Yasemin Kunukcu, Ph.D., P.E.

Yasemin Kunukcu is a Technical Director at Roux in Somerset, New Jersey. She has more than 20 years of experience in the design and implementation of site-specific remedial solutions in soil and groundwater contaminated with emerging contaminants. Her focus on emerging contaminants over the last two decades has promoted awareness and improved the understanding of the sources, occurrence, fate and transport, and behavior of these compounds (including PFAS, microplastics, 1,4-dioxane, MTBE, and other fuel oxygenates, perchlorate, PPCPs, and others) in natural and treatment environments. Her expertise areas are: design, implementation and management of site-specific in situ soil and groundwater remediation technologies including Enhanced In Situ Bioremediation (EISB), In Situ Chemical Reduction (ISCR), In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO), In Situ Thermal Treatment (ISTT), biosparging, bioslurping, and bioventing for industrial, petrochemical, and commercial clients (refineries, chemical processing plants, manufactured gas plants [MGPs]), and Brownfield sites under various state and federal regulatory programs; pre-design investigations, treatability studies and pilot tests; innovative site investigations using high resolution site characterization; management of large-scale excavations including dewatering, waste characterization, and construction activities; water and wastewater treatment and regulatory compliance; air quality compliance and permitting; and characterization and monitoring of sites where the emerging contaminants per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) are of concern.

She is a current member of the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council [ITRC] PFAS and Microplastics teams. Starting in 2007, she was heavily involved as a co-leader for the PFAS treatment technologies subgroups during the development of the National Groundwater Association (NGWA), ITRC In Situ Injection Optimization Strategies, and ITRC PFAS guidance documents. She routinely provides litigation support services including forensic investigations, source identification, and expert opinions regarding treatment technologies of emerging contaminants including PFAS, as well as cost allocation and remedial cost estimates. Yasemin holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and is a registered P.E. in New York.

• Brownfields Redevelopment – Perth Amboy, New Jersey (Confidential Client), NJ: Dr. Kunukcu developed and implemented a PFAS pilot test to determine the efficiency of the existing in situ groundwater treatment system that was constructed mainly to address groundwater impacts including BTEX in the overburden and fractured bedrock aquifers. Worked with several analytical laboratories to evaluate different analytical approaches (isotope dilution LC/MS/MS, TOP Assay, total fluoride, and total fluorine) on the evaluation of samples collected during the pilot test. Based on the results of the pilot test, Dr. Kunukcu assisted with the performance evaluation for expansion or transition to a monitored natural attenuation (MNA) program. Dr. Kunukcu had also provided QA support for this program, which had included the development of a QA plan for the groundwater monitoring and sampling plan for PFAS analysis at this Brownfield site.
• Brownfields Redevelopment – Paterson, New Jersey (Confidential Client), NJ: Technical Lead for a Brownfield Redevelopment project with various environmental impacts from historical leather tanning and plastics manufacturing, including phthalates chlorinated ethenes and Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM). Dr. Kunukcu was critical in evaluating and recommending an in situ remediation program for the low-level chlorinated ethenes groundwater plume that incorporated a gridstyle enhanced in situ bioremediation program (biostimulation, aquifer conditioning, and bioaugmentation) and a permeable reactive barrier adjacent to the property boundary, comprised of direct-push injections of an activated carbon and metallic iron amendment (RPI BOS100).
• Overburden and Bedrock Enhanced In Situ Bioremediation (EISB) – Nutley, New Jersey (Roche Pharmaceuticals): Technical Lead for a large investigative area impacted by multiple phases (DNAPL, residual DNAPL, sorbed, dissolved) of chlorinated ethenes in soil, overburden groundwater, weathered bedrock (matrix and groundwater), and fractured bedrock (matrix and groundwater). Dr. Kunukcu was instrumental in the development, design, and management of a methane inhibition bench-scale treatability study, an Interim Remedial Measure to treat overburden soil and groundwater with biostimulation and bioaugmentation, two aquifer pumping and tracer tests, one short-term dewatering pumping test, and an extensive enhanced in situ bioremediation pilot test in weathered and fractured bedrock.
• In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO) Injection Program – Tenafly, New Jersey (Penetone Corporation): Project Manager/Lead Engineer for design, management, and implementation of an ISCO pilot test injection program to treat chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs; mainly chloroethane with a highest concentration of 18,000 ug/L) in the shallow groundwater zone. NaOH-activated sodium persulfate (Klozur SP) was used at 16 temporary injection points using a direct push technology during the ISCO injection program. Achieved significant reductions in post-oxidation CVOC concentrations in groundwater and a 90% reduction in total CVOC mass flux at two out of three source wells.

• Superfund Remediation Program – Vineland, New Jersey (SMC Corporation): Lead Project Engineer for in situ remediation design and implementation for a Superfund project at a former exotic metal alloy production facility in southern New Jersey. The key groundwater issues include a large chromium plume (~3,500 feet in length) and a chlorinated ethene plume impacting the Cohansey aquifer with some impacted intervals over 100 feet thick. Dr. Kunukcu was critical to managing and coordinating a phased approach to remedial selection and action that incorporated four phases overlapping at an accelerated pace: Phase 1 – Treatability Studies, Phase 2 – Pilot Testing, Phase 3 – Source Zone Remediation, and Phase 4 – Long-term plume management via Monitored Natural Attenuation.

• Yasemin Kacar Kunukcu, “In Situ Bioremediation of Groundwater Contaminated with Petroleum Constituents Using Oxygen Release Compounds,” Journal of Environmental Science & Health, Part A. Vol. 42, No. 7, 2007.

• Hilla Shemer, Yasemin Kacar Kunukcu, and Karl G. Linden, “Degradation of pharmaceutical Metronidazol via UV, fenton and photo fenton processes,” Chemosphere. Vol. 63, No. 2, 269-276., 2006.

• Yasemin Kacar Kunukcu, Kinetics of wet air oxidation (WAO) of alcaloide factory wastewater., Journal of Environmental Science & Health, Part A. Vol. 40, No.4, 793-805, 2005.

• Kacar Kunukcu, Y., Wiesmann, U., and Alpay, E., Aerobic biological degradation and anaerobic digestion of opium alkaloid factory wastewater. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin. Vol. 13, No. 4, 341-345, 2004.

• Kacar, Y., Alpay, E. and Ceylan, V.K., Pretreatment of Afyon alcaloide factory’s wastewater by wet air oxidation (WAO), Water Research. Vol. 37, No. 5, 1170-1176., 2003.