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Introducing our new Associate Editors

14 Mar 2016

We are delighted to introduce Helen Hsu-Kim, Matthew MacLeod and Paul Tratnyek as three new Associate Editors for Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

Helen, Matt and Paul join Liang-Hong Guo and Ed Kolodziej as Associate Editors handling submissions to the journal – more details about their research interests are given below.

Helen Hsu-Kim
Duke University, USA

Heileen (Helen) Hsu-Kim is the Yoh Family Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at Duke University. Her expertise areas include aquatic geochemistry, biogeochemistry of metal pollutants in the environment, and nanogeoscience.

Ongoing research activities in Dr. Hsu-Kim’s group include studies on mercury biogeochemistry and remediation, mineral-microbe interactions, the disposal implications and reuse opportunities for coal ash, and the environmental impacts of nanotechnology. Additional details of the Hsu-Kim research group can be found online here.

Please note that Professor Hsu-Kim will start handling submissions starting on June 2016.

Matthew MacLeod
Stockholm University, Sweden

Matthew MacLeod is Professor of Environmental Chemistry at the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry at Stockholm University. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), and a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from Trent University (Ontario, Canada).

He was a post-doctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, USA, and a Research Group Leader at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich, Switzerland.

Since 2010 he has been a faculty member at Stockholm University, Sweden. Prof. MacLeod’s research interests include the fate, exposure and effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), modeling chemical pollutants, and environmental impacts of micro- and macro-plastics.

Paul Tratnyek
Oregon Health & Science University, USA

Paul G. Tratnyek is currently Professor, and Associate Head, in the Division of Environmental and Biomolecular Systems (EBS) and Institute of Environmental Health (IEH), at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

He received his Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry from the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in 1987; served as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory in Athens, GA (ERD-Athens), during 1988; and as a Research Associate at the Swiss Federal Institute for Water Resources and Water Pollution Control (EAWAG) from 1989 to 1991.

His research concerns the physico-chemical processes that control the fate and effects of environmental substances, including minerals, metals (for remediation), organics (as contaminants), and nanoparticles (for remediation, as contaminants, and in biomedical applications).

Dr. Tratnyek is best known for his work on the degradation of groundwater contaminants with zero-valent metals, but his interests extend to all aspects of contaminant reduction and oxidation (redox) in all aquatic media. Some of his recent work emphasizes the fate/remediation of emerging contaminants (e.g., nanoparticles and 1,2,3-trichloropropane).

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The appointments of Helen, Matt, and Paul, illustrate the exciting future for Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, as outlined by Editor-in-Chief Professor Kris McNeill in his recent Editorial. We are delighted to welcome them to the Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts team.

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New Editor-in-Chief for Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts

14 Jan 2016

We are pleased to announce that Professor Kris McNeill (ETH Zürich) will be taking on the role of Editor-in-Chief for Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts from 2016. Professor McNeill has been an active member of the Editorial Board of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts for several years.

His research focuses on environmental chemistry in aquatic systems, particularly regarding reaction mechanisms. Kris takes over from Professor Frank Wania, who finished his term as Chair of the Editorial Board at the end of 2015.

Read Kris’ most recent work in Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts below:

Aquatic photochemical kinetics of benzotriazole and structurally related compounds, Elisabeth M. L. Janssen, Emily Marron and Kristopher McNeill, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2015, 17, 939–946, DOI: 10.1039/C5EM00045A

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Introducing Desirée Plata, new Editorial Board member

26 Mar 2015

Continuing our series of blog posts introducing the newest Editorial Board members of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, in this article we are delighted to welcome Desirée Plata as a new Editorial Board member of the journal!

Dr Plata holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry and Chemical Oceanography from the MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She has a B.S. in Chemistry from Union College and proudly attended Gould Academy for high school.

Desirée’s Research

Desirée’s interests focus on improving the development of novel chemicals and engineered systems to include environmental objectives, along with traditional performance and cost metrics.

She seeks to predict and mitigate environmental damage through physiochemical understanding of material reactivity, prognostic fate models, and geochemical analyses. Also, she is working towards the design of benign syntheses via mechanistic understanding of chemical reactions used in industrial processes.

MY RESEARCH VISION:

“I envision a future in which technological solutions do more good than harm. In particular, I think environmental scientists should work with material and process designers to ensure technologies that both sustain and advance environmental health.

My group strives to have this synergy result in a product or process that is not only better for the environment, but better performing as well. I believe this type of work will eventually redefine the role of environmental scientists and engineers in innovation and, ultimately, the approach to innovation globally.”

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Introducing Associate Editor, Edward P. Kolodziej

04 Nov 2014

We are delighted to welcome new Associate Editor Ed Kolodziej to the Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts Editorial Board in the fifth of our Introducing series of blog posts.

Ed received a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley in 2004. He is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Washington, with joint appointments in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (UW Tacoma), and the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (UW Seattle). He is also affiliated with the Center for Urban Waters, also located in Tacoma, Washington.

Ed’s Research

Ed’s research investigates the transport, fate, reactions and ecological implications of human-derived pollutants in natural and engineered aquatic systems. He also investigates how engineered treatment systems work and optimizes their performance for contaminant removal, with a special interest in non-point source pollution and engineered natural systems.

MY RESEARCH VISION:

It is evident that human activities have significant impacts on water quality, but I think we don’t actually know the answers to “how, what, when” type questions yet to understand what these impacts really are. These are key questions to answer: Which chemicals matter? Which don’t? What should we do about them? We are discharging tens and even hundreds of thousands of chemicals into water, air, and soil, yet we have an surprisingly incomplete understanding of whether this is a bad idea or not, whether any adverse impacts occur on our ecosystems or us from these pervasive exposures. We still struggle to prioritize our efforts on understanding chemical fate and impacts, and for those with adverse impacts, what the best mitigation and treatment strategies are. So, I’d say my research vision is to try and figure out which of these chemical impacts on water quality are important and which are not. Once we understand that question, we can move on to technical and policy solutions for problematic compounds.

Having grown up in the outdoors, especially fishing with my family, I am pretty sure that I really like water and spending time around it! So I am inspired and motivated by the thought that I can be part of this larger effort in making sure humans and ecosystems have enough of the high quality water we all need. It’s so clear that we are not on a sustainable path, and we need to figure out some good solutions to the worst problems, including preventing future problems, in a world of limited resources.

Ed is now accepting submissions – submit your manuscript to him today!

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Introducing Editorial Board Member Yngvar Thomassen

01 Jul 2014

The fouth of our Introducing series of blog posts features Editorial Board member Professor Yngvar Thomassen – we’re very pleased to welcome him to the board and post his profile and research vision:

Yngvar is currently a Research Director for the Department of Chemical and Biological Work Environment at the National Institute of Occupational Health in Oslo – where he has spent 35 years of his professional life. After graduating from the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Oslo in 1973, Yngvar spent a year at the Norwegian Defence Institute before taking a post research associate position, back at the University of Oslo.In 1978 he worked for the Department of Environmental Studies and Geology at the University of Toronto as a visiting scientist. He has since been appointed as a Professor in Environmental chemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.

MY RESEARCH VISION:

My passion for research and teaching derives from my quest for social and environmental interest. This has inspired me throughout my professional life as an analytical chemist. From occupational and personal use of products to nutritional intake people are exposed to a variety of chemical agents – many essential or non-essential compounds with the potential to affect our health. Analytical science has been and is an important instrument in chemical exposure science which strives to collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative information which is needed to understand the nature of contact between people and chemical stressors. There are a continuous demand for exposure science information to meet the need to understand the fate of stressors and to establish exposure data, not only for the existing chemical agents, but also for the thousands of new chemicals introduced into the marked each year.

Although analytical science has brought about a recent revolution in exposure characterization and dose assessment, now even able to reach the nanoscopic domain and fundamental limits of atom or molecule detection, these developments need to be further integrated into more portable and direct reading instruments for biological and environmental monitoring for faster identification of chemical stressors affecting our health. Of special importance is further improvement of ambient, indoor and work-room air qualities since airborne contaminants still seriously affects the health of workers and the global population at large. In order to achieve this, an expanded integrated vision in exposure science which consider exposures from source to dose, over time and space, as well as multiple stressors are required. Thus, the society should give priority to

^a) educate the next generation of analytical and exposure scientists

^b) further develop new and improve existing instrumentation

^c) stimulate to strategic collaboration across scientific boarders

^d) develop prevention and intervention strategies to reduce any related health problems

^e) improve quality of exposure data collected and make them available to help set priorities and inform policy

(more…)

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2014 Emerging Investigators Issue

11 Jun 2014

Guest Editors David Cwiertny, Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit and Hee-Deung Park introduce the third edition of our emerging investigators issue.

Celebrating the best and brightest amongst early career environmental scientists around the world, this collection of reviews and papers demonstrates the talent, innovation and creative ideas that new researchers can bring. Read the profiles of the contributors to find out more about our young scientists, including their research objectives, inspirations and what environmental challenges they believe the future holds.

We have made the following HOT articles free* to access for a limited time only! We hope you enjoy reading this collection as much as we did.

Critical Reviews:

Energy positive domestic wastewater treatment: the roles of anaerobic and phototrophic technologies

B. D. Shoener, I. M. Bradley, R. D. Cusick and J. S. Guest
DOI: 10.1039/C3EM00711A

Critical Review of electrochemical advanced oxidation processes for water treatment application

Brian P. Chaplin
DOI: 10.1039/C3EM00679D

HOT Paper:

Association of nuisance filamentous algae Cladophora spp. with E. coli and Salmonella in public beach waters: impacts of UV protection on bacterial survival

Aubrey Beckinghausen, Alexia Martinez, David Blersch and Berat Z. Haznedaroglu

DOI: 10.1039/C3EM00659J

For the full collection, visit our 2014 Emerging Investigators Themed Issue platform.

*Access is free through a registered RSC account – click here to register

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Aquatic Photochemistry Themed Issue

21 May 2014

The field of aquatic photochemistry is diverse and strong, therefore our Editorial Board member, Kristopher McNeill presents a themed issue covering a range of topics and sub-disciplines within environmental science, representing current aquatic photochemical research.

Kristopher found the process of guest editing the aquatic photochemistry themed issue rewarding. ‘From the very start, I had an enthusiastic response to my call for papers and, when looking at the collection in its final form, I was extremely happy with the quality and breadth of the science that it reflected’ he says.

‘I was especially happy with the contributions of the young investigators; from whom I am sure we will be seeing a lot more in the future.’ Kristopher selected 2 critical reviews and a paper by young investigators who contributed to this collection and for a limited time only, these articles are free* to access. Click the following links to download the full articles.

Critical Reviews:

Photo-transformation of pharmaceutically active compounds in the aqueous environment: a review
Shuwen Yan and Weihua Song
DOI: 10.1039/C3EM00502J

The role of indirect photochemical degradation in the environmental fate of pesticides: a review
Christina K. Remucal
DOI: 10.1039/C3EM00549F

Paper:

Photometric hydroxyl radical scavenging analysis of standard natural organic matter isolates
J. E. Donham, E. J. Rosenfeldt and K. R. Wigginton
DOI: 10.1039/C3EM00663H

Kristopher’s research paper on photochemically produced hydroxyl radical in artic surface water was included in this collection. We would like to thank him for guest editing this exciting issue; his paper will be free* to access until Friday 20^th June 2014.

Evidence for dissolved organic matter as the primary source and sink of photochemically produced hydroxyl radical in arctic surface waters
Sarah E. Page, J. Robert Logan, Rose M. Cory and Kristopher McNeill
DOI: 10.1039/C3EM00596H

*Access is free until 20.06.14 through a registered RSC account – click here to register

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Introducing Editorial Board member David Cwiertny

22 Apr 2013

The third of our Introducing series of blog posts features Editorial Board member David Cwiertny – we’re very pleased to welcome him to the board and post his profile and research vision:

David Cwiertny holds a BS in Environmental Engineering Science with a minor in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley awarded in 2000. He then received his PhD in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland, USA) in 2005. After completing his doctoral work, he served as a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Iowa in joint appointment between the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chemistry. In the Fall of 2011, he returned to the University of Iowa as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering after serving four years in the same capacity at the University of California, Riverside. His research program broadly focuses on pollutant fate in natural and engineered systems, with a particular emphasis on the development of materials-based treatment technologies that promote water sustainability. This includes projects on the transformation of emerging contaminant classes (e.g., synthetic hormones and pharmaceuticals) in natural aquatic systems, and the development of nanomaterial-enabled technologies for advanced chemical treatment of water and wastewater. At the University of Iowa, he is a core faculty member in the campus-wide Water Sustainability Initiative, developing interdisciplinary research, outreach and education programs intended to increase water awareness at the University and across the state of Iowa.

Here David presents his research vision. Click “Read more” below to find out more!

RESEARCH VISION: A motivating theme for research in the Cwiertny lab is the belief that the unique reactivity displayed by materials within the nanodomain can be exploited to overcome challenges that have long stymied water quality engineers. Indeed, we believe that engineered nanomaterials hold great promise, and are perhaps ideally suited, for moving society toward more sustainable water supplies. Engineered nanomaterials are versatile at a range of scales, and are likely to be particularly relevant in decentralized or point-of-use treatment systems. Inherently, such applications require smaller, more efficient technologies. Building blocks for multi-functional, hybrid technologies can potentially decrease the size of treatment. In addition to being relevant in rural areas and in smaller communities that can often struggle to maintain compliance with existing and future regulations, they also may help to revolutionize water treatment in the developing world. Of course, there remain challenges to the widespread acceptance of nanomaterials in treatment, including finding responsible platforms in application given concerns over their inadvertent release into the environment. However, we believe the future of research in environmental nanotechnology will bridge the fundamental and the practical, allowing nanomaterials to fulfill their promise in the realm of water treatment.

(more…)

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Introducing Editorial Board Member Young-Shin Jun

15 Apr 2013

In the second post of our Introducing series, we’re very pleased to introduce Editorial Board member Young-Shin Jun to the Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts blog readers!

Young-Shin Jun is an Associate Professor of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at Washington University (St. Louis, USA), where she leads the Environmental NanoChemistry Laboratory. She is a 2011 U. S. National Science Foundation CAREER award recipient. Her research focuses on interfacial reactions in complex aqueous systems. Her research group’s projects include elucidating physicochemical reaction mechanisms occurring during water reuse through aquifer storage, treatment, and recovery to secure underground sources for drinking water; improving our understanding of the fate and transport of contaminants and nanoparticles; and providing more environmentally sustainable CO₂ sequestration strategies. Prior to her position at Washington University, she conducted postdoctoral research in Nanogeoscience at the University of California at Berkeley/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, USA. She holds an S.M. and Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry from Harvard University (Cambridge, USA). She received her B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Science and Engineering at Ewha Womans University (Seoul, Korea).

RESEARCH VISION: “In the face of unprecedented demands for energy and clean water, we simply must find ways to secure sustainable supplies of both. At the same time, we must respect and restore the environment and reduce our emission of greenhouse gases. Maintaining a sustainable energy-water nexus is a grand environmental challenge, one which environmental scientists and engineers are uniquely positioned to undertake. At complex environmental interfaces, various combinations of reactions can often occur simultaneously. A full understanding of dynamic interfaces at the molecular scale is essential in predicting the geochemical cycling of elements and the fate and transport of contaminants. This knowledge, in turn, will help us to develop better remediation methods for polluted sites, to design sustainable carbon sequestration and utilization, and to enhance our understanding of biomineralization and our development of environmentally benign bio-inspired materials. To advance our understanding of environmental interfacial reactions, my research group, the Environmental NanoChemistry Laboratory, in the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at Washington University, has been providing in situ, real-time quantitative and qualitative information from unique experimental approaches. The dynamic environmental systems studied include nanoparticles’ formation and their transformation in natural and engineered aqueous systems, managed aquifer recharge, and energy-related subsurface operations. By providing crucial information for upscaling that is presently not available, we hope this research can benefit the larger scale engineering processes needed to make major impacts.”

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Introducing Editorial Board member Nora Savage

02 Apr 2013

Beginning a small series of blog posts introducing the newest Editorial Board members of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, in this week’s post we are pleased to introduce Nora Savage and her research vision:

Nora obtained her bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering in 1992 from Prairie View A&M University, in Prairie View, Texas. She received two Masters Degrees (in Environmental Engineering and Environmental Science) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in Madison, Wisconsin in1995, and a doctoral degree in Environmental Science from the same institution in 2000. Her current position is that of environmental engineer at the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, DC in the Office of Research and Development (ORD). Her focus areas include nanotechnology, pollution prevention, and sustainable life cycle approaches for emerging technologies.

Nora is one of the Agency representatives on the Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council that implements and coordinates activities and strategies of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and has served in this role since 2001. Recently she served as Co-Chair of the NNI’s Strategic Plan Task Force, the inter-agency work group that developed the 2011 NNI Strategic Plan. Nora has authored and co-authored numerous articles on nanotechnology in leading journals, including the Journal of Nanoparticle Research and Toxicological Sciences. She was lead editor for the book “Nanotechnology for Water Applications” and has contributed chapters to several other books, including the Oxford Handbook of Nanoscience and Technology, vol. III.

Nora is currently the Chair of the 2013 Environmental Nanotechnology Gordon research Conference.

NORA’S RESEARCH VISION: “Currently the approaches for addressing human health and ecological protection involve assessing, controlling/mitigating exposure to individual contaminants based upon experimental or observed toxicity. Toxicity (hazard) and exposure data are accumulated and risks are assessed based upon single compounds or very simple mixtures. Many scientists and policy makers have called for better approaches for assessing and managing risks to existing and emerging compounds.

The development of “green” compounds is challenged by the creation of engineered nanomaterials with identical chemical formulas yet which exhibit different properties depending upon shape, size, and surface characteristics. As these novel compounds move through and between both environmental and biological media and undergo transformations, attendant properties are often altered as well. Consequently, it is not sufficient to amass toxicity data of the original or starting material if the goal is the protection of public and environmental health. The compound must be characterized throughout all life cycle stages. Subsequently toxicity testing upon the transformed compound or material would then provide more accurate information.

Multi-disciplinary research is required to achieve characterization of compounds through all life cycle stages. For example, engineers can explore processes and offer material mass balances, material scientist can provide detailed data on structure, morphology and other material properties, biologists and ecologists can provide information concerning movement through biological and ecological media, and social scientists can provide critical information on compound or product usages and behavioral patterns controlling exposure. Such research would also derive immense benefits from multi-cultural research teams. As challenges faced increase in complexity, solutions are achieved faster when analyzed by people of diverse backgrounds and experiences and with diverse approaches and perspectives,

By exploiting the novel properties of engineered nanomaterials with multi-disciplinary, international teams examining the resultant transformations as these compounds move through the ecosystem, improved data characterizing the environment will result. As scientific knowledge improves about how altered states of engineered nanomaterials result in altered properties, better understanding of complex mixtures will result. This will enable more accurate correlations of causal links among observed adverse biological and ecological effects, exposure, behavior, and compound concentrations. This knowledge will help usher in the development of true “green” compounds. The ultimate goal would be improved environmental assessments which can then pave the way towards more holistic public and environmental health protection.”

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Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts blog

Archive for the ‘Board News’ Category

Introducing our new Associate Editors

Helen Hsu-Kim
Duke University, USA

Matthew MacLeod
Stockholm University, Sweden

Paul Tratnyek
Oregon Health & Science University, USA

New Editor-in-Chief for Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts

Introducing Desirée Plata, new Editorial Board member

Introducing Associate Editor, Edward P. Kolodziej

Introducing Editorial Board Member Yngvar Thomassen

2014 Emerging Investigators Issue

Aquatic Photochemistry Themed Issue

Introducing Editorial Board member David Cwiertny

Introducing Editorial Board Member Young-Shin Jun

Introducing Editorial Board member Nora Savage

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Archive for the ‘Board News’ Category

Helen Hsu-Kim Duke University, USA

Matthew MacLeod Stockholm University, Sweden

Paul Tratnyek Oregon Health & Science University, USA

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Helen Hsu-Kim
Duke University, USA

Matthew MacLeod
Stockholm University, Sweden

Paul Tratnyek
Oregon Health & Science University, USA