Alireza Namayandeh

Alireza Namayandeh is an NSF Earth Science Postdoctoral Fellow at the Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford University. He is interested in understanding the formation, transformation, and environmental impacts of metal-bearing nanoparticles in soil, water, and air, particularly their role in transporting toxic metals and influencing human and ecosystem health. His current research focuses on how biomass burning during wildfires generates toxic metal nanoparticles and affects their chemical and physical properties in soil and air.

Prior to joining Stanford, he conducted research in geochemistry, mineralogy, and nanoscience at Virginia Tech, where he earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Geochemistry. His doctoral work examined the formation and transformation of iron oxy-hydroxide nanoparticles and their interactions with environmental contaminants such as arsenic, phosphate, and nitrate. A key focus of his research was the identification and characterization of ultrasmall (~1 nm) precursor clusters that serve as building blocks for metal nanoparticles like ferrihydrite. His work provided the first direct structural evidence for the formation of these clusters, revealing their role in contaminant transport and metal mobility in natural environments. By integrating synchrotron X-ray techniques, electron microscopy, and in situ laboratory experiments, he demonstrated how these clusters remain suspended in water and air, enhancing the long-range dispersion of toxic metals.

More recently, his research has expanded to investigate the role of wildfires in mobilizing toxic metal nanoparticles, particularly through airborne particulate matter. His studies have shown that wildfire smoke contains a significant fraction of ultrafine metal-bearing nanoparticles that can be transported over long distances and pose severe health risks. By analyzing wildfire smoke samples from major fires across the Western U.S. and conducting controlled burning experiments, he is working to quantify the mechanisms by which toxic metal nanoparticles are generated, transported, and deposited into ecosystems. As part of this work, he is leading efforts to assess toxic metal nanoparticles in smoke, ash, and debris from the Eaton and Palisade wildfires in Los Angeles, studying their potential for airborne transport and human exposure. His goal is to apply these findings to inform wildfire mitigation strategies and public health policies, addressing the increasing risks posed by climate-driven wildfires in the US.