Zhenfa Zhang

Zhenfa Zhang, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. His research integrates synthetic chemistry and analytical methods to study pollutant transformations in environments and living systems, focusing on molecular-level impacts on human health and climate change. He holds a PhD in Organic/Medicinal Chemistry from the Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry/Chinese Federal Drug Administration (2002).

Research Interests:

• Chemical reactions of organic pollutants in biological systems
• Toxicology biomarker analysis using stable isotope techniques
• Secondary organic aerosol formation mechanisms
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) biodegradation studies

Key Facilities: Director of the Biomarker Mass Spectrometry Facility enabling sensitive pollutant analysis.

Notable Work: Recent research highlighted PFAS contamination risks from floor waxing, emphasizing occupational health implications.