Poonam Kulkarni
Work and Contact Information
EMPLOYER:
- GSI Environmental Inc.
- 2211 Norfolk, Suite 1000
- Houston, Texas USA 77098
EMAIL: prkulkarni@gsi-net.com
WEBPAGE: https://www.gsienv.com/gsi_staff/poonam-r-kulkarni-p-e/
About the Contributor
Ms. Kulkarni is a Senior Engineer with GSI Environmental Inc. She earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin, and an M.C.E.E. in Environmental Engineering from Rice University, and has over 14 years of experience in engineering and environmental consulting. She has extensive professional experience in methods to evaluate and enhance Natural Source Zone Depletion (NSZD) at LNAPL sites, specializing in thermal monitoring (Thermal NSZD) and temperature enhancements of biodegradation.
She has served as Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on multiple Department of Defense (DoD) sponsored research projects that apply innovative strategies to characterize and treat conventional and emerging contaminants in groundwater at a wide range of sites. These include the development of an innovative enhanced bioattenuation technology for DNAPL sites, characterization of the nature and extent of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), methods to evaluate and reduce variability in groundwater monitoring data, as well as a demonstration of passive soil vapor extraction technologies.
Ms. Kulkarni’s project experience also includes the design and implementation of novel remediation systems, particularly for PFAS-contaminated groundwater. Here, she has served as the lead design engineer for the transition from lab-scale to field pilot-scale of two PFAS destructive technologies (enhanced plasma and sonolysis). In addition, she specializes in the analysis and interpretation of large public (e.g., GeoTracker) and private databases focusing on the extent and attenuation of constituents and their key driving factors. She has also been involved in developing guidance documents through industry groups such as the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) and the National Groundwater Association (NGWA), as well as publishing over 20 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.
