AWRI Environmental Chemistry

Environmental Chemistry

Dr. Richard Rediske

The Environmental Chemistry Lab conducts research on the interaction of anthropogenic stressors with biological systems and their mitigation. Anthropogenic inputs of toxic chemicals and other stressors such as pathogens, sediment, marine debris, and nutrients have altered the structure and function of aquatic systems and impacted critical drinking water supplies. Our primary research areas include the Great Lakes Areas of Concern, the assessment of contaminated sediments, cyanobacteria and their toxins, persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals in fish, water quality investigations, and biosand filtration.

The laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility that includes gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, high pressure liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, ion chromatography, discrete micro chemistry analyzer, and a temperature controlled toxicity testing lab. We conduct field and laboratory based research in addition to performing laboratory analyses for Great Lakes based projects from NOAA and USGS.

In the AWRI research laboratories, we conduct sophisticated environmental analyses and assessments. This information is the foundation that helps us make decisions about AWRI within our environment