Fereidoun Rezanezhad is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on soil–water–atmosphere interactions and how hydrological, climate, and land use changes impact the fate of carbon, nutrients, and contaminants. He also investigates biogeochemical processes at the interface of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere at watershed scales. His work contributes to Critical Zone Science by advancing a robust and predictive understanding of how watersheds function as integrated hydro-biogeochemical systems and respond to disturbances such as changes in water recharge, availability, contaminant release and transport, nutrient loading, and land use.
Professor Rezanezhad specializes in innovative laboratory and field techniques to study the flow and transport of nutrients and contaminants in terrestrial ecosystems, with a focus on soil and water quality and monitoring nutrient and greenhouse gas fluxes.
He is also a member of the Microplastics Fingerprinting project team, which consists of over 30 faculty members, masters and PhD students, and support staff from various disciplinary backgrounds. This diversity is a strength that enables a comprehensive evaluation of the challenges and solutions associated with microplastics.
In the Microplastics Fingerprinting project, Rezanezhad’s work explores microplastics distribution in stormwater ponds (SWPs) and the impact of catchment land use on microplastic accumulation. He supervised master’s student Hang Nguyen, who analyzed microplastic variability in sediment and water samples from five SWPs in Kitchener and examined how pond characteristics, including land use and land cover, influence microplastic accumulation. He is also supervising PhD student Amir Reshadi, who is studying the efficiency of SWPs in retaining microplastics, quantifying emission patterns in urban areas, and modeling microplastic transport in SWPs.
Professor Rezanezhad’s research is often applied and community-focused, aiming to inform policy and action. His projects maintain strong connections with policy-forming communities, including industry, not-for-profits, government organizations, and the public sector. Committed to advancing Canadian research excellence, he actively participates in professional organizations in Canada and internationally. He has established collaborations with researchers and institutions in the USA, Germany, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Qatar, Ireland, and China, and across Canada, including at the University of Waterloo.