Tamar Kohn - Selected Publications#

Luo, B., Schaub, A., Glas, I., Klein, L.K., David, S.C., Bluvshtein, N., Violaki, K., Motos, G., Pohl, M.O., Hugentobler, W., Nenes, A., Krieger, U.K., Stertz, S., Peter, T., Kohn, T. Expiratory Aerosol pH: The overlooked driver of airborne virus inactivation. Environmental Science and Technology, 2023, 57(1): 486–497. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c05777. 5 cites. Answers the question of how long airborne infectious virus survive. Featured by Forbes, The Economist, as well as national media outlets.

Jahn, K., Dreifuss, D., Topolsky, I., Kull, A., Ganesanandamoorthy, P., Fernandez-Cassi, X., Bänziger, C., Devaux, A.J., Stachler, E., Caduff, L., Cariti, F., Tuñas Corzón, A., Fuhrmann, L, Chen, C., Jablonski, K.P., Nadeau, S., Feldkamp, M., Beisel, C., Aquino, C., Stadler, T., Ort, C., Kohn, T., Julian, T.R., Beerenwinkel, N. Early detection and surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 genomic variants in wastewater using COJAC. Nature Microbiology, 2022, 7(8): 1151–1160. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01185-x. 107 cites. Novel bioinformatic methodology provides advance warning of population-level estimates of SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater samples. Featured by multiple Swiss print, radio and TV outlets; see https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lce/SARS-CoV2-variants-in-sewage/.

Carratalà, A., Bachmann, V., Julian, T., Kohn, T. Adaptation of human enterovirus to warm environments leads to resistance against chlorine disinfection. Environmental Science and Technology, 2020, 54(18): 11292-11300. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c03199. 15 cites. Explains climatic effects on survival of viral pathogens. Featured by The Independent, Dhaka Tribune, Le Matin, Radio Canada, Chemical & Engineering News.

Nelson, K. L. Boehm, A. B., Davies-Colley, R.J., Dodd, M. C., Kohn, T., Linden, K., G., Liu, Y., Maraccini, P. A., McNeill, K., Mitch, W. A., Nguyen, T. H., Parker, K., M., Rodriguez, R. A., Sassoubre, L. M., Silverman, A. I., Wigginton, K. R., Zepp, R., G. Sunlight-mediated inactivation of health-relevant microorganisms in water: A review of mechanisms and modeling approaches. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 2018, 20(8): 1089-1122. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00047F. 190 cites. Best critical review paper of 2018.

Zhong, Q., Carratalà Ripolles, A., Nazarov, S., Guerrero-Ferreira, R.C., Piccinini, L., Leiman, P.G., Kohn, T. Genetic, structural and phenotypic properties of MS2 coliphage with resistance to ClO2 disinfection. Environmental Science and Technology, 2016, 50(24): 13520−13528. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b04170. 35 cites. Explains how MS2 (surrogate for enteric viruses) becomes resistant to disinfection by chlorine dioxide. Selected as ACS Editors’ choice; featured on journal cover; Second runner-up for "Paper of the Year" award.

Bonvin, F., Jost, L., Randin, L., Bonvin, E., Kohn, T. Super-fine powdered activated carbon (SPAC) for efficient removal of micropollutants from wastewater treatment plant effluent. Water Research, 2016, 90: 90-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2015.12.001. 153 cites. Showed that super-fine powdered activated carbon is a highly efficient means to remove micropollutants from wastewater.

Bonvin, F., Omlin, J., Rutler, R., Schweizer, W.B., Alaimo, P.J., Strathmann, T.J., McNeill, K., Kohn, T. Direct photolysis of human metabolites of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole: Evidence for abiotic back-transformation. Environmental Science and Technology, 2013, 47(13): 6746-6755. https://doi.org/10.1021/es303777k. 188 cites. Answers the question of the photochemical fate of a common class of antibiotics in natural waters.

Wigginton, K.R., Pecson, B.M., Sigstam, T., Bosshard, F., Kohn, T. Virus inactivation mechanisms: Impact of disinfectants on virus function and structural integrity. Environmental Science and Technology, 2012, 46(21): 2069–12078. https://doi.org/10.1021/es3029473. 350 cites. High-impact paper that defined the state-of-the-art on bacterial inactivation mechanisms in wastewater treatment.

Oulton, R., Kohn, T., Cwiertny, D.M. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in effluent matrices: A survey of transformation and removal during wastewater treatment and implications for wastewater management. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 2010, 12(11): 1956-1978. https://doi.org/10.1039/C0EM00068J. 385 cites. Impactful meta-analysis explaining removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products from wastewater via different treatment modalities.

Kohn, T., Nelson, K.L. Sunlight-mediated inactivation of MS2 coliphage via exogenous singlet oxygen produced by sensitizers in natural waters. Environmental Science and Technology, 2007, 41(1): 192-197. https://doi.org/10.1021/es061716i. 267 cites. In addition to directly damaging pathogens, in a new mode of action, sunlight shown to generate reactive oxygen species that inactivates human enteric viruses.