Description of Research
Research in the Environmental Geochemistry group at Rutgers University-Newark explores the geochemical processes that control the fate of contaminants such as heavy metals and arsenic in the environment and in anthropogenic systems. We have ongoing projects addressing fundamental reactions at mineral interfaces, as well as more applied research projects in the fields of Urban Geochemistry and Sustainable Geochemistry. This includes work on metal geochemistry and phytoremediation of brownfield sites at Liberty State Park; metal speciation and distribution in water, sediment and vegetation in urban storm water systems; studies into the chemical speciation of iron in urban dust; and evaluation of wastes as a source of usable mineral products. An important aspect of our work is the application of spectroscopic tools, which provide information on contaminant speciation at the molecular scale. We make particularly extensive use of the synchrotron X-ray facilities at the nearby National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY and the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, IL.
Contributing NCAS Faculty
