Erika Houtz, PhD

Dr. Houtz is the director of contaminant destruction at ECT2. At ECT2, she is engaged in the evaluation and development of treatment and destruction technologies that can be incorporated into ECT2 treatment systems. She has extensive experience in developing analytical and experimental methods for the measurement and breakdown of anthropogenic compounds in environmental and human samples, including developing the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay for measurement of PFAS. She has authored or co-authored more than ten peer reviewed publications. Erika earned her PhD and MS degrees in environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and her BS in chemical engineering from Ohio State. Below are publication highlights from Erika’s career.

Advanced Source Tracking: Erika’s contributions to “Environmental Source Tracking of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances within a Forensic Context” demonstrate her expertise in advanced techniques for tracking PFAS sources within a forensic context, published in Environmental Science & Technology in July 2021.

Biotransformation Insights: Erika’s work on “Biotransformation of AFFF Component 6:2 Fluorotelomer Thioether Amido Sulfonate” in Environmental Science & Technology Letters (Jan 2018) showcases her understanding of PFAS biotransformation, particularly under sulfate-reducing conditions.