Parette CV

ROBERT PARETTE
Matson & Associates, Inc.
331 East Foster Avenue, State College, PA 16801
Phone: [phone] Email: [e-mail]
EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy August 2005
Environmental Engineering
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Dissertation: The Removal of Perchlorate from Groundwater via Quaternary
Ammonium Cationic Surfactant Pre -Loaded GAC
Master of Science May 2004
Environmental Engineering
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Thesis: GAC Tailored with Organic Cations for the Removal of Perchlorate from
Groundwater and Base/Acid Chemical Regeneration of the GAC
Bachelor of Science February 1999
Chemical Engineering
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
WORK EXPERIENCE
Matson and Associates, Inc., State College, PA
Environmental Engineer (P.E.)/Environmental Chemist (2009-2015)
Vice President of Engineering/Project Manager for Matson Biofuels (2009-2011)
The Pennsylvania State University, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Post -Doctoral Research Associate (2005-2009)
Graduate Research Assistant (2000-2005)
Environmental Consultant
Assistant to Penn State professor serving as an expert witness (2007)
Hercules Incorporated Research Center, Wilmington, DE
Research Assistant (1998)
REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Retained as an expert to reconstruct site activities at a former chemical manufacturing facility
along the Passaic River (NJ) to correlate chemical production with pollutants found in the near
offshore areas of the site. Reconstructed historical operations, waste disposal mechanisms and
releases of chemicals from the site including dioxin. Discovered the origin and chemical

reactions behind the presence of 2,4,6,8-tetrachlorodibenzothiophene (2,4,6,8-TCDT), a
contaminant in the Passaic River whose source was previously unknown.
Retained as an expert to evaluate treatment technologies and the feasibility of employing such
technologies in a large recreational lake contaminated with selenium. Prepared a report for
settlement negotiations. Currently assisting the opposing parties in a joint research effort to
evaluate my proposed remedial strategy.
Retained as an expert to evaluate the fate and transport of arsenic in groundwater and its
discharge into surface waters at a coal ash disposal site in the Southeastern U.S.
Retained as an expert to evaluate the fate and transport of heavy metals in groundwater and
their discharge into surface waters at a coal ash disposal site in the Southeastern U.S.
Retained as an expert to review closure plan alternatives for a coal ash impoundment located in
Conway, South Carolina. Prepared a report on the feasibility of remediating the groundwater to
remove arsenic as another remedial alternative..
Retained as an expert to evaluate the potential implementation of various treatment
technologies for a number of outfalls at a coal mining operation in western Pennsylvania.
Prepared a report addressing deficiencies of a consent decree pertaining to the site and made
recommendations for treatment of effluent contaminated with coal mining waste.
Evaluated the disposal practices of waste salt containing arsenic at a facility along the
Menominee River in Wisconsin in relation to waste disposal standards and the alternative
disposal options available. Investigated the fate and transport of arsenic in the environment
including the speciation of arsenic in the waste salts, the properties of the various arsenic
species, and the transformations these arsenic species would undergo in the environment.
Assisted in the preparation of the expert report.
Evaluated wastewater treatment practices of a paper mill along the Fox River in Wisconsin in
relation to the treatment options available (chronologically) to the pulp and paper industry for
removing PCBs and the removal efficiencies achieved by various treatment technologies across
the industry. Assisted in the preparation of the expert report.
Designed and conducted laboratory experiments to test the impact of MTBE on the removal of
other organic contaminants from groundwater for a case involving MTBE contamination in
Suffolk County, NY. Utilized multiple field data sets to assess the ability of activated carbon to
remove MTBE, assisted in the preparation of expert witness reports, and performed an
extensive literature review pertinent to the case.
Evaluated the single phase efficiency for the stripping of COz in a cooling tower model for an
international company that specializes in gases. Modified the model's source code to reflect the
determined single stage efficiency, evaluated the liquid to gas ratio utilized by the model, and
compared results from the model against the experimental data.

Investigated groundwater quality and consulted with a forester in a dispute between a
homeowner alleging impacts from a nearby housing development and the builder/developer of
the subdivision in Centre County, PA.
Directed the R&D efforts for Matson Biofuels from 2009 through 2011. Responsible for the
management of three biodiesel projects, with grant funding in excess of $250K. Developed solid
catalysts capable of converting low quality oil feedstocks to biodiesel with no feedstock
pretreatment and no soap formation. Designed a pilot plant, with a capacity to produce more
than 1 million gallons of biodiesel annually.
Conducted R&D on technologies to remediate ground water at Penn State for 9% years . This
R&D resulted in numerous publications (listed below) on the removal of arsenic and perchlorate
from water. Designed and produced custom adsorbents for the removal of perchlorate or
arsenic from groundwater. Designed and fabricated a pilot plant with a capacity in excess of
one million gallons per year to study the removal of arsenic by a combination of activated
carbon and iron from a variety of different sources. Responsible for developing experimental
and sampling plans for a number of pilot and laboratory studies.
PUBLICATIONS
N Riddell, UH Jin, S Safe, Y Cheng, B Chittim, A Konstantinov, R Parette, M Pena-Abaurrea, EJ Reiner, D
Poirier, T Stefanac, AJ McAlees and R McCrindle (2015). Characterization and biological potency of
mono- to tetra -halogenated carbazoles. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI:
10.1021/a cs. est.5 b02751
R Parette, R McCrindle, KS McMahon, M Pena-Abaurrea, E Reiner, B Chittim, N Riddell, G Voss, FL
Dorman and WN Pearson (2015). Halogenated indigo dyes: a likely source of 1,3,6,8-
tetrabromocarbazole and some other halogenated carbazoles in the environment. Chemosphere 127:
18-26.
R Parette and WN Pearson (2014). 2,4,6,8-Tetrachlorodibenzothiophene in the Newark Bay Estuary: the
likely source and reaction pathways. Chemosphere 111: 157-63.
W Chen, R Parette and FS Cannon (2012). Pilot -scale studies of arsenic removal with granular activated
carbon and zero-valent iron. Environmental Engineering Science 29(9): 897-901.
K Gombotz, R Parette, G Austic, D Kannan and J Matson (2012). MnO and TiO solid catalysts with low-
grade feedstocks for biodiesel production. Fuel 92(1): 9-15.
MK Seliem, S Komarneni, R Parette, H Katsuki, FS Cannon, MG Shahien, AA Khalil and IM Abdel-Gaid
(2011). Perchlorate uptake by organosilicas, organo-clay minerals and composites of rice husk with
MCM-48. Applied Clay Science 53: 621-6.
JP Patterson, R Parette and FS Cannon (2011). Competition of anions with perchlorate for exchange sites
on cationic surfactant -tailored GAC. Environmental Engineering Science 28(4): 249-56.

JY Kim, S Komarneni, R Parette and FS Cannon (2011). Perchlorate uptake by synthetic layered double
hydroxides and organoclay minerals. Applied Clay Science 51(1-2): 158-64.
JP Patterson, R Parette and FS Cannon (2010). Oxidation of intermediate sulfur species (thiosulfate) by
free chlorine to increase the bed life of tailored GAC to remove perchlorate. Environmental Engineering
Science 27(10): 835-43.
MK Seliem, S Komarneni, R Parette, H Katsuki, FS Cannon, MG Shahien, AA Khalil and IM Abdel-Gaid
(2010). Composites of MCM-41 silica with rice husk: Hydrothermal synthesis, characterization and
application for perchlorate separation. Materials Research Innovations 14(5): 351-4.
S Komarneni, JY Kim, R Parette and FS Cannon (2010). As -synthesized MCM-41 silica: New adsorbent for
perchlorate. Journal of Porous Materials 17: 651-6.
MJ Jang, FS Cannon, R Parette, S Yoon and W Chen (2009). Combined hydrous ferric oxide and
quaternary ammonium surfactant tailoring of granular activated carbon for concurrent arsenic and
perchlorate removal. Water Research 43(12): 3133-43.
W Chen, R Parette and FS Cannon FS (2008). Arsenic adsorption via iron preloaded activated carbon and
zero-valent iron. Journal of American Water Works Association 100(8): 96-105.
W Chen, R Parette R, J Zou, FS Cannon and BA Dempsey (2007). Arsenic removal by iron -modified
activated carbon. Water Research 41(9): 1851-8.
R Parette and FS Cannon (2006). Perchlorate removal by modified activated carbon. In Perchlorate
Environmental Occurrence, Chemistry, Toxicology, and Remediation Technologies. Springer Publishing
Company, New York.
R Parette and FS Cannon (2005). The removal of perchlorate from groundwater by activated carbon
tailored with cationic surfactants. Water Research 39(16): 4020-28.
R Parette, FS Cannon and K Weeks (2005). Removing low ppb level perchlorate, RDX, and HMX from
groundwater with cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) pre -loaded activated carbon. Water
Research 39(19): 4683-92.