Environmental Mineralogy and Geochemistry at Kent State

Welcome to the Environmental Mineralogy and Geochemistry Group in the Department of Earth Sciences of Kent State University. Our research focuses on contaminant transport in the environment which is affected by a range of phenomena occurring at the mineral-water interface. Our research draws from mineralogy and biogeochemistry and intersects with hydrology-hydrogeology to produce a more unified understanding of contaminant transport through complex materials across a wide range of spatial regimes. The research group focuses on: (1) Characterization and analysis of natural mineral surface coatings and associated metal(loid)s, and (2) Interdisciplinary field-based studies of mineral surface reactivity, metal(loid) transport, and geochemical cycling. Our work is accomplished by integrating field-based studies with laboratory-based analytical techniques, and synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopic and scattering methods to investigate natural and model systems. Current work focuses on: (1) Lead (Pb) contamination in urban soils; and (2) Metal(loid) transport, soil formation, and contaminant in watersheds impacted by historic coal mining in Appalachia.