Meet EPA Scientist Mohamed Ateia Ibrahim, Ph.D.
EPA researcher Mohamed (Moha) Ateia Ibrahim works on developing and evaluating innovative water treatment technologies to remove and/or degrade emerging contaminants, such as PFAS and microplastics, in water bodies. Moha was awarded the 40 Under 40 Recognition for the year of 2022 by The American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. Before coming to EPA, Moha’s PhD work received several awards; including “The First Place Prize, Honda Young-Engineers-Scientists (Y-E-S)”, and his dissertation was awarded “First Place Prize, Kikkawa-Yamaguchi Ph.D. Dissertation Award”. He is also the recipient of 2019 Distinguished Postdoctoral Award by Clemson University.
What research are you working on right now?
My research at EPA targets the removal of micropollutants (mostly PFAS) from contaminated waters and the assessment of various separation and destruction technologies from lab-scale to Superfund sites. I was inspired by the realization that conventional water treatment techniques will not be able to treat these problems alone, and I devoted my work to developing practical remediation solutions that draw on my expertise in engineering and chemistry. My work includes the development of new selective adsorbents that can be used for treatment and sensing applications. In addition, I am actively working on multiple projects involving destruction methods like incineration, hydrothermal, and supercritical water oxidation.
What is your education/science background?
I have a multidisciplinary research background with hands-on experience in environmental engineering, materials chemistry, and agricultural engineering. I finished my undergraduate school at Alexandria University, Egypt, followed by postgraduate studies in Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan and the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Then, I completed a postdoctoral training at Clemson University, before working as a Research Associate at the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University.
When did you first know you wanted to be a scientist?
After finishing my bachelor’s degree in Egypt, I worked in Saudi Arabia for two years. Water scarcity was a big shock for me. During that time, I decided to continue my postgraduate studies in water treatment and try to help improve people’s access to clean water by developing new solutions.
What do you like most about your research?
Collaborations! I have initiated and led over a dozen research collaborations to target micropollutants with researchers across the world and published more than 55 peer-reviewed articles covering these topics. I owe my collaborators a lot because I learned something new from each one of them.
How does your science matter?
We are facing huge challenges regarding industrial pollution, water scarcity and climate change. My work on finding new effective technologies aims at ensuring that water quality – at treatment plants or at reuse facilities – meet the safe criteria for the targeted purposes. Specifically, my work on PFAS addresses an immediate and critical need to deal with this threat to human and environmental health.
If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing?
I would’ve joined an NGO working to solve environmental issues.
What advice would you give a student interested in a career in science?
Everyone in the scientific field is mainly trying fill gaps in our knowledge. Thus, science helps you grow by giving you the tools and methods to know how to critically think and constructively find a solution. You get to learn something new every day and try to utilize your knowledge to help with solving problems that people face.
If you can have any superpower, what would you choose?
Time travel!
What do you think the coolest scientific discovery was and why?
Electricity. Life became easier, and all related discoveries afterwards changed the course of our history.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the researcher alone. EPA does not endorse the opinions or positions expressed.