Themed collection Emerging Investigator Series
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Emerging investigator series: contributions of reactive nitrogen species to transformations of organic compounds in water: a critical review
Reactive nitrogen species (RNS) pose a potential risk to drinking water quality because they react with organic compounds to form toxic byproducts.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2022,24, 851-869
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EM00102K
Emerging investigator series: microplastic sources, fate, toxicity, detection, and interactions with micropollutants in aquatic ecosystems – a review of reviews
Hundreds of review studies have been published focusing on microplastics (MPs) and their environmental impacts.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2022,24, 172-195
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EM00443C
Emerging investigator series: the role of chemical properties in human exposure to environmental chemicals
We review how chemical properties govern human exposure to environmental chemicals through different routes from different sources.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021,23, 1839-1862
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EM00252J
Emerging investigator series: critical review of photophysical models for the optical and photochemical properties of dissolved organic matter
Photophysical models for dissolved organic matter optical properties and photochemistry are critically reviewed.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2020,22, 1139-1165
https://doi.org/10.1039/D0EM00056F
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Emerging investigator series: towards a framework for establishing the impacts of pharmaceuticals in wastewater irrigation systems on agro-ecosystems and human health
Use of reclaimed wastewater for agricultural irrigation is seen as an attractive option to meet agricultural water demands of a growing number of countries suffering from water scarcity.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 605-622
https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00020H
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Emerging investigator series: In-depth chemical profiling of tire and artificial turf crumb rubber: aging, transformation products, and transport pathways
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024, Accepted Manuscript
https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EM00326H
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Emerging investigator series: preferential adsorption and coprecipitation of permafrost organic matter with poorly crystalline iron minerals
This study reports the decrease in iron-bound organic carbon quantity and change in its composition in thawing permafrost soils, with implications for the bioavailability of the dissolved organic carbon pool.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024,26, 1322-1335
https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EM00241E
Emerging investigator series: predicted losses of sulfur and selenium in european soils using machine learning: a call for prudent model interrogation and selection
Changes in soil organic carbon, evapotranspiration, and S and Se atmospheric deposition are predicted to decrease S and Se concentrations in Europe soils.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024, Advance Article
https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EM00338A
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Emerging investigator series: Coprecipitation with glucuronic acid limits reductive dissolution and transformation of ferrihydrite in an anoxic soil
Ferrihydrite, a poorly crystalline Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide, is abundant in soils and is often found associated with organic matter.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024, Advance Article
https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EM00238E
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Emerging investigator series: secondary organic aerosol formation from photooxidation of acyclic terpenes in an oxidation flow reactor
Organic aerosol formed from ocimene photooxidation has more oligomers compared to organic aerosol formed from other acyclic terpene precursors.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024,26, 1156-1170
https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EM00063C
Emerging investigator series: nontargeted screening of aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists in endangered beluga whales from the St. Lawrence Estuary: beyond legacy contaminants
Higher AhR activity measured in endangered SLE belugas compared to Arctic belugas was attributed to their exposure to polar contaminants.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024, Advance Article
https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EM00243A
Emerging investigator series: impacts of land use on dissolved organic matter quality in agricultural watersheds: a molecular perspective
In aquatic systems, dissolved organic matter (DOM) has important ecological and biogeochemical functions, where the molecular composition of DOM has larger-scale implications for climate change and global carbon cycles.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024,26, 247-258
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EM00506B
Autoxidation of glycols used in inhalable daily products: implications for the use of artificial fogs and e-cigarettes
The use of glycols is seen in various industries and occupations.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023,25, 1657-1669
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EM00214D
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Emerging investigator series: aqueous photooxidation of live bacteria with hydroxyl radicals under cloud-like conditions: insights into the production and transformation of biological and organic matter originating from bioaerosols
In this study, we investigate what happens when live bacteria are exposed to hydroxyl radicals under cloud-like conditions.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023,25, 1150-1168
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EM00090G
Emerging investigator series: an instrument to measure and speciate the total reactive nitrogen budget indoors: description and field measurements
A robust and quantitative instrument that measures total gas-phase reactive nitrogen (tNr) has been developed for indoor air quality surveys. It can focus on NOx, HONO, and NH3 levels indoors, from the complete tNr budget, on timescales of 5–20 min.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023,25, 389-404
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EM00446A
Emerging investigator series: physicochemical properties of wildfire ash and implications for particle stability in surface waters
Ash samples from Oregon and California wildfires were characterized and the effects on particle stability in water were related to combustion completeness and ash color to assess mobilization potential in aquatic systems.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2022,24, 2129-2139
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EM00216G
Emerging investigator series: ozone uptake by urban road dust and first evidence for chlorine activation during ozone uptake by agro-based anti-icer: implications for wintertime air quality in high-latitude urban environments
In this study, we report the heterogeneous chemistry of ozone with urban road dust and anti-icer. We present a novel pathway for chlorine activation during ozone uptake by anti-icer and discuss its potential air quality impacts in cold-climate urban regions.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2022,24, 2070-2084
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EM00393C
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Investigating the dynamics of methylmercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea shelf food web: a modeling perspective
We used a modeling approach to explore how toxicokinetics and food-web trophodynamics affect MeHg bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea shelf.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2022,24, 1010-1025
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EM00108J
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Emerging investigator series: aqueous-phase processing of atmospheric aerosol influences dissolution kinetics of metal ions in an urban background site in the Po Valley
Fog processing of atmospheric aerosol enhances the solubility and the dissolution kinetics of particle-bound metal ions.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2022,24, 884-897
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EM00023G
Emerging investigator series: quantifying the impact of cloud cover on solar irradiance and environmental photodegradation
Assessing the influence of cloud cover on solar irradiance and environmental photodegradation using machine learning models with cloudiness, time of day, and day of year as inputs.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021,23, 1884-1892
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EM00314C
Emerging investigator series: human CYP2A6 catalyzes the oxidation of 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol
The human polymorphic enzyme CYP2A6 is primarily responsible for catalyzing the oxidation and activation of one PFAS, the 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021,23, 1688-1695
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EM00307K
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Emerging investigator series: a holistic approach to multicomponent EXAFS: Sr and Cs complexation in clayey soils
Strontium and caesium are fission products of concern at many nuclear legacy sites. In this study we used a novel approach to EXAFS spectra to determine the details of Cs and Sr surface complexation in clayey soils.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021,23, 1101-1115
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EM00121C
Emerging investigator series: municipal wastewater as a year-round point source of neonicotinoid insecticides that persist in an effluent-dominated stream
Municipal wastewater effluent is a significant year-round point source of neonicotinoids to a temperate-region wastewater effluent-dominated stream, leading to ecological exposure conditions of concern that persist downstream.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021,23, 678-688
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EM00065A
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Emerging investigator series: chemical and physical properties of organic mixtures on indoor surfaces during HOMEChem
Organic films on indoor surfaces serve as a medium for reactions and for partitioning of semi-volatile organic compounds and thus play an important role in indoor chemistry.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021,23, 559-568
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EM00060H
Emerging investigator series: entrapment of uranium–phosphorus nanocrystals inside root cells of Tamarix plants from a mine waste site
Uranium uptake and accumulation in the roots of Tamarix plants, leading to extracellular U precipitation, and the intracellular entrapment of U–P nanocrystals.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021,23, 73-85
https://doi.org/10.1039/D0EM00306A
Emerging investigator series: air conditioning filters as a sampler for semi-volatile organic compounds in indoor and near-building air
SVOCs were measured in HVAC filters to compare seasonal differences, incoming vs. outgoing air, and semi-quantitatively determine indoor air concentrations.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2020,22, 2322-2331
https://doi.org/10.1039/D0EM00284D
Emerging investigator series: heterogeneous OH oxidation of primary brown carbon aerosol: effects of relative humidity and volatility
Changes in the composition and absorptivity of primary brown carbon aerosol generated from smoldering pine were measured during exposure to hydroxyl radical in a photo-reaction chamber.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2020,22, 2162-2171
https://doi.org/10.1039/D0EM00311E
Emerging investigator series: influence of marine emissions and atmospheric processing on individual particle composition of summertime Arctic aerosol over the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea
Composition of individual atmospheric particles reveals the influence of marine sources, terrestrial sources, and anthropogenic sources on atmospheric chemistry in the changing Alaskan Arctic.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2020,22, 1201-1213
https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00495E
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Emerging investigator series: use of behavioural endpoints in the regulation of chemicals
Suggestion for how the use of behavioral endpoints can improve in environmental risk assessment of chemicals.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2020,22, 49-65
https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00463G
Emerging investigator series: mercury mobility and methylmercury formation in a contaminated agricultural flood plain: influence of flooding and manure addition
We investigated the release of mercury from soil to soil solution and the formation of methylmercury in polluted agricultural floodplain fields during a flooding incubation experiment.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 2008-2019
https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00257J
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Emerging investigator series: interdependency of green rust transformation and the partitioning and binding mode of arsenic
Structural transformations of green rust and the partitioning of arsenic were tracked during aging for up to a year.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 1459-1476
https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00267G
Degradation of phthalate esters in floor dust at elevated relative humidity
Emerging investigator series: Phthalate losses in floor dust are due to abiotic chemical degradation as well as microbial degradation of phthalates under elevated relative humidity conditions.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 1268-1279
https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00050J
Emerging investigator series: primary emissions, ozone reactivity, and byproduct emissions from building insulation materials
Insulation materials affect indoor air by (i) releasing primary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from enclosure cavities to the interior space, (ii) mitigating exposure to outdoor pollutants through reactive deposition (of oxidants, e.g., ozone) or filtration in infiltration air, and (iii) generating secondary VOCs and gas-phase byproducts from chemical reactions.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 1255-1267
https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00024K
Emerging investigator series: spatial distribution of dissolved organic matter in ice and at air–ice interfaces
Organic solutes in snow and ice can be distributed heterogeneously throughout the ice bulk and across the ice surface. This may affect air-surface interactions and heterogeneous reactions in snow-covered regions.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 1076-1084
https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00190E
Emerging investigator series: investigation of mercury emission sources using Hg isotopic compositions of atmospheric mercury at the Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS), Japan
This study conducted mercury (Hg) isotopic analysis, which has been expected as a new indicator for understanding the behavior of atmospheric Hg.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 809-818
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00590G
Emerging investigator series: oxidative potential of diesel exhaust particles: role of fuel, engine load, and emissions control
Biodiesel and the use of an emissions control system significantly reduced the oxidative potential of diesel exhaust particles, which correlated with reduction in emissions of elemental carbon.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 819-830
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00571K
Emerging investigator series: atmospheric cycling of indium in the northeastern United States
Atmospheric indium is dominated by human emissions, primarily from coal combustion and the smelting of lead, zinc, and other metal sulfides.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 623-634
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00485D
Emerging investigator series: radium accumulation in carbonate river sediments at oil and gas produced water discharges: implications for beneficial use as disposal management
In the western U.S., produced water from oil and gas wells discharged to surface water augments downstream supplies used for irrigation and livestock watering.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2019,21, 324-338
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00336J
Emerging investigator series: effect-based characterization of mixtures of environmental pollutants in diverse sediments
Our study distinguishes the total vs. the bioavailable contamination of mixtures of environmental pollutants in sediments from contaminated sites in Europe and more remote locations in Australia and the Arctic.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2018,20, 1667-1679
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00401C
Emerging investigator series: exploring the surface properties of aqueous aerosols coated with mixed surfactants
Fatty acid monolayers form in a more well-ordered state upon mixing with cholesterol at the air–seawater surface.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2018,20, 1500-1511
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00419F
Emerging investigator series: determination of biphasic core–shell droplet properties using aerosol optical tweezers
Algorithm to fit whispering gallery modes retrieves biphasic properties.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2018,20, 1512-1523
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00166A
Emerging investigator series: sunlight photolysis of 2,4-D herbicides in systems simulating leaf surfaces
Herbicides in the 2,4-D family were investigated for their direct photolysis under sunlight in organic solvents and on simulated leaf surfaces.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2018,20, 1123-1135
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00186C
Emerging investigator series: methylmercury speciation and dimethylmercury production in sulfidic solutions
Experimental and computational evidence show that dimethylmercury is produced from decomposition of bis(methylmercury(II)) sulfide.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2018,20, 584-594
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7EM00533D
Emerging investigator series: geochemistry of trace elements associated with Fe and Mn nodules in the sediment of limed boreal lakes
We report on the geochemical legacy of the liming of acidified lakes in Norway. We document the occurrence of Fe–Mn nodules and the diagenetic redistribution of trace-elements at the sediment–water interface of limed boreal lakes.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2018,20, 406-414
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7EM00477J
Emerging investigator series: the effect of wildfire on streamwater mercury and organic carbon in a forested watershed in the southeastern United States
The amount of streamwater mercury associated with suspended solids was an order of magnitude greater following a low-intensity wildfire.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2017,19, 1505-1517
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7EM00419B
Emerging investigator series: development and application of polymeric electrospun nanofiber mats as equilibrium-passive sampler media for organic compounds
We fabricated a suite of polymeric electrospun nanofiber mats (ENMs) and investigated their performance as next-generation passive sampler media for environmental monitoring of organic compounds.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2017,19, 1445-1456
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7EM00289K
Emerging investigator series: As(V) in magnetite: incorporation and redistribution
As coprecipitated with magnetite remained incorporated over time whereas sorbed As was redistributed and became increasingly incorporated into magnetite, both the absence and presence of aqueous Fe(II).
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2017,19, 1208-1219
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7EM00237H
Emerging investigator series: dual role of organic matter in the anaerobic degradation of triclosan
Organic matter affects the degradation of triclosan as both a sequester and an electron shuttle.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2017,19, 499-506
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7EM00003K
Emerging investigator series: a 14-year depositional ice record of perfluoroalkyl substances in the High Arctic
Detection of perfluoroalkyl substances from a remote ice cap indicate the importance of indirect and novel direct atmospheric sources.
Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2017,19, 22-30
https://doi.org/10.1039/C6EM00593D
About this collection
Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts is pleased to present this growing web collection, showcasing the exciting work being conducted by Emerging Investigators in the environmental chemical sciences. The Series highlights the work being conducted by up-and-coming scientists in the early stages of their independent careers, who have been identified as having the potential to influence future directions in the field.
This collection will be updated when new Emerging Investigator Series papers are published – so keep checking this page and watch the collection grow.
More details about the Emerging Investigator Series can be found on the blog, including details on how to apply for consideration and interviews with the corresponding authors featured in this collection. Direct links to each of these interviews can be found below.