CEE Faculty Profile

Research Interests

• Treatment of industrial wastewaters (experience with all categories of manufacturing industry; heavy experience in pharmaceutical and bio-pharma, petroleum refining, organic chemicals, and pulp and paper)
• Removal of emerging contaminants including selenium; 1,4 dioxane, RDX, and HEPES
• Biological treatment of wastewaters including conventional activated sludge, BNR, MBRs, MBBRs, trickling filtration, fluidized bed reactors, SBRs
• Water reuse in industrial and military applications
• NPDES permitting issues with manufacturing industry
• Municipal wastewater treatment

Education

• B.E., Civil Engineering, 1967, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
• M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1969, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
• Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, 1971, University of California, Berkeley, California

Honors

1. Tau Beta Phi
2. Chi Epsilon, founding president, Vanderbilt University chapter, 1967

Awards

1. Shield of Irenee Award, DuPont Safety, Health, and Environmental Division for Excellence in Engineering Design, 1994
2. DuPont - Victoria, Texas Plant Quality Award for the Deep Well Elimination Project, 1996
3. BASF Water Team Award of Merit, 1996

Articles

1. Rushing, J.C., Koon, J.H., and Tucker, D., A Review of Acid Rock Drainage Sulphate Treatment Methods, Enviromine 2009 Proceedings, Santiago, Chile, 2009.
2. Rushing, J.C., Bott C.B., and Koon J.H., “Using Simple Numerical Methods to Solve Complicated Mass Balance Problems,” WEF Industrial Water Quality Conference Proceedings, 2007.
3. Koon, J.H., “Experience with Denitrification of Industrial Wastewaters, Virginia Water Environment Association Industrial Wastewater Seminar, 2006.
4. Plazio, L.J., Bott, C.B., Rushing, J.C., Steiner, M.F., Plauger, J.C., and Koon, J.H., “Reconfiguration of an Industrial Wastewater Treatment System for PCB, Phenol, Zinc, and Suspended Solids Removal and Installation of a Biological Leachate Treatment System at a Former Viscose Rayon Production Facility. Proceedings of the 78th Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exposition and Conference (WEFTEC – National Conference of the Water Environment Federation), 2005.
5. W. Plaehn, W., Stanfill, J.C., Koon, J.H., Shangraw, T., Bollman, D., and Richtel, S., “Full- Scale Treatment of 1, 4 Dioxane Using a Bioreactor, Battelle Conference Proceedings, 2005.
6. Stanfill, J.C., Koon, J.H., Plaehn, W., Murphy, M., “1, 4 Dioxane Biodegradation Pilot Study at the Lowry Landfill Superfund Site,” WEFTEC Proceedings, 2004.
7. Stanfill, J.C., Koon, J.H., Shangraw, T., Bollmann, D., “1,4-Dioxane Bio-Degradation Bench Study At The Lowry Landfill Superfund Site,” Proceedings of the WEF/A&WMA 10th Annual Industrial Wastes Technical and Regulatory Conference, 2004.
8. Bott, C.B., Brummer, J.R., and Koon, J.H. “Pretreatment of Phosphorus Plant Process Wastewater Containing Elevated Levels of Phosphite, Hypophosphite, Cyanide, and Heavy Metals,” Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation 9th Annual Industrial Wastes Technical and Regulatory Conference, 2003.
9. Bott, C.B., Brummer, J.R., and Koon, J.H., “Physical-Chemical Pretreatment of Process Wastewater from a Phosphorus Plant for Discharge to a POTW,” Proceedings of the WEF Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Best Avaialble Technologies Conference, 2003.
10. Bott, C.B., Plazio, L.J., Rushing, J.C., Koon, J.H., and Metcalf, T.J., Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage at an Inactive Pyritic Mineral Mine Using Constructed Wetlands and a Waterwheel Quicklime Feeder, Proceedings of the WEF/AWMA 10th Annual Industrial Wastes Technical and Regulatory Conference, 2004.
11. Bott., C.B., Martin, T., Koon, J.H., Brooks, P., Rich, P., Bement, D., and Cutler, W., “Physicochemical and Biological Treatment of a Concentrated Industrial Leachate from Aged Process Waste at a Viscose Rayon Production Facility,” Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation 75th Annuyal Technical Conference and Exposition, 2002.
12. Lund, D.J., Koon, J.H., Patrick, G.C., Rodriguez, J., Robles, B., and Tracey, K., “Reuse of Wastewater at a Pharmaceutical Plant,” WEFTEC Proceedings, 1998.
13. Ganze, K.G., Cashion, B.S., Koon, J.H., Davoren, D.J., and Donohoe, C., “Moving Bed Aerobic Treatment of Exxon Baton Rouge Chemical Plant (BRCP) Wastewater, WEFTEC Proceedings, 1997.
14. Oppelt, M.K., Levine, L., Frank, P., Ganze, K., Kowalik, J., and Koon, J.H., “Predicting Air Emissions Compliance Using Activated Sludge as a Control Device,” WEFTEC Proceedings, 1996.
15. Koon, J.H., Griffith, D.B., and Keough, E.B., “Planning for the Elimination of Deep Wells: Developing Environmentally Compatible Technologies for the Disposal of a Chemical Plant Waste,” Proceedings of the 1996 Environmental Technology Conference, Clemson University, 1996.
16. Dell, J.J., Koon, J.H., Griffith, D.B., Robertaccio, F.L., Hockenberry, M.R., McManus, C.N., and Dragotta, D.A., “Planning for the Elimination of Deepwells: Development of a Process to Treat a High COD, High Nitrate Wastewater,” WEFTEC Proceedings, 1995.
17. Atere-Roberts, S.O., and Koon, J.H., “Self-Monitoring to Meet General Permitting Requirements for Storm Water Discharges from Industrial Facilities,” Proceedings of the Industrial Pollution Control Conference, Georgia Water Pollution Control Association, 1993.
18. Koon, J.H., and Boggs, F.L., “Applications of a Kinetic Analysis Using Historic Operating Data to Redesign an Industrial Acticated Sludge System, Proceedings of the 48th Industrial Waste Conference, Purdue University, 1993.
19. Koon, J.H., “Designing and Operating Groundwater Treatment Systems: Still Trying to Get It Right,” 1993.
20. Koon, J.H., “Resolving Complex NPDES Permitting Issues at a Major Industrial Plant,” Proceedings of the 1993 Food Industry Environmental Conference, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1993.