Heather Preisendanz

Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Heather Preisendanz

Research Summary

The fate, transport, and impacts of emerging contaminants in the environment.

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

The importance of intra-management practice variability in sediment and phosphorus loss from agricultural fields

Melissa Miller, Louis Saporito, Anthony Buda, Heather Gall, Tamie Veith, Charles White, Clinton Williams, Kathryn Brasier, Peter Kleinman, J Watson, on p. 13

Pharmaceuticals at Penn State's Living Filter: From wastewater to groundwater

Brittany Ayers, Kyle Elkin, Faith Kibuye, Heather Gall, on p. 14

Geospatial and socioeconomic factors of PFAS contamination in private drinking water wells: Insights for monitoring and management

Kelly Kosiarski, Tamie L. Veith, Faith A. Kibuye, Jennifer Fetter, Susan Boser, John P. Vanden Heuvel, Cheryl L. Thompson, Heather E. Preisendanz, 2025, Journal of Environmental Management

Simulating PFAS transport in effluent-irrigated farmland using PRZM5, LEACHM, and HYDRUS-1D models

Shuchi Liao, Uriel Garza-Rubalcava, Linda M. Abriola, Heather E. Preisendanz, Linda S. Lee, Kurt D. Pennell, 2025, Journal of Environmental Quality on p. 54-65

PFAS in agroecosystems: Sources, impacts, and opportunities for mitigating risks to human and ecosystem health

Heather E. Preisendanz, Hui Li, Michael Mashtare, Odette Mina, 2025, Journal of Environmental Quality on p. 1-5

Incorporating the benefits of vegetative filter strips into risk assessment and risk management of pesticides

Huajin Chen, Danesha Seth Carley, Rafael Muñoz-Carpena, Giulio Ferruzzi, Yongping Yuan, Eric Henry, Amy Blankinship, Tamie L. Veith, Ross Breckels, Garey Fox, Yuzhou Luo, Deanna Osmond, Heather E. Preisendanz, Zhenxu Tang, Kevin Armbrust, Kevin Costello, Laura L. McConnell, Patricia Rice, Johnny Westgate, Mélanie Whiteside, 2024, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management on p. 454-464

Priority screening of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in surface water: Comparing cell-based bioassays and exposure-activity ratios (EARs)

John P. Vanden Heuvel, Megan Granda, Francesca Ferguson, Scott R. Glaberman, Heather E. Preisendanz, 2024, Science of the Total Environment on p. 176115

From wastewater to feed: Understanding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances occurrence in wastewater-irrigated crops

Kelly Kosiarski, Charles Usner, Heather E. Preisendanz, 2024, Journal of Environmental Quality on p. 66-79

Prioritizing conservation practice locations for effective water quality improvement using the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)

A. N. Rohith, R. Karki, T. L. Veith, H. E. Preisendanz, J. M. Duncan, Peter J A Kleinman, R. Cibin, 2024, Journal of Environmental Management on p. 119514

From wastewater to feed: Understanding PFAS occurrence in wastewater-irrigated crops

Kelly Kosiarski, Charles Usner, Heather E. Preisendanz, 2024, 2024 ASABE Annual International Meeting on p. 17

Most-Cited Papers

Fate of pharmaceuticals in a spray-irrigation system: From wastewater to groundwater

Faith Kibuye, Heather E. Gall, Kyle Elkin, Brittany Ayers, Tamie Veith, Megan Miller, Shannon Jacob, Kathryn Hayden, John E. Watson, Herschel A. Elliott, 2019, Science of the Total Environment on p. 197-208

Adsorption of pharmaceuticals from aqueous solutions using biochar derived from cotton gin waste and guayule bagasse

Marlene C. Ndoun, Herschel A. Elliott, H Preisendanz, Clinton F. Williams, Allan Knopf, John E. Watson, 2021, Biochar on p. 89-104

A Conceptual Framework for Social, Behavioral, and Environmental Change through Stakeholder Engagement in Water Resource Management

Weston M. Eaton, Kathryn J. Brasier, Mark E. Burbach, Walt Whitmer, Elyzabeth W. Engle, Morey Burnham, Barbara Quimby, Anil Kumar Chaudhary, A Kumary Chaudhary, Hannah Whitley, Jodi Delozier, Lara B. Fowler, Amber Wutich, Julia C. Bausch, Melissa Beresford, C. Clare Hinrichs, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, H Gall, Heather E. Preisendanz, Clinton Williams, J Watson, Jason Weigle, 2021, Society and Natural Resources on p. 1111-1132

Occurrence, concentrations, and risks of pharmaceutical compounds in private wells in central Pennsylvania

Faith Kibuye, Heather Gall, Kyle Elkin, Bryan Swistock, Tamie Veith, John E. Watson, Herschel A. Elliott, 2019, Journal of Environmental Quality on p. 1057-1066

Comparison of export dynamics of nutrients and animal-borne estrogens from a tile-drained Midwestern agroecosystem

Heather E. Gall, Stephen A. Sassman, Byron Jenkinson, Linda S. Lee, Chad T. Jafvert, 2015, Water Research on p. 162-173

Lorenz Curve and Gini Coefficient Reveal Hot Spots and Hot Moments for Nitrous Oxide Emissions

Debasish Saha, Armen R. Kemanian, Felipe Montes, Heather Gall, Paul R. Adler, Benjamin M. Rau, 2018, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences on p. 193-206

Fixed bed column experiments using cotton gin waste and walnut shells-derived biochar as low-cost solutions to removing pharmaceuticals from aqueous solutions

Heather Preisendanz, Marlene C. Ndoun, Allan Knopf, Marlene Ndoun, Allan Knopf, Heather E. Preisendanz, Natasha Vozenilek, Herschel A. Elliott, Herschel Elliot, Michael L. Mashtare, Stephanie Velegol, Tamie L. Veith, Clinton F. Williams, 2023, Chemosphere

Influence of hydrologic and anthropogenic drivers on emerging organic contaminants in drinking water sources in the Susquehanna River Basin

Faith Kibuye, Heather E. Gall, Tamie Veith, Kyle Elkin, Herschel Elliott, Jeremy Harper, John E. Watson, 2020, Chemosphere on p. 125583

Complexity as a streamflow metric of hydrologic alteration

Tijana Jovanovic, Susana García, Heather Gall, Alfonso Mejía, 2017, Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment on p. 2107-2119

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmaceuticals in wastewater treated for beneficial reuse: Two case studies in central Pennsylvania

Kathryn Hayden, Matthew Jones, Kyle Elkin, Michael Shreve, William Clees, Shirley Clark, Michael L. Mashtare, Tamie Veith, Hershel Elliott, J Watson, Justin Silverman, Thomas L. Richard, Andrew F. Read, Heather E. Preisendanz, 2022, Journal of Environmental Quality on p. 1066-1082

News Articles Featuring Heather Preisendanz

Jul 16, 2025

College of Ag Sciences grant program supports student learning, experiences

A grant program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences aims to enhance student learning by empowering faculty and students to design immersive, hands-on projects that bridge classroom knowledge with real-world partnerships.

Full Article

Jul 07, 2025

Penn State study finds toxic PFAS in 18% of private wells in Pennsylvania

The highest concentrations of PFAS were detected in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Full Article

Jun 18, 2025

Study: 'Forever chemicals' detected in 65% of sampled private wells, 18% had levels beyond standards

A team of researchers from Penn State University found that 18% of sampled private wells in the state had levels of PFAS that was higher than drinking water standards.

Full Article

Jun 17, 2025

Millions in Pennsylvania May Be Drinking Contaminated Water

Millions of people in Pennsylvania may be drinking water contaminated with forever chemicals. This is the conclusion of a study from the Pennsylvania State University, which sampled water from 167 private wells across the state looking for so-called 'forever chemicals.'

Full Article

Jun 16, 2025

‘Forever chemicals’ detected in 65% of sampled private wells in Pennsylvania

Researchers find 18% of sampled wells have PFAS levels beyond drinking water standards; compounds detected most often, and in the highest concentrations, in wells in the southeastern part of the state.

Full Article

Mar 15, 2025

Ag Sciences research institute SAFES funds projects addressing critical issues

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, through its Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, known as SAFES, announced funding awards to accelerate the advancement of its Critical Issues Initiatives. These initiatives serve as the college’s impact hubs, addressing urgent and high-impact challenges through targeted efforts and innovative projects.

Full Article