The research of the Inorganic Geochemistry group focuses on Aqueous Geochemistry, Geomicrobiology, and Chemical Oceanography. Our expertise is in the cycling of trace metals and inorganic chemical species at oxic-anoxic interfaces in freshwater and marine systems (water column and sediments). Our research involves extensive field and laboratory work as well as mathematical modeling. To know more about our research, background, and interests follow the links below.
We are always looking for geochemists, chemists, or environmental engineers to be part of our lab. If you are an undergraduate student, a prospective graduate student, or if you are looking for a postdoctoral position feel free to contact us at .
Metals in the environment are central to numerous processes relevant to society. First, metals are essential elements of life. They play a central role in proteins and are found in all living organisms. Second, manganese and iron can be used as terminal electron acceptor by a variety of microorganisms in aquatic systems. Third, several metals are contaminants that are continuously released in aquatic systems. These metals may be toxic to living organisms, including humans at the top of the trophic chain.
In the Inorganic Geochemistry group, we apply first principles of chemistry to understand and quantitatively characterize the different chemical and biological processes that regulate the distribution of metals in aquatic systems. As many of these processes occur at redox transitions, where dissolved oxygen is consumed by bacterial processes, we focus primarily on these environments.
Two avenues are currently explored in our group. First, the importance of bacterial respiration of manganese and iron oxides in the cycling of carbon in the oceans is not well quantified. On one hand, we are pursuing the development of new in situ techniques to determine the distribution of these two elements and quantify their role in the cycling of carbon in marine sediments, where the remineralization of natural organic matter to CO2 by these processes may have been underestimated. Simultaneously, we are collaborating with microbiologists to understand the fundamental biochemical processes of iron and manganese respiration by anaerobic bacteria.
Second, the geochemical and bacterial processes regulating the transformation of some trace metal contaminants are not well characterized. We combine both field and laboratory approaches to characterize the distribution of these metals and understand the processes that regulate their distribution. Field approaches examine the spatial and temporal distribution of these metals as well as the chemical species regulating their transformation to determine the kinetics of these processes. Laboratory approaches include work with pure cultures of microorganisms that are able to transform these metals, sometimes into less harmful forms, or incubation of real sediments or soils to stimulate the processes of interest. Recent investigations have involved the cycling of arsenic in freshwater sediments and the immobilization of uranium in contaminated groundwater.
As a student or postdoc in the Inorganic Geochemistry group, you will learn how to apply new analytical techniques to determine the speciation of metals in both natural waters and synthetic solutions. You will also learn how to use kinetics to determine the mechanism of chemical or biological reactions. Finally, you will be able to interact with microbiologists on a daily basis.
In situ measurements in marine sediments
Distribution and transformation of trace metals in aquatic systems
Microbial processes regulating the transformation of metals
Dr. Martial Taillefert, Associate Professor
Jordon Beckler, Ph.D. candidate
Morris Jones, Ph.D. candidate
Lin Hui, Ph.D. candidate
Deidre Meiggs, Ph.D. candidate
Kathleen Salome, Ph.D. student
Anna Williams, M.S. student
Colin Dean, EAS senior
Emily Saad, Chemistry junior
Keaton Belli, EAS senior
Dr. Melanie Beazley (Ph.D. 2009) - Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Oklahoma
Dr. Stephanie Chow (Ph.D. 2007) - Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University
Gwendolyn Bristow (M.S. 2006) - Watershed Scientist at Brown and Caldwell Environmental Engineers and Consultants, Atlanta (GA)
Jennifer Newton (M.S. 2006) - High School Teacher, Marrieta (GA)
Elizabeth Carey (M.S. 2003) - Laboratory Manager at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia (SC)
Stephanie Neuhuber (M.S. 2003) - Ph.D. Student at the University of Austria, Vienna (Austria)
Dr. David C. Bull (Postdoctoral Fellow, 2000) - Senior Researcher, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Wellington (New Zealand)
Sheliza Banjee (EAS, 2009), Patrick Wilson (EAS, 2008), Wellington ‘Holmes’ Merritt (EAS, 2007), Jason Peart (EAS, 2007), Kathleen Salome (EAS 2007), Nathan Wu (EAS, 2007), Austen Shantz (EAS, 2007), Stephanie Murray (Paine College REU Student, 2006), Cody Lamb (EE, 2006), Jordon Beckler (EAS, 2006), Joshua Perlman (Cornell University REU Student, 2005), Jennifer Schur (ME, 2005), Jimmy Elsenbeck (EAS, 2004), Farhana Yasmin (CBE, 2005), Jennifer King (EAS, 2003), Dian Putrasahan (CBE/EAS, 2005), Gwendolyn Bristow (EAS, 2003), Liza Johnson (EAS, 2002), Lindsay Check (CEE, 2001)
