Interests
Dr. Speitel's teaching interests include biological treatment processes, disinfection by-product formation and control, adsorption, microbiology, and treatment plant design. His research focuses on hazardous chemicals, especially biodegradation and adsorption as applied to the treatment of drinking water, ground water, contaminated soil, and contaminated gas streams. Related areas of interest are formation and control of halogenated disinfection by-products, computer modeling of treatment processes, optimal design of treatment processes, and microbial processes in the subsurface. Recently funded research addresses formation of disinfection by-products in drinking water treatment during chloramination, cometabolism of trihalomethanes in drinking water biofilters and distribution systems, adsorption of arsenic on granular metal oxides, in situ biodegradation of perchlorate, biodegradation and adsorption in activated carbon columns, and, aerobic biodegradation of chlorinated solvents in hollow fiber membrane reactors for ground water and air treatment. For additional information, see Dr. Speitel's home page.

Education
B.S., Union College, Civil Engineering, 1976
M.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Environmental Engineering, 1979
Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Environmental Engineering, 1985

Representative Publications

Russell, C.G., Lawler, D.F., Speitel, G.E. Jr., and Katz, L.E. "Effect of Softening Precipitate Composition and Surface Characteristics on Natural Organic Matter Adsorption," Environmental Science and Technology, 43(20): 7873-7842, 2009.

Pope, P.G. and Speitel, G.E. Jr. "Reactivity of Bromine-Substituted Haloamines in Forming Haloacetic Acids," in Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water: Occurrence, Formation, Health Effects and Control, T. Karanfil, S.W. Krasner, P. Westerhoff, Y. Xie (eds.), ACS Symposium Series, 995, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 2008.

Fairey, J.L., Katz, L.E., and Speitel, G.E. Jr. "Monochloramine Destruction with Granular Activated Carbon in Drinking Water Filters," Journal American Water Works Association, 99(7): 110-120, 2007.

Wahman, D.W., Katz, L.E., and Speitel, G.E. Jr. "Modeling of Trihalomethane Cometabolism in Nitrifying Biofilters," Water Research, 41(2): 449-457, 2006.

Pope, P.G., Speitel, G.E., Jr., and Collins, M.R. "DXAA Formation Kinetics during Chloramination," Journal American Water Works Association, 98 (11): 107-120, 2006.