Tae Kim, Ph.D., M.P.H. - Senior Associate - Environmental and Earth Sciences

Academic Credentials

B.E., Environmental Engineering, Catholic University of Pusan, 2014
M.P.H., Environmental Health Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea, 2016
Ph.D., Environmental Health, Seoul National University, Korea, 2020

Professional Honors

Excellence in Review Award, Environmental Science & Technology, American Chemical Society, 2026
K.C. Donelly Award, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 2024
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program Trainee, 2021-2026
Early Career Award, Korean Society of Environmental Health and Toxicology, 2021
Early Career Award, Korean Society of Environmental Engineers, Korea, 2020
Young Scientist Fellowship, Korea National Research Council of Science & Technology, 2020
Excellence in Environmental Technology Development Award, Ministry of Environment, Korea, 2020
Outstanding Environmental Policy Paper Award, Korea Environment Institute, 2018
Korea National Research Foundation Fellowship, 2017-2020

Professional Affiliations

American Chemical Society (ACS)
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
Korean Society of Environmental Engineers (KSEE)
Korean Society of Environmental Health (KSEH)

Dr. Kim is an environmental chemist and toxicologist with expertise in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and emerging contaminants characterization, industrial wastewater treatment, in-situ contaminant remediation, and environmental risk assessment. He integrates environmental engineering, analytical chemistry, and toxicology to evaluate contaminant fate, transformation, and potential health implications in both engineered and natural systems.

He has supported investigations and remediation efforts at Superfund sites, military installations, landfills, semiconductor and plating facilities, pharmaceutical and personal care product manufacturing facilities, municipal wastewater treatment plants, and agricultural and fishery systems. His work includes resolving analytical artifacts; developing and validating advanced analytical methods; designing treatment strategies; evaluating contaminant fate, transformation, and risk; and strengthening the technical defensibility of environmental data under regulatory review.

Dr. Kim has extensive experience evaluating PFAS across diverse environmental matrices, including landfill leachate and sediments, military installations, biosolids, industrial effluents, polymer materials, and biological tissues. He developed advanced total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assays and non-target workflows to improve interpretation of PFAS precursor transformations and reduce analytical uncertainty, supporting technically rigorous site characterization and regulatory decision-making.

His remediation research includes the development of radical-chain-reaction-based in-situ chemical oxidation and reduction strategies for semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including chlorinated solvents and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in contaminated sites and building materials. Also, he has contributed to Superfund-related investigations and technical refinements for federal sampling guidance. His doctoral research focused on the development and mechanistic evaluation of advanced oxidation processes to reduce toxicity in industrial wastewaters, while his master's research addressed taste-and-odor compounds and cyanotoxins in drinking water systems.

In addition, Dr. Kim has supported evaluations of environmental exposure and potential health implications of industrial discharges in collaboration with epidemiological research teams. He has investigated the environmental behavior and risk of biocides, heavy metals, and microplastics, including interactions in complex environmental systems that influence toxicity and risk outcomes. This interdisciplinary approach integrates mechanistic chemistry, exposure assessment, and risk evaluation to support objective, scientifically grounded environmental and public health decision-making.

PFAS Analytical Method Development — Hazardous Waste Sites
Developed and validated analytical methods for PFAS to support treatment evaluation and site characterization under National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program (NIEHS SRP) and Department of War Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (DoW SERDP) initiatives.
PFAS Analytical Artifact Resolution — Industrial Wastewaters
Initiated a technical investigation in collaboration with industry partners to identify and resolve the root cause of PFAS analytical artifacts in complex industrial wastewater matrices. Redesigned analytical workflows to improve detection accuracy and reduce uncertainty in regulatory reporting.
Federal Sampling Guideline Correction — VOCs
Identified and resolved a critical VOC sampling artifact affecting Superfund site investigations, improving analytical reliability and strengthening defensibility of regulatory data.
In-Situ Remediation Technology Development — SVOCs and VOCs
Designed and evaluated radical-chain-reaction-based in-situ chemical oxidation and reduction strategies for chlorinated solvents and PCBs in contaminated soil and building materials, including transformation product identification and comprehensive risk assessment.
Microplastics — Biocide Interaction Study
Initiated a government-funded project investigating the adsorption of quaternary ammonium compound-based biocides onto microplastics and assessing combined environmental behavior, mixture toxicity, and risk in aquatic systems during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Advanced Oxidation Process Development — Industrial Wastewater
Designed and optimized UV-LED advanced oxidation and nano-bubble ozonation systems for detoxification of semiconductor, electroplating, and hospital wastewaters.
Nationwide Industrial Wastewater Monitoring — Korea
Conducted nationwide monitoring of hazardous pollutants in industrial wastewater across Korea, integrating toxicity testing and chemical concentration data to establish treatment priority rankings for regulatory and risk-based management.
Phthalate Leaching and Exposure Assessment
Conducted leaching studies on IV tubing and food-contact materials under Korean FDA funding to evaluate phthalate release, exposure pathways, and associated health risk implications.
Environmental Epidemiological Investigation — Industrial Emissions
Participated in an epidemiological assessment of cancer incidence near an asphalt manufacturing facility by analyzing SVOCs and VOCs in groundwater and soil to evaluate potential exposure pathways and health risk.
Algal Toxin and Taste-and-Odor Compound Monitoring and Treatment
Developed analytical methods for algal toxins and taste-and-odor compounds in drinking water systems and evaluated treatment performance in municipal water treatment plants. Investigated contaminant transformation and removal efficiency under advanced oxidation conditions to support drinking water safety and regulatory compliance.
Kim TK, Truong L, Tanguay RL, Sedlak DL. "." Journal of Hazardous Materials 2026; In Press.
Salazar JS, Kim TK, Sedlak DL. "." Environmental Science & Technology 2025; 59(42):22940-22949.
Kim TK, Lee D, Walsh G, Lee C, Sedlak DL. "." Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters 2024; 5:100102.
Cook EK, Olivares CI, Antell EH, Tsou K, Kim TK, Cuthbertson A, Higgins CP, Sedlak DL, Alvarez-Cohen L. "." Environmental Science & Technology 2024; 58(20):8792-8802.
Jang MH, Kim TK, Park JW, Kim TH, Hwang YS, Kim SO. "." Journal of Hazardous Materials 2024; 468:133765.
Kim TK, Sedlak DL. "." Environmental Science & Technology 2023; 57(36):13691-13698.
Kim TK, Choe WS, Kim T, Chae SH, Hwang YS, Zoh KD. "." Environmental Engineering Research 2022; 27(6): 210496.
Kim TK, Lee D, Lee C, Hwang YS, Zoh KD. "." Journal of Hazardous Materials 2022; 440:129781.
Cha Y, Kim TK, Lee J, Kim T, Hong AJ, Zoh KD. "." Journal of Hazardous Materials 2022; 437:129371.
Kim TK, Jang M, Hwang YS. "." Journal of Hazardous Materials 2022; 426:128076.
Kim TK, Kim T, Lee I, Choi K, Zoh KD. "." Journal of Hazardous Materials 2021; 409:123759.
Kim TK, Kim T, Cha Y, Zoh KD. "." Water Research 2020; 185:116159.
Kim MK, Kim T, Kim TK, Joo SW, Zoh KD. "." Separation and Purification Technology 2020; 247:116911.
Kim TK, Kim T, Park H, Lee I, Jo A, Choi K, Zoh KD. "." Chemical Engineering Journal 2020; 394:124803.
Kim T, Kim TK, Zoh KD. "." Journal of Water Process Engineering 2020; 33:101109.
Kim TK, Kim T, Jo A, Park S, Choi K, Zoh KD. "." Chemosphere 2018; 208:441 — 449.
Kim TK, Kim T, Choe WS, Kim MK, Jung YJ, Zoh KD. "." Environmental Engineering Research 2018; 23(3):301 — 308.
Moon BR, Kim TK, Kim MK, Choi J, Zoh KD. "." Chemosphere 2017; 185.
Kim TK, Moon BR, Kim T, Kim MK, Zoh KD. "." Chemosphere 2016; 162:157 — 164.
Presentations
Kim TK. Integrating Volatile PFAS Precursors into LC — MS/MS Monitoring Frameworks Using a Zero-Headspace Total Oxidizable Precursor Assay (Z-TOP), Invited Oral Presentation, 5th ICEPROM, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh, Vietnam, 2026.
Kim TK. From Mechanisms to Ģ��tv: Practical Strategies for Treating and Tracking Environmental Contaminants, Invited Oral Presentation, Department Seminar, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea, 2026.
Kim TK., Sedlak DL. A Colorimetric TOP Assay Coupled with EPA Method 1633 for Standardized PFAS Precursor Oxidation and Total PFAS Analysis, Poster Presentation, Superfund Research Program Annual Meeting, College Station, TX, 2025.
Kim TK. Navigating the Complexities: Advanced Analytical Challenges for PFAS in Industrial Wastewater, Invited Oral Presentation, Department Seminar, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV, 2025.
Kim TK. Innovating for a Sustainable Future: Recent Progress in UC Berkeley Superfund Research Project, Invited Oral Presentation, Department Seminar, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 2024.
Kim TK, Sedlak, DL. Removal of Decachlorobiphenyl from Construction Waste Using Alcohol Flushing Followed by VUV/UV-C Dual Irradiation, Oral Presentation, Dr. Dionysios Dionysiou Memorial Session, Fall 2024 American Chemical Society Meeting, Denver, CO, 2024.
Kim TK., Sedlak DL. Unwanted VOCs Loss during the Sample Preservation at Superfund Remediation Sites: Mechanisms and Ģ��tv, Poster Presentation, Superfund Research Program Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM, 2023.
Kim, TK, Sedlak, DL. Mineralization of a Fully Halogenated Organic Compound by Persulfate under Conditions Relevant to In Situ Reduction and Oxidation: Reduction of Hexachloroethane by Ethanol Addition Followed by Oxidation, Oral Presentation, Dr. William Cooper Honorary Session, Fall 2023 American Chemical Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2023.
Kim TK, Zoh KD. Detoxification of Semiconductor Wastewater by Applying Nano-Ozone Bubble with H2O2, Oral Presentation, IWA-ASPIRE 2019, Busan, Korea, 2019.
Kim TK, Zoh KD. Energy-Efficient Hospital Wastewater Treatment to Control Residual Antibiotics, Oral Presentation, IWA-MICROPOL 2019, Seoul, Korea, 2019.

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Tae Kim

Project Experience

Publications

Peer Reviews

Prior Experiences

Patents