Beizhan Yan

Dr. Beizhan Yan received his Ph.D. in Geology in 2004 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy, NY. Dr. Yan is currently a Lamont Research Professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University and the co-director of the MS in Sustainability Science degree program. His Ph.D. study at RPI (2000-2004) focused on the source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban waters. After two years of a postdoc in the Idaho National Laboratory, he joined Washington University in St. Louis to study nanoscale size effects on biogeochemical processes for environmental bioremediation. This research has important implications for the immobilization of uranium and biodegradation of aromatic compounds at contaminated sites. In 2007, he joined LDEO as an institutional postdoctoral fellow. Since then, he has established an Environmental Organic Geochemistry Lab with the ability to extract, isolate, and identify organic contaminants and biomarkers from environmental and biological samples.

Using source-sensitive indicators and compound-specific stable isotope ratios, he has successfully traced metals and aromatic hydrocarbons in the waters and air of NYC and linked the exposures of these air pollutants to pediatric asthma outcomes. He also led a study to examine the association between pediatric respiratory outcomes and air pollutants in Beijing China. To determine possible impacts of hydrofracking on air and water quality and health outcomes, he conducted a study in adjacent counties of western NY (Broome, Tioga, and Chemung) and northern PA (Susquehanna, Bradford, and Tioga). In recent years, he has focused on collaborative studies measuring microplastics and nanoplastics in NYC waterways and air, linking these exposures to various adverse health outcomes, including neurodegenerative diseases, and developing engineering solutions for mitigating plastic pollution.