Research
Interest
The reactivity, fate and biological impact of metal contaminants is
determined by their chemical speciation. In order to improve the decision
making process for metal contaminated sites and develop reliable risk
assessment methods, it is first necessary to acquire a more thorough
understanding of the processes controlling metal speciation in the
environment. My primary research interests lie in utilizing chemical
principles and analyses to obtain a fundamental understanding of contaminant
speciation and behavior in environmental processes. This requires a
combination of macroscopic-scale information (kinetic studies of metal
sorption and precipitation, thermodynamic analyses, etc.) and detailed
observation of elemental behavior on a molecular level. An important
part of my work is the use and development of novel tools that allow
us to better examine contaminant behavior on a microscopic scale, and
to integrate these results with macroscopic data. In particular, I
have worked extensively to identify metal speciation and distribution in
complex soils, sediments, and plant tissue using synchrotron x-ray
techniques such as x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence
mapping and microtomography.
Contact Information
Plant
and Soil Sciences
152 Townsend Hall
Newark, DE 19716
(302) 831-0608
(302) 831-0605 (FAX)
epeltier@udel.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Ph.D. (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Northwestern University, 2002. Thesis: “Trace Metal Speciation
and Availability in a Contaminated Freshwater Wetland Located in
Chicago, IL” Advisor: Professor Jean-François Gaillard.
MS (Civil Engineering) Northwestern
University, 1997. Advisor: Professor Jean-François Gaillard.
BSE (Chemical Engineering) Princeton
University, 1996. Thesis: “Recovery of Disulfonate Coated
Aluminum Oxide Particles from Sand Columns” Advisor: Professor
William Russel.
Professional Associations
American
Chemical Society
American Geophysical Union
Soil
Science Society of America
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Post-Doctoral Researcher
Awards and Scholarships
Northwestern University Murphree Fellowship,
1996-97.
U.S. EPA STAR Program Fellow, 1998-2001.
Publications
| Peltier, E., Allada, R.
K., Navrotsky, A. and Sparks, D. L. “Nickel Solubility
and Precipitation in Soils: A Thermodynamic Study” Clays
and Clay Minerals in review |
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| Allada, R. K., Peltier E., Navrotsky,
A., Casey, W. H., Johnson, A., Thompson-Berbeco, H. and
Sparks, D. L. “Calorimetric determination of the enthalpies
of formation of hydrotalcite-like solids and their use in
the geochemical modeling of metals in natural waters” Clays
and Clay Minerals in review |
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| Peltier, E., Dahl, A.L., and Gaillard,
J.F. (2005) “Metal Speciation in Anoxic Sediments:
When Sulfides Can Be Construed as Oxides” Environmental
Science and Technology 39:311-316 |
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| McNear Jr., D. H., Peltier, E., Everhart,
J. Chaney, R. Newville, M., Rivers, M., Sutton, S., and
Sparks, D. L. (2005) “Application of Quantitative
Fluorescence and Absorption-Edge Computed Tomography to
Image Metal Compartmentalization in Alyssum murale” Environmental
Science and Technology 39:2210-2218 |
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| Peltier, E., Webb, S. M. and Gaillard,
J.F. (2003). “Zinc and Lead Sequestration in an Impacted
Wetland System” Advances in Environmental Research 8:103-112 |
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