Professor Suuberg's research interests center on
energy and environmental ares, involving study of fuel chemistry (coal, oil shale, biomass), activated carbons (production and properties), materials reuse (automobile tires, coal fly ash), fire safety and, most recently, the characterization and cleanup of lands and sediments contaminated with mixed pollutants with a focus on thermodynamics of mixtures of high molecular weight organic compounds and the related problem of vapor intrusion, in particular the modeling of the vapor intrusion problem. 

Professor Suuberg's research interests revolve around the chemical kinetics and thermodynamics, particularly in relation to the fields of energy and environmental technology. At the present time, his group is exploring the thermodynamics of mixtures of high molecular weight organic compounds (including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAH, and other polycyclic aromatic compounds, PAC). Few data exist on vapor pressures of these materials, which constitute an important class of compounds of environmental concern. In addition to addressing the need for more data on this topic, the Suuberg group is looking at what sorts of mixing models will adequately describe the thermodynamics of mixtures of these compounds. Because many of these compounds are present as contaminants on Superfund sites or brownfields, the work extends to examination of how these materials interact with soils and water, including any adsorption interactions. This group is also using their understanding of soil contamination to develop new ways of characterizing the vapor intrusion problem. The latter problem of infiltration of contaminant vapors into structures is of greatly increasing national concern when it comes to reuse of contaminated lands.
In addition to the latter area, the Suuberg group has been involved in applications including combustion of coal, production of alternative (green) fuels, fire safety and pollution prevention. Recently the work led to examination of novel sources of carbon materials (coal fly ash, automobile tires) for environmental applications, with implications for resource recycling. Gas-solid reactions of combustion and gasification interest are another major focus of Professor Suuberg's research interests. The kinetics of the annealing process in carbons, characterized by their loss of gasification reactivity, is related to the distributed activation energy kinetics of pyrolysis. The origin of the fractional order in such gas-solid reactions, the nature of active site distributions and their implications for kinetic modeling of the reaction processes are all questions of current interest in the field. Also, the development of porosity in ""activation"" of carbon is of interest. This work looks at the combustion reaction itself, as well as the environmentally important NO reduction process.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program Grants, $11.5 Million, 2005-2009.
$15 million, 2009-2014 (Co-Director of multi-investigator award).

Draper Laboratories- Online Real-time Diagnostics for Combustion Performance in Coal-Fired Power Plants- $85,000, 2009-2010.

Eesti Eneergia- Beneficial Reuse Options for Estonian Circulating Fluidized Bed Oil Shale Ash. $28,000, 2009.

NIEHS- Brown University and EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory Collaboration on Comparison of Passive Samplers for Monitoring Legacy and Emerging Contaminants in Narragansett Bay Waters and Sediment, (Pending) $150,000, 2009-2011.

NIEHS- Boston University and Brown University Collaboration on Assessment of Vapor Intrusion Exposure and Risk (Pending) $140,000, 2009-2011.

National Collegiate Inventors and Innovator's Alliance (NCIIA) Seed Grant on Entrepreneurship Education and the local medical community $35,000, 2005-2009.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Study of Activation of Coal Chars $190,000, 1999-2004

U.S. Department of Energy/REI supported contract on "Mitigation of Ammonia Contamination on Fly Ash" ($100,000, 2000-2002.

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) contract on Improved Utilization of Low-NOx Fly Ash in Concrete, $360,000, 1997-2002

Nationlal Science Foundation (NSF) education grant - Entrepreneurial Engineering Program: Innovative Incubator Sequence $270,000, 2000-2003.

National Aeronautics ans Space Adminstration (NASA)/AFR contract on Pyrolysis Processing for Solid Waste Resource Recovery in Space", $50,000, 2000-2002.

U.S. Department of Energy grant on A Fundamental Study of Various New Technologies for the Utilization of Ash from Low-NOx Combustion $400,000, 1996-2003.

Nationlal Science Foundation (NSF) grant on " Activated Carbons from Tire Pyrolysis $190,000, 1997-2000.

 Zhang, M., Suuberg, E.M. (2023) “Estimation of vapor pressure of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using COSMOtherm”, Jl. Hazardous Materials, 443, 130185.

 Xie,S., Suuberg, E.M.,(2022) “Adsorption of Trichloroethylene on Common Indoor Materials Studied Using a Combined Inverse Gas Chromatography and Frequency Response Technique",Jl. Chromatography A, 1669, 462926.

 Xie,S., Suuberg, E.M.,(2021) “The Effects of Temperature and Relative Humidity on Trichloroethylene Sorption Capacities of Building Materials Under Conditions Relevant to Vapor Intrusion”, Jl. Hazardous Materials, 401, 123807.

 Zhang, M., Yamada, K., Bourguet, S., Guelfo, J., Suuberg, E.M., (2020) “Vapor Pressure of Nine Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) Determined Using the Knudsen Effusion Method”, Jl. Chem. Eng. Data, 65, 2332-2342.

Xie,S., Suuberg, E.M., (2020) “Very Low Concentration Adsorption Isotherms of Trichloroethylene on Common Building Materials”, Building and Environment, 179, 106954.

Yao, Y., Zuo, J., Luo, J., Chen, Q., Ström, J., Suuberg, E.M., (2020) “An examination of the building pressure cycling technique as a tool in vapor intrusion investigations with analytical simulations” Jl. Hazardous Materials, 389, 121915.

Yao, Y., Xiao, Y., Luo J., Wang, G., Ström, J., Suuberg, E.M. (2020) “High Frequency fluctuations of indoor pressure: A potential driving force for vapor intrusion in urban areas”, Science of the Total Environment, 710, March 2020, 136309.

G. Wang, S. Ma, J. G.V. Ström, E.M. Suuberg, Y. Yao, L. Zeng (2019) “Investigating two-dimensional soil gas transport of trichloroethylene in vapor intrusion scenarios involving surface pavements using a pilot-scale tank”, Jl. Hazardous Matls. 371, 138-145.

J. G. V. Ström, Y. Guo, Y. Yao, E.M. Suuberg (2019) “Factors affecting temporal variations in vapor intrusion-induced indoor air contaminant concentrations” Building and Environment, 161, August 2019, 106196.

I. Verginelli, Y. Yao, E.M. Suuberg (2019) “Risk Assessment Tool for Chlorinated Vapor Intrusion Based on a Two-Dimensional Analytical Model Involving Vertical Heterogeneity", Env. Eng. Sci., 36, 969-980.

C. Culin, K. Tente, A. Konist, B. Maaten, L.Loo, E.M. Suuberg, I. Külaots, (2019) “Reactivities of American, Chinese and Estonian Oil Shale Semi-Coke and Argonne Premium Coal Char Under Oxy-fuel Combustion Conditions, Oil Shale, 36, 353-369.

Guelfo, J., L., Marlow, T., Klein, D.M., Savitz, D.A., Frickel, S., Crimi, M., Suuberg, E.M., (2018) “Evaluation and Management Strategies for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Drinking Water Aquifers: Perspectives from Impacted U.S., Northeast Communities”, Environmental Health Perspectives, 126(6), DOI:10.1289/EHP2727

Yao, Y., Verginelli, I., Suuberg, E.M., Eklund, B.,(2018) “Examining the Use of US EPA’s Generic Attenuation Factor in Determining Groundwater Screening Levels for Vapor Intrusion”. Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation, 38(2), 79-89.

ao, Y., Wang, Y., Zhong, Z., Tang, M., Suuberg, E.M. (2017) “Investigating the role of soil texture in vapor intrusion from groundwater sources”, Journal of Environmental Quality, 46(4), 776-784.

Yao, Y., Verginelli, I., Suuberg, E.M., (2017) “A two-dimensional analytical model of vapor intrusion involving vertical heterogeneity”, Water Resources Res. 53(5), 4499-4513.

Yao,Y., Mao, F., Ma, S., Yao, Y., Suuberg, E.M., Tang, X. (2017)“Three- Dimensional Simulation of Land Drains as a Preferential Pathway for Vapor Intrusion into Buildings”, Journal of Environmental Quality, 46(6), 1424-1433, doi:10.2134/jeq2017.05.021

Todd McAlary, Tom McHugh, Bart Eklund, Chris Lutes, Eric Suuberg, Heidi Hayes, Kelly G. Pennell, David Folkes, Helen Dawson, Robert Truesdale, Lila Beckley, and Chase Holton, (2016) Comments and Corrections to: “The Emperor’s Old Clothes: An Inconvenient Truth About Currently Accepted Vapor Intrusion Assessment Methods,” and “Emperor’s Old Clothes Revisited,” Two Recent Editorials by Mark Kram, Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation, 36(3) 84-87.

Yao, Y., Wang, Y., Verginelli, I., Suuberg, E.M., Ye, J. (2016) “Comparison between PVI2D and Abreu-Johnson’s Model for Petroleum Vapor Intrusion Assessment”, Vadose Zone Journal, 15(11). DOI: 10.2136/vzj2016.07.0063

 Yao, Y., Verginelli, I., Suuberg, E.M., (2016)“A two-dimensional analytical model of petroleum vapor intrusion”, Water Resources Research, 52, 1528-1539.

Verginelli, I., Yao, Y., Suuberg, E.M., (2016) “An Excel((R))-Based Visualization Tool of Two-Dimensional Soil Gas Concentration Profiles in Petroleum Vapor Intrusion” Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation, 36, 94-100.

Pennell, K.G., Scammell, M.K., McClean, M.D., Suuberg, E.M., Moradi, A., Roghani, M., Ames, J., Frigulietti, L., Indeglia, P.A., Shen, R., Yao, Y., Heiger-Bernays, W.J., (2016) “Field data and numerical modeling: A multiple lines of evidence approach for assessing vapor intrusion exposure risks” Sci. of the Total Env., 556, 291-301.

 Verginelli, I., Yao, Y., Wang, Y., Ma, J., Suuberg, E.M. (2016) “Estimating the oxygenated zone beneath building foundations for petroleum vapor intrusion assessment”, Jl. Hazardous Matls., 312, 84-96.

R. Shen and E.M. Suuberg, (2016) “Impacts of changes of indoor air pressure and air exchange rate in vapor intrusion scenarios”, Building and Environment, 96, 178-187.

 Y. Yao, Y. Wu, E.M. Suuberg, J. Provoost, R. Shen, J. Ma, J. Liu, (2015) “Vapor intrusion attenuation factors relative to subslab and source, reconsidered in light of background data”, Jl. Hazardous Materials, 286, 553-561.

Y. Yao, Y. Wu, Y. Wang, J.J. Wang, I. Verginelli, T. Zeng, E.M. Suuberg, L. Jiang, Y.Z. Wen, J. Ma, (2015) “A Petroleum Vapor Intrusion Model Involving Upward Advective Soil Gas Flow Due to Methane Generation”, Env. Sci. Tech., 49, 11571-11585.

 J. Rice, J. Fu, E. Sandström, J.C. Ditto, E.M. Suuberg, (2015) “Thermodynamic study of (anthracene plus phenanthrene) solid state mixtures”, Jl. Chemical Thermodynamics, 90, 79-86.

Y. Yao, Y. Wu, M. Tang, Y. Wang,J.J. Wang, E..M. Suuberg, L. Jiang, J. Liu (2015) “Evaluation of site-specific lateral inclusion zone for vapor intrusion based on an analytical approach”, Jl. Hazardous Materials, 298, 221-231.

J. Hruljova, N. Savest, A. Yanchilin, V. Oja, E.M. Suuberg, (2014) “Solvent Swelling of Kukersite Oil Shale Macromolecular Organic Matter in Binary Mixtures: Impact of Specifically Interacting Solvents”, Oil Shale, 31(4), 365-376.

 X. Han, I. Kulaots, X. Jiang, E.M. Suuberg, (2014) “Review of Oil Shale Semicoke and its Combustion Utilization”, Fuel, 126, 143-161.

Y. Yao, F. Yang, E.M. Suuberg, J. Provoost, W. Liu, (2014) “Estimation of Contaminant Subslab Concentration in Petroleum Vapor Intrusion”, J. Hazardous Matls., 279, 336-347.; PMID: 25124892

 R. Shen, K.G. Pennell, E.M. Suuberg (2014) “Analytical Modeling of the Subsurface Volatile Organic Vapor Concentration in Vapor Intrusion”, Chemosphere, 95, 140- 149. DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.08.051. PMCID: PMC3941444

 R. Shen, E.M. Suuberg (2014) “Analytical Quantification of the Subslab Volatile Organic Vapor Concentration from a Non-Uniform Source”, Environmental Modelling and Software, 54, 1-8. DOI 10.1016/j.envsoft.2013.12.007. PMCID: PMC3951510

 Y. Yao, R. Shen, K.G. Pennell, E.M. Suuberg (2013) “A Numerical Investigation of Oxygen Concentration Dependence on Biodegradation Rate Laws in Vapor Intrusion”, Env. Sci. Process Impacts, 15(12), 2345-2354.DOI:10.1039/c3em00421j. PMCID: PMC3897126

R. Shen, K.G. Pennell, E.M. Suuberg (2013) “Influence of Soil Moisture on Soil Gas Vapor Concentration for Vapor Intrusion”, Environmental Engineering Science, 30, 628- 637. DOI 10.1089/ees.2013.0133, PMCID: PMC3804323

K.G. Pennell, M. Thompson, J.W. Rice, L. Senier, P. Brown, E.M. Suuberg (2013) “Bridging Research and Environmental Regulatory Processes: The Role of Knowledge Brokers”, Environmental Science and Technology, 47, 11985-11992. DOI 10.1021/es4025244, PMCID: PMC3875357

Y. Yao, R. Shen, K.G. Pennell, E.M. Suuberg, (2013)“Examination of the US EPA’s Vapor Intrusion Database Based Upon Models” Environmental Science and Technology, 47, 1425-1433. DOI: 10.1021/es304546f, PMCID: PMC3565061

M. Perron, R.M. Burgess, E. M. Suuberg, M.G. Cantwell, K. G. Pennell (2013) “Performance of Passive Samplers for Monitoring Estuarine Water Column Concentrations 1. Contaminants of Concern", Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 32 (10), 2182-2189. DOI 10.1002/etc.2321, PMCID: PMC3979968

M. Perron, R.M. Burgess, E. M. Suuberg, M.G. Cantwell, K. G. Pennell (2013) “Performance of Passive Samplers for Monitoring Estuarine Water Column Concentrations 2. Emerging Contaminants”, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 32 (10), 2190-2196. DOI 10.1002/etc.2248, PMCID: PMC4006789

Y. Yao, R., Shen, K.G., Pennell, E.M., Suuberg, (2013) “Estimation of Contaminant Subslab Concentration in Vapor Intrusion Including Lateral Source–Building Separation”, Vadose Zone Journal, 12. DOI10.2136/vzj2012.0157, PMCID: PMC4006780

 R. Shen, K.G. Pennell, E.M. Suuberg (2013) “"Modeling Quantification of the Influence of Soil Moisture on Subslab Vapor Concentration", Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts, 15, 1444-1453. DOI: 10.1039/c3em00225j. PMCID: PMC3756691

K. G. Pennell, M.K. Scammell, M. D. McClean, J. Ames, B. Weldon, L. Friguglietti, E. M. Suuberg, R. Shen, P. A. Indeglia, W. J. Heiger-Bernays (2013)
"Sewer Gas: An Indoor Air Source of PCE to Consider During Vapor Intrusion Investigations", Ground Water Monitoring & Remediation, 33, 119-126. DOI: 10.1111/gwmr.12021. PMCID: PMC3740581

Y. Yao, R. Shen, K. G. Pennell, E. M. Suuberg (2013) "A Review of Vapor Intrusion Models", Environmental Science and Technology, 47, 2457-2470. DOI: 10.1021/es302714g. PMCID: PMC3604123

K. C. Dannemiller, J. S. Murphy, S. L. Dixon, K. G. Pennell, E. M. Suuberg, D. E. Jacobs, M. Sandel (2013) “Formaldehyde concentrations in household air of asthma patients determined using colorimetric detector tubes”, Indoor Air, 23(4), 285-294. DOI: 10.1111/ina.12024. PMCID: PMC3710296

J. Fu and E.M. Suuberg (2013) “Thermochemical and Vapor Pressure Behavior of Anthracene and Brominated Anthracene Mixtures”, Fluid Phase Equilibria, 342, 60-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.fluid.2012.12.036. PMCID: PMC3848959

Y. Yao, R. Shen, K.G. Pennell, E.M. Suuberg (2013) “Examination of the Influence of Environmental Factors in Contaminant Vapor Concentration Attenuation Factors Using the U.S. EPA’s Vapor Intrusion Database”, Environmental Science and Technology, 47, 906-913. DOI: 10.1021/es303441x, PMCID: PMC3557812

J. Goldfarb, A. D’Amico, C. Culin, E. M. Suuberg, I. Külaots, (2013) “Oxidation Kinetics of Oil Shale Semicokes: Reactivity as a Function of Pyrolysis Temperature and Shale Origin", Energy and Fuels, 27, 666-672. DOI: 10.1021/ef3015052

Y. Yao, K.G. Pennell, E.M. Suuberg, (2013) “Simulating the Effect of Slab Features on Vapor Intrusion of Crack Entry”, Building and Environment, 59, 417-423. DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2012.09.007, PMCID: PMC3555425

C.J. Creed, E.M. Suuberg, G.P. Crawford, "Engineering Entrepreneurship: An Example of a Paradigm Shift in Engineering Education", Jl. of Engineering Education, pp 185-195, April, 2002.

Y.M. Gao, X. Chen, G. Fujisaki, A. Mehta, E.M. Suuberg and R.H. Hurt, "Dry and Semi-Dry Methods for Removal of Ammonia from Pulverized Fuel Combustion Fly Ash" Energy and Fuels, 16, 1398-1404, 2002.

V. Oja and E.M. Suuberg, "Vapor Pressures and Enthalpies of Sublimation of D-Glucose, D-Xylose, Cellobiose and Levoglucosan", Jl. of Chem. and Eng. Data, 44, 26-29, 1999.

I. Aarna and E.M. Suuberg "The Reaction Order of the NO-Carbon Reaction", Proc. Combustion Institute, 27, pp. 3061-3068, 1998.

V. Oja and E.M. Suuberg, "Vapor Pressures and Enthalpies of Sublimation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and their Derivatives", Jl. Chemical and Engineering Data, 43, 486-492, 1998.

V. Oja and E.M. Suuberg, "Measurements of the Vapor Pressures of Coal Tars Using the Nonisothermal Knudsen Effusion Method", Energy and Fuels, 12, 1313-1321, 1998.

Y. Otake and E.M. Suuberg, "Temperature Dependence of Solvent Swelling and Diffusion Processes in Coals", Energy and Fuels, 11, 1155-1164, 1997.

I. Aarna and E.M. Suuberg, " A Review of the Nitric Oxide-Carbon Reaction", Fuel, 76, 475-491, 1997.

I. Milosavljevic, V. Oja and E.M. Suuberg, "Thermal Effects in Cellulose Pyrolysis- Relationship to Char Formation Processes", I&EC Research, 35, 653-662 1996.

Y. Yun and E.M. Suuberg, "New Applications of Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Solvent Swelling for Studies of Coal Structure," Fuel, 72, 1245, 1993.

H. Teng and E.M. Suuberg, "The Chemisorption of Nitric Oxide on Char: I. Reversible Nitric Oxide Sorption," J. Phys. Chem., 97, 478, 1993.

2011- Fellow, American Chemical Society
2008- Honorary Doctorate, Tallinn University of Technology
2000-2001 - Fulbright Scholar, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia
2000-pres. Principal Editor, FUEL (an international journal of fuels chemistry)
1999- H.H. Storch Award for Research in Fuel Chemistry, American Chemical Society
1995 - Vice Chancellor's Research Best Practice Fellow, University of Newcastle, Australia

American Chemical Society
American Carbon Society
The Combustion Institute
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Society for Engineering Education
Air and Waste Management Association

Professor Suuberg has taught subjects in both engineering as well as business-related areas. As a co-founder of Brown's chemical engineering program, he  played a role in developing new undergraduate courses in transport processes, chemical process design, chemical and phase equilibria, energy conversion, and pollution prevention. On the graduate level, he developed courses on polymer science and engineering and combustion. He was also involved in developing Brown's new sequence in Entrepreneurship, and participated in the development of the Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizations concentration, as well as the PRIME program in Engineering. Most recently, he has developed courses in the Chemistry of Environmental Pollution and in Environmental Engineering Design, for the newly accredited undergraduate program in Environmental Engineering.