A man studies a crystalline rock in a cave

Environmental and Biogeochemistry

Group Leader

Hao Zhang

Centre for Biophotonics, Environmental and Biogeochemistry, Improving global stewardship, Innovation for a better environment, Sustainable Catchments, Understanding a changing planet

Projects

Tackling Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Product Pollutants in the North-Western Himalayan Region of India
01/04/2021 → 31/07/2021
Research

Analysis on all series noble gas component and isotopes
19/11/2020 → 31/05/2023
Research

Sustainable and Low Emission Internet of Things for Climate Smart Agriculture
06/03/2020 → 31/12/2020
Research

Tracing Environmental Impacts Associated with Shale Gas Production with Novel Integration of Isotopologue Thermometry and Noble Gases
01/12/2019 → 30/11/2022
Research

Atomic Layer Deposition for Lancaster Quantum Technology Centre Cleanroom
29/11/2019 → 28/05/2021
Research

Groundwater nitrogen capture in the stalagmite record
01/11/2019 → 01/11/2022
Research

ACTUATE : Accelerating the adoption of circular sanitation demonstration systems for improved health outcomes
01/10/2019 → 31/12/2021
Research

ESRC IAA Funds
01/04/2019 → 31/03/2023
Research

Indoor particulate matter and personal mitigation in Guangzhou, China
01/04/2019 → 31/03/2020
Research

GCRF Hub: Living Deltas
13/02/2019 → 30/09/2024
Research

N8: Exploring opportunities for circular nutrient economies in grassland farming systems
07/02/2019 → 31/10/2019
Research

Dehliflux Extension
01/12/2018 → 31/03/2022
Research

UK-Guangdong urban innovation challenge - Intra-urban air pollution exposure prediction: a smart platform and applications using a land-use regression model
01/09/2018 → 31/08/2020
Research

Widespread Indoor Air Quality Monitoring of the general public by NAQTS
01/09/2018 → 31/08/2020
Research

Understanding the origin, evolution and migration of coalbed methane in Qinshui and Erdos Basins, China
01/06/2018 → 31/12/2022
Research

The Role of Phosphorus in the Resilience and Sustainability of the UK Food System
01/05/2018 → 31/03/2022
Research

Metal isotope fractionations under anoxic conditions
31/03/2018 → 30/03/2019
Research

Q-NFM : Quantifying the likely magnitude of nature-based flood mitigation effects across large catchments
01/11/2017 → 31/03/2023
Research

Uranium isotope fractionations under anoxic conditions
01/09/2017 → 30/06/2018
Research

Indoor Particulate Matter and Personal Mitigation in Guangzhou, China
01/08/2017 → 01/08/2021
Research

Testing the 'megadrought' hypothesis : the timing, cause and impacts of climate change in equatorial Africa.
01/06/2017 → 31/05/2021
Research

Visualising Pathogen & Environmental Risk: transition to a user-ready toolkit (ViPER II)
01/05/2017 → 31/10/2018
Research

STARS CDT: 2016/2017 Added-value activites in innovation
01/08/2016 → …
Research

Sources and Emissions of Air Pollutants in Beijing (AIRPOLL-Beijing)
01/01/2016 → 31/12/2019
Research

Data-Driven Precision Surface Water Management for Urban Environments
01/09/2015 → 31/05/2017
Research

Visualising Pathogen & Environmental Risk (ViPER) : an innovation platform to bridge science and decision-making in catchment microbial dynamics
01/10/2014 → 31/03/2015
Research

Exploiting root exudation of organic acids and phytases to enhance plant utilisation of soil phosphorus
31/03/2014 → 31/08/2017
Research

Knowledge, policy and practice for sustainable nutrient management and water resources protection in UK and Chinese agro-ecosystems
01/01/2014 → 31/01/2016
Research

Towards disease diagnosis through spectrochemical imagining of tissue architecture
12/11/2013 → 11/11/2016
Research

Controls on Soil Carbon Export revealed by Novel Tracers on multiple timescales
01/10/2013 → 30/09/2016
Other

Quantifying the methane flux from beneath an Icelandic glacier
30/09/2013 → 30/09/2016
Research

Biogenic Emissions Modelling Review
15/05/2013 → 14/07/2013
Research

Developing a Suite of Novel Land Conditioners and Plant Fertilisers from the Waste Streams of Biomass Energy Generation
30/04/2013 → 29/10/2013
Research

Algal Interactions with Freshwater Mussels in the River Ehen
22/03/2013 → 31/03/2020
Research

Knowledge Policy and Practice for Sustainable Nutrient and Water Resources Protection in UK and Chinese Agro-Ecosystems
01/02/2013 → 31/03/2016
Research

Airborne Measurements of Ozone Precursor Fluxes
17/11/2012 → 16/11/2014
Research

Trace gas emissions from Amazonia influence secondary organic aerosol (CLAIRE UK)
01/10/2012 → 31/03/2016
Research

U.K. Natural Environment Research Council–Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund studentship
01/10/2012 → …
Research

ERDF funded Centre for Global Eco-Innovation: Recovery, Reuse and Sustainable Treatment of Glycol Contaminated Surface Water Run-off at Airports.
30/09/2012 → …
Research

Breathe Easier: Adaptation of Passive directional air-pollution sampler
01/09/2012 → …
Research

Implementing Component 2 of Demonstration Test Catchments
01/06/2012 → 30/09/2017
Research

Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability - DURESS
01/05/2012 → 30/06/2016
Research

The Catchment Change Management Hub
02/04/2012 → 29/03/2013
Research

Chinese Academy of Sciences Collaboration
01/04/2012 → 31/03/2018
Research

Landscape burden and storm driven delivery of E.coli from land to water in a headwater catchment
12/03/2012 → 29/02/2016
Research

An informatics based approach to monitoring glacier movement
01/01/2012 → …
Research

CASE Studentship for Beck Strong - CEH funded
01/10/2011 → …
Other

CASE: On line detection and diagnosis of plant damage and stress by herbivores and pathogens
01/10/2011 → …
Research

Delivering Healthy Water: building the science-policy interface to protect bathing water quality
01/10/2011 → 31/03/2013
Research

FP7: Intasense: Intagrated air quality sensor for energy efficent Enviromental control
01/10/2011 → 30/09/2014
Research

Catchment Modelling Strategies for Faecal Indicator Organisms: Options Review and Recommendations
01/09/2010 → 01/03/2011
Research

High resolution isotope analysis of Iberian speleothem deposits
01/09/2010 → 30/03/2014
Research

Nutrient biogeochemistry (Phosphorus dynamics in groudwater-fed rivers)
01/06/2010 → 31/01/2015
Research

The Svalbard Exemplar of neoproterozoic glaciation
01/04/2010 → 30/04/2014
Research

DEFRA Project Effects of complex discharges on the genetic diversity of fish populations
01/01/2010 → 31/12/2013
Other

Arctic Health Risks: Impacts on Health in the Arctic & Europe due to Climate-induced changes in Contaminant cycling
01/06/2009 → 31/01/2014
Research

Implications of groundwater surface water connectivity for nitrogen transformations in the hyporheic zone
01/01/2009 → 30/04/2012
Research

Phosphorus dynamics in groundwater fed rivers
01/11/2008 → 31/10/2013
Research

Delivery of Phosphorus and Faecal Indicator Organisms from Agricultural Sources to Watercourses
01/07/2008 → 31/12/2013
Research

Lost in Translation: Cross - disciplinary analysis of knowledge exchange and effectiveness in animal disease management
01/07/2008 → 30/11/2011
Research

Modelling effects of changing discharge patterns on lake phytoplankton
01/05/2008 → 31/03/2009
Research

Sustainable regeneration: From evidence based urban futures to implementation
01/05/2008 → 30/04/2012
Research

The origin of sulphur isotopic variations in coral
01/04/2008 → 01/04/2009
Research

NERC 'ArcPOP' NE/E00511X/1
01/02/2008 → 31/01/2011
Other

Compound specific organic matter and the speleothem record
01/10/2007 → 01/10/2008
Research

FP6: Governat
01/10/2006 → 30/09/2010
Research

Evaluation of mitigation options for reducing nutrient emission to surface water and groundwater at the river basin scale.
30/03/2006 → …
Research

Phosphorus Uncertainty Fellowship
20/12/2005 → 31/05/2012
Research

Research Activity

The Biogeochemistry research group addresses chemical processes in natural and human-influenced environments. We work across contemporary and palaeo timeframes, within the terrestrial, aquatic and deep Earth environments.

Our analytical strengths span inorganic chemistry, stable and radioactive isotopes, noble gases and trace organic analysis. This analytical capability is used to address fundamental and applied research that is closely aligned with policy and practice.

Contemporary nutrient cycling in soil-water-biological systems

From soil to catchment to coast, transfers of carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen are studied to understand the impacts of human activity on nutrient cycles and ecosystems.

Metal toxicology in soils, sediments and waters

Trace metal speciation and bioavailability represent key sources of environmental toxicity. DGT (Diffusive Gradient Thin-films) and DET (Diffusive Equilibrium in Thin-films) technology are used to study the fate and transfer of trace metal species throughout aqueous and terrestrial environments.

Organic contaminants

Research into the source, fate and behaviour of persistent organic pollutants is used to develop a quantitative understanding of the effects of these contaminants on the environment.

Subsurface crustal fluids

Carbon, hydrogen and noble gas isotopes are applied to resolve issues of energy demand, groundwater pollution and geological carbon sequestration.

Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction

Stable isotopes in lake sediments, speleothems and foraminifera are used to reconstruct environmental conditions throughout the Quaternary.

Radionuclides in the environment

Natural radionuclides are studied as tracers of water and sediments in marine and freshwater environments. The behaviour and fate of artificial radionuclides and their potential impact on Man and ecosystems are also addressed.

Research Highlights