorinated pesticides and pharmaceuticals treatment of drinking water for taste and odor compounds and hazardous compounds, specifically ozonation
  • wastewater reclamation related to non-potable and potable reuse

Dr. Suffet has published more than 160 research papers and co-edited eight research treatises. He is the 1983 recipient of the F. J. Zimmerman Environmental Science Award of the American Chemical Society and the 2001 A. P. Black Award for lifetime achievement in drinking water quality research from the American Water Works Association. Dr. Suffet teaches on topics concerning the transport and fate and treatment of organic compounds in aquatic systems, and analytical and environmental chemistry.

Recent Publications:
Influence of pH on the Association of 2,2',4,4'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl with Sediment Pore Water Dissolved Organic Matter. Suffet, I. H., Pedersen, J., Schweitzer, L. and K. Hunchak-Kariouk. Proceedings of the International Humic Substance Society, Wroclau, Poland (In Press) 1997.

Method Development for Measuring Biodegradable Organic Carbon in Reclaimed and Treated Wastewaters Khan, E., Babcock, R., Suffet, I. H. and M. K. Stenstrom. Water Environment Federation (In Press) 1997.

Biodegradable Dissolved Organic Carbon (BDOC) for Indicating Wastewater Reclamation Plant Performance and Treated Wastewater Quality Khan, E., Babcock Jr., R., Vsiriyavejakul, S., Suffet, I. H. and M. K. Stenstrom. Water Environment Federation (In Press) 1997.

AWWA Taste and Odor Survey: Monitoring and Analysis Trends in the Water Industry Butterworth, S., McGuire, M. J., Corado, A. and I. H. Suffet. J. American Water Works Association (In Press) 1997.

Validation Studies For a New Supercritical Fluid Extraction Method for the Isolation of Hydrophobic Organic Compounds from Filtered Suspended Solids Capangpangan, M. B. and I. H. Suffet. J. Chromatography (In Press) 1997.

Wastewater Reuse Standards: Goals, Status and Guidelines Levine, B., Lazarova, V., Manem, J. and I. H. Suffet. Environmental Federation, Specialty Conference Series, Beneficial Reuse of Water and Solids, Marbella, Malaga, Spain, April 1997 (In Press) 1997.

Treatment of Trace Organic Compounds by Ozone/BAC for Wastewater Reuse: The Lake Arrowhead Pilot Plant Levine, B., Madireddi, K., Ye, Q.F., Khan, E., Stenstrom, M. K. and I. H. Suffet. Environmental Federation, Specialty Conference Series, Beneficial Reuse of Water and Solids, Marbella, Malaga, Spain, April, 1997 (In Press) 1997.

Differential Toxicity of Three PCB Congeners in Developing Sea Urchin Embryos Schweitzer, L., Hose, J. E., Suffet, I. H. and S. M. Bay. Society of Environmental Toxicity and Chemistry, 16(7): 1510-1514, 1997.

Wastewater Reclamation at Lake Arrowhead, California, An Overview Madireddi, K., Babcock Jr., R. W., Levine, B., Huo, T. L., Khan, E., Ye, Q. F., Neething, J. B., Suffet, I. H. and M. K. Stenstrom. Water Environment Federation 69(3): 350-362, 1997.

Determination of Organic Compounds Causing Decaying Vegetation and Septic Odors in Drinking Water by Sensory GC Khiari, D., Barrett, S. E. and I. H. Suffet. J. American Water Works Association 89(4): 150-161, 1997.

Evaluation of Granular Activated Carbon for Removal of Methyl Isoborneol to Below Odor Threshold Concentrations in Drinking Water Chen, G., Dussert, B. W. and I. H. Suffet. Water Research 31(5): 1155-1163, 1997.

A Comparison of Partitioning Between Hydrophobic Organic Chemicals with Dissolved Organic Matter in Anoxic and Oxic Sediment Pore Waters Hunchak-Kariouk, K., Schweitzer, L. and I. H. Suffet. Environmental Science and Technology 31: 639-645, 1997.

A Procedure for Correlation of Chemical and Sensory Data in Drinking Water Samples by Principal Component Factor Analysis Meng, A. K. and I. H. Suffet. Environmental Science and Technology 31: 337-345, 1997.

Aqueous Solubility Depression for Hydrophobic Organic Chemicals in the Presence of Partially Miscible Organic Solvents Coyle, G. T, Harmon, T. and I. H. Suffet. Environmental Science and Technology 31: 384-389, 1997.

Evaluating Ozonation in Mitigating Drinking Water Tastes and Odors Chen, T., Atasi, K.Z., Huddleston, J. I., Garber, J. B., Young, C. C. and I. H. Suffet. Proceedings of the International Ozone Association - Pan American Group Annual Conference, Lake Tahoe, NV, August 1997, pp. 69-82, 1997.

A Question of Taste Bruchet, A., Mallevialle, J. and I. H. Suffet. Water Quality International July/August 10-12, 1997.

Water Quality Assessment for Indirect Potable Reuse: Controlling for Trace Organic Compounds at the Lake Arrowhead Wastewater Reclamation Pilot Plant Levine, B., Madireddi, M. K., Stenstrom, M. K. and I. H. Suffet. Proceedings of AWWA Water Resources Conference, Seattle, WA, August 10,1997.

Current Doctoral Students:
David Kimbrough
Wei Rong Chen
Mary Soliman
Karina Wiesenthal