Title of PhD: Establishing the Environmental Risk of Metal Mining Contaminated River Bank Sediments
Supervisors: Dr Lesley Batty and Dr Patrick Byrne (LJMU)
Research of biogeochemical changes that occur in river bank sediments subjected to changing flood/drought conditions (as predicted due to climate change) to understand these effects on the release of contaminant trace metals lead and zinc.
A series of mesocosm experiments were run using contaminated river bank sediment, (Afon Ystwyth, Wales, UK). Laboratory analysis has focused on the speciation of sulphur and iron and manganese in the pore water and sediment in response to changes in redox potential and drying to determine the geochemical processes that control the mobility of contaminant trace metals lead and zinc.