Simon R. Poulson
BA University of Cambridge 1985
PhD The Pennsylvania State University 1990
Research Associate Professor
Environmental and stable isotope geochemistry
Dept. of Geological Sciences & Engineering, MS-172
University of Nevada, Reno
1664 N. Virginia St.
Reno, NV 89557-0138. USA
(775) 784-1104
Fax: (775) 784-1833
Email: poulson@mines.unr.edu
Experience:
• 2006 - present Research Associate
Professor
Dept. of
Geological Sci. & Eng., University of Nevada, Reno
• 2006 JSPS
Visiting Research Fellow
Dept. of Earth
Sciences, Okayama University, Japan
• 1998 - 2006 Research
Assistant Professor
Dept. of
Geological Sci. & Eng., University of Nevada, Reno
• 2001 JSPS Visiting
Research Fellow
Dept. of
Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan
• 1994 - 1998 Post-Doctoral
Research Associate
Dept. of
Geology & Geophysics, University of Wyoming
• 1992 - 1993 Post-Doctoral
Research Associate
Dept. of Earth
Sciences, Dartmouth College
• 1991 Visiting Research Fellow
Dept. of
Geological Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
• 1990 - 1992 Post-Doctoral
Research Associate
Dept. of
Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University
Research Interests:
My current research interests are strongly focused
upon
environmental contaminant geochemistry, and in particular, applying
stable
isotope techniques to studying the behavior of ground water
contaminants.
Stable isotope geochemistry has an important role to play in
understanding
the behavior of environmental contaminants, as it can provide insight
as
to the various chemical, physical, and biological processes controlling
the behavior of the contaminant. Hence, stable isotope geochemistry is
of great value when studying the remediation of environmental
contaminants,
whether it be effected by engineered treatment or by natural
degradation.
Moreover, stable isotope geochemistry can provide information as to the
original source of the contamination, so it can also be used to help
prevent
further contamination by controlling the original source of the
problem,
once this source is identified.
The most well-known application of stable isotope
geochemistry
to study contaminant behavior is using N and O isotopes to study
nitrate
contamination in ground water. More recently, C, H, and Cl stable
isotope analysis has been applied to the study of environmental organic
contaminants such as monoaromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene,
ethylbenzene,
xylenes) and chlorinated solvents (trichloroethylene, methylene
chloride,
chloroform). However, the technique has possible future application to
almost any organic contaminant of concern, including other gasoline
components,
gasoline additives such as MTBE, pesticides, and explosive munitions
such
as TNT. Stable isotope geochemistry also has possible application
to the study of the complex biogeochemical behavior of inorganic
contaminants
such as selenium, which is a contaminant of particular concern in the
arid
states of the western U.S.
Recent Publications:
• Poulson S.R. and Naraoka H. (2006) Carbon Isotope Fractionation
during Degradation of Benzene, Trichloroethene, and Tetrachloroethene
under
Ultraviolet Light.
Geochemical J., 40: 291-296.
• Benson L.V., Hattori E.M., Taylor H.E., Poulson S.R., and Jolie E.A.
(2006) Isotope sourcing of prehistoric willow and
tule textiles recovered from western Great Basin rockshelters – proof
of concept. J. Archaeol. Sci., in press.
• Gammons C.H., Poulson S.R., Pellicori D.A., Reed P.J., Roesler A.J.
and
Petrescu E.M. (2006) The hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of
precipitation,
evaporated mine water, and river water in Butte, Montana, USA. J.
Hydrology, in press.
• Poulson S.R. (2005) The effect of sulfate-δ18O upon on-line
sulfate-δ34S analysis, and implications for measurements of δ33S and
Δ33S. Rapid Commun. Mass
Spectrom., 19: 105-107.
• Parker S.R., Poulson S.R., Gammons C.H. and DeGrandpre M.D. (2005)
Diel
cycles in stable isotopic composition of dissolved O2 and DIC in a
river due to
biogeochemical processes. Environ. Sci. Tech., 39: 7134-7140.
• Pellicori D.A., Gammons C.H. and Poulson S.R. (2005) Geochemistry and
stable isotope composition of the Berkeley pit lake and surrounding
mine waters,
Butte,
Montana. Appl. Geochem., 20: 2116-2137.
• Chikaraishi Y., Naraoka H. and Poulson S.R. (2004) Hydrogen and
carbon
isotopic fractionations of lipid biosynthesis among terrestrial (C3, C4
and CAM) and
aquatic
plants. Phytochemistry, 65: 1369-1381.
• Chikaraishi Y., Naraoka H. and Poulson S.R. (2004) Carbon and
hydrogen
isotopic fractionation during lipid biosynthesis in a higher plant (Cryptomeria
japonica). Phytochemistry, 65: 323-330.
• Poulson S.R. and John B.E. (2003) Stable isotope and trace-element
geochemistry of the basal Bouse Formation carbonate, southwestern USA:
Implications for the Pliocene uplift history of the Colorado Plateau.
Geol. Soc. America
Bull., 115: 434-444.
• Gammons C.H., Poulson S.R., Metesh J.J., Duaime T.E. and Henne A.R.
(2003) Geochemistry and isotopic composition of H2S-rich flooded mine
waters, Butte, Montana. Mine Water and the Environment, 22: 141-148.
• Madison J.P., Gammons C.H., Poulson S.R. and Jonas J.P. (2003)
Oxidation of Pyrite by Ferric Iron in the Acidic Berkeley Pit Lake,
Montana, USA.
In: Proceedings 6th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage (6th
ICARD),
Cairns, Australia, pp. 1073-1078.
• Poulson S.R. and Naraoka H. (2002) Carbon Isotope Fractionation
during
Permanganate Oxidation of Chlorinated Ethylenes (cDCE, TCE,
PCE). Environ. Sci. Tech., 36: 3270-3274.
Last update: 26 May 2006