Role
My roles include (i) generation of research income and delivery of REF submittable outputs (ii) management of research laboratories in the Biogeochemistry area (iii) participation in the ISO9000 accreditation process (iv) management of the DOC/TDN instrumentation, including income generation (v) providing support for UG and PG laboratory teaching and research.
Qualifications & background
2007- present Research Fellow. School of Geography Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK.
2006 -2007 Lecturer. School of Earth Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK.
2001-2006 Research Fellow. School of Earth Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK.
1998-2001 Higher Scientific Officer. Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK.
1995-1998 Research Fellow. Southampton Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, UK.
1988-1995 Research Fellow. Dept. of Oceanography, University of Southampton, UK.
1984-1988 PhD student. Dept of Oceanography, University of Southampton, UK.
Research interests
My main research interest is in the aquatic biogeochemistry of nutrients and metals, and falls into two broad themes. The first focuses on the investigation and quantification of the land to sea fluxes of nutrients and metals, and examining how these fluxes may be modified during transport through the estuarine interface. These investigations endeavour to incorporate field-based measurements within a modelling framework, usually the ECoS estuarine simulation software. I am particularly interested in examining key processes and factors that markedly influence the behaviour of organic nitrogen within river estuaries, and the resulting implications for water quality. The second area is concerned with understanding the distributions and fates of contaminant trace metals in NW European coastal seas, again using environmental data coupled to numerical transport modelling where possible. The work on trace metals has now evolved to include the deployment of novel in situ sensors to generate real-time high resolution measurements of dissolved metal fractions in estuaries. These data are of value to studies examining metal partitioning, fluxes and toxicity.
UoP Research group membership
Biogeochemistry and Environmental Analytical Chemistry
Biogeochemistry Research Centre (BGC)
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
Kate A Howell. In situ measurement of trace metals in coastal waters. PhD, University of Plymouth, 2003.
El-sayed A Badr. Environmental Assessment of Biogeochemical Cycling of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and Nitrogen (DON) in Natural Waters. PhD, University of Plymouth, 2005.
Gerald Maier. Nutrients and Eutrophication in the Taw Estuary. PhD, University of Plymouth, 2009.
Jin Bo Zhao. Transformations of organic and inorganic phosphorus in estuarine particle-water systems. PhD, University of Plymouth, 2009.
Grants & contracts
2010 Seale Hayne Educational Trust. Bacterial assimilation of farm worming agents. Amount £11,200. With Dr. M. Fitzsimons (SoGEES).
2007-2010 NERC . Bacterial assimilation of riverine organic nitrogen (BARON). Amount £315,000. With Dr. M. Fitzsimons (SEOES) and Prof. A. McCarthy (University of Liverpool).
2009 Seale Hayne Educational Trust . Phytoplankton community successions and their relation to nutrient availability in the Taw Estuary, North Devon. £9,137. With Prof. P. J. Worsfold and Dr. G. Glegg (SEOES).
2005-2008 HEIF2 studentship . Studies on UK estuarine eutrophication and its amelioration. Amount £25,000. With Prof. P. J. Worsfold and Dr. G. Glegg (SEOES).
2004-2007 UK Dept. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs . Investigating the effectiveness of NVZ Action Programme Measures: development of a strategy for England (DEFRA contract NIT 18 (ADAS reference DWC3400) via CEH sub-contract). Amount £30,800. With Prof. P. J. Worsfold and Dr. M. Fitzsimons (SEOES)
2003-2006 Leverhulme Trust . Natural estuarine particles and their uptake of nitrogen in estuaries (NEPTUNE). Amount £103.000. With Prof. G. E. Millward and Dr. M. Fitzsimons (SEOES).
2003-2004 NERC Isotope Grant . 15-N determinations of inorganic/organic nitrogen compounds in estuarine waters. Amount: £14,200. With Dr. E. P. Achterberg (NOC) and Dr. T. Heaton (NERC Isotope Laboratory, Keyworth).
2000-2003 EU FP V Programme (Environment & Climate) . In-situ automated monitoring of trace metal speciation in estuaries and coastal zones, in relation with the biogeochemical processes-IMTEC. Amount 203,000 Euro (ca. £140,000). With Dr. M. Gledhill and Dr. E. P. Achterberg (NOC).
1999-2002 NERC Studentship . In Situ Measurement of Trace Metals in Coastal Waters. Amount £36,600. With Prof. G. E. Millward (SEOES) and Dr. E. P. Achterberg (NOC).
1991-1995. UK Dept. Environment . Development of a water quality model for trace metals in the North Sea. Amount £130,000. With Prof. J. D. Burton and Dr. P. J. Statham (NOC).
Publications
Maier, G., G.A. Glegg, A.D. Tappin and P.J. Worsfold (2012) A high resolution temporal study of phytoplankton bloom dynamics in the eutrophic Taw Estuary (SW England). Science of the Total Environment (in press).
Tappin, A.D., J.P. Loughnane, A. McCarthy and M.F. Fitzsimons (2012) Removal of atrazine from river waters by indigenous microorganisms. Environmental Chemistry Letters 10, 89-96.
Fitzsimons, M.F., M.C. Lohan, A.D. Tappin and G.E. Millward (2011) The role of suspended particles in estuarine and coastal biogeochemistry. In: Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science, vol. 4, pp. 71-114. Wolanski, E., McLusky, D.S. (Eds.). Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-08-087885-0.
Ussher, S.J., A.J. Manning, A.D. Tappin and M.F. Fitzsimons (2011) Observed dissolved and particulate nitrogen concentrations in a mini flume. Hydrobiologia 672, 69-77.
Braungardt, C.B., A.D. Tappin, K.A. Howell and E.P. Achterberg (2011) Seasonal variability in the speciation of dissolved metals in a UK estuary determined by high resolution in situ measurements. Chemosphere 84, 423-431.
Tappin, A.D., G.E. Millward and M.F. Fitzsimons (2010) Particle – water interactions of organic nitrogen in turbid estuaries. Marine Chemistry 122, 28-38.
Tappin, A.D., J.L. Barriada, C.B. Braungardt, E.H. Evans, M.D. Pattey and E.P. Achterberg (2010) Dissolved silver in European estuarine and coastal waters. Water Research 44, 4204-4216.
Maier, G., G.A. Glegg, A.D. Tappin and P.J. Worsfold (2009) The use of monitoring data for identifying factors influencing phytoplankton bloom dynamics in the eutrophic Taw Estuary, SW England. Marine Pollution Bulletin 58, 1007-1015.
Braungardt, C.B., E.P. Achterberg, B. Axelsson, J. Buffle, F. Graziottin, K.A. Howell, S. Illuminati, G. Scarponi, A.D. Tappin, M.-L. Tercier-Waeber and D. Turner (2009) Analysis of dissolved metal fractions in coastal waters: an inter-comparison of five voltammetric in situ profiling (VIP) systems. Marine Chemistry 114, 47-55.
Maier, G., R.J. Nimmo-Smith, G.A. Glegg, A.D. Tappin and P.J. Worsfold (2009) Estuarine eutrophication in the UK: current incidence and future trends. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 19, 43-56.
Worsfold, P.J., P. Monbet, A.D. Tappin, M.F. Fitzsimons, D.A. Stiles and I.D. McKelvie (2008) Characterisation and quantification of organic phosphorus and organic nitrogen components in aquatic systems: a review. Analytica Chimica Acta 624, 37-58.
Badr, E.A., A.D. Tappin and E.P. Achterberg (2008) Distributions and seasonal variability of dissolved organic nitrogen in two estuaries in SW England. Marine Chemistry 110, 153-164.
Tappin, A.D., P.J. Statham, J.D. Burton and S. Gellers-Barkmann (2008) Distributions and fluxes of contaminant metals in the North Sea: comparisons between field measurements and model simulations using NOSTRADAMUS. Environmental Chemistry 5, 51-67.
Barriada, J.L., A.D. Tappin, E.H. Evans and E.P. Achterberg (2007) Dissolved silver measurements in seawater. TRAC - Trends in Analytical Chemistry 26, 809-817.
Tappin A.D., G.E. Millward and M.F. Fitzsimons (2007) The distribution, cycling and recovery of amino acids in estuarine waters and sediments. Environmental Chemistry Letters 5, 161-167.
Haley, S. M., A. D. Tappin, P.R. Bond and M. Fitzsimons (2006) A comparison of SEM-EDS with ICP-AES for the quantitative elemental determination of estuarine particles. Environmental Chemistry Letters 4, 235-238.
Howell, K.A., E.P. Achterberg, A.D. Tappin, and P.J. Worsfold (2006) Effect of membrane filtration artefacts on trace metal determination in estuarine waters. Environmental Chemistry 3, 199-207.
Gray, S., G. Hanrahan, I. McKelvie, A. Tappin, F. Tse and P. Worsfold (2006) Flow analysis techniques for spatial and temporal measurement of nutrients in aquatic systems. Environmental Chemistry 3, 3-18.
Pan, X., R. Sanders, A.D. Tappin, P.J. Worsfold and E.P. Achterberg (2005) Simultaneous determination of dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen on a coupled high temperature combustion total organic carbon-nitrogen chemiluminescence detection (HTC TOC-NCD) system. Journal of Automated Methods and Management in Chemistry 2005, 240-246.
Howell, K.A., E.P. Achterberg, C.B. Braungardt, A.D. Tappin, P.J. Worsfold and D.R. Turner (2003) Voltammetric in situ measurements of trace metals in coastal waters. TRAC - Trends in Analytical Chemistry 22, 828-835.
Badr, E.A., E.P. Achterberg, A.D. Tappin, S.J. Hill and C.B Braungardt (2003) Determination of dissolved organic nitrogen in natural waters using high temperature catalytic oxidation. TRAC - Trends in Analytical Chemistry 22, 819-827.
Tappin, A.D., J.R.W. Harris and R.J. Uncles (2003) The fluxes and transformations of suspended particles, carbon and nitrogen in the Humber Estuary (UK) from 1994 to 1996 : results from an integrated observation and modelling study. The Science of the Total Environment 314/316, 665-713.
Howell, K.A., E.P. Achterberg, C.B. Braungardt, A.D. Tappin, D.R. Turner and P.J. Worsfold (2003) The determination of trace metals in estuarine and coastal waters using a Voltammetric In situ Profiling system. Analyst 128, 734-741.
Tappin, A.D. (2002) An examination of the fluxes of N and P in temperate and tropical estuaries : current estimates and uncertainties. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 55, 885-901.
Millward, G.E., T.K. Sands, M. Nimmo, A. Turner and A.D. Tappin (2002) Nickel in the Humber plume: influences of particle dynamics and reactivity. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 54, 821-832.
Tappin, A.D., J.R.W. Harris, R.J. Uncles and D. Boorman (2002) Potential modification of the fluxes of nitrogen from the Humber Estuary catchment (UK) to the North Sea in response to changing climate patterns and agricultural inputs. Hydrobiologia 475/476, 65-77.
Gardolinski, P.C.F.C., G. Hanrahan, E.P. Achterberg, M. Gledhill, A.D. Tappin, W.A. House and P.J. Worsfold (2001) Comparison of sample storage protocols for the determination of nutrients in natural waters. Water Research 35, 3670-3678.
Tappin, A.D., G.E. Millward and J.D. Burton (2001) Estuarine and Coastal Water Chemistry. In: Land Ocean Interaction : Measuring and Modelling Fluxes from River Basins to Coastal Seas. Ed. D.A. Huntley, G.J.L. Leeks and D.E Walling. IAWQ Publishing, 241-279.
Uncles, R.J., J.A. Stephens, P.E. Frickers, A.D. Tappin, N.J. Bloomer and C. Harris (2001) Tidal Reaches. In: Land Ocean Interaction : Measuring and Modelling Fluxes from River Basins to Coastal Seas. Ed. D.A. Huntley, G.J.L. Leeks and D.E. Walling. IAWQ Publishing, 144-167.
Tappin, A.D. and P.C. Reid (2000) The English Channel. In: The Seas at the Millenium: An Environmental Evaluation. Volume I. Regional Chapters: Europe, the Americas and West Africa. Ed. C. Sheppard. Pergamon, 65-82.
Proctor, R., J. Holt, J. Harris, A.Tappin and D. Boorman (2000) Modelling the Humber Estuary catchment and coastal zone. In: Estuarine and Coastal Modelling: Proceedings 6th International Conference, Ed. M Spaulding and H.L. Butler, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1259-1274.
Uncles, R.J., N.H. Bloomer, P.E. Frickers, M.L Griffiths, C. Harris, R.J.M Howland, A.W. Morris, D.H. Plummer and A.D.Tappin (2000) Seasonal variability of salinity, temperature, turbidity and suspended chlorophyll in the Tweed Estuary. The Science of the Total Environment 251/252, 115-124.
Uncles, R.J., P.E. Frickers, A.E. Easton, M.L. Griffiths, C. Harris, R.J.M. Howland, A.W. Morris, D.H. Plummer and A.D.Tappin (2000) Concentrations of suspended particulate organic carbon in the tidal Yorkshire Ouse River and Humber Estuary. The Science of the Total Environment 251/252, 233-242.
Jarvie, H.P., C. Neal, A.D. Tappin, J.D. Burton, L.K. Hill, R. Hopkins, M. Neal, M. Harrow, H. Wickham and C. Watts (2000) Riverine inputs of major ions and trace elements to the tidal reaches of the River Tweed, UK. The Science of the Total Environment 251/252, 55-81.
Howland, R.J.M., A.D. Tappin, R.J. Uncles, D.H. Plummer and N.J. Bloomer (2000) Distributions and seasonal variability of pH and alkalinity in the Tweed Estuary, UK. The Science of the Total Environment 251/252, 125-138.
Jarvie, H.P., C. Neal, J.D. Burton and A.D. Tappin (2000) Patterns in trace element chemistry in the freshwater tidal reaches of the River Trent. The Science of the Total Environment 251/252, 317-333.
Jarvie, H.P., C. Neal, A.D. Tappin, J.D. Burton, M. Harrow, L. Hill and M. Neal (2000) The water quality of the River Trent: from the lower non-tidal reaches to the freshwater tidal zone. The Science of the Total Environment 251/252, 335-367.
Reports & invited lectures
Maier, G., A.D. Tappin, G. Glegg and P.J. Worsfold (2007) The River Taw catchment and estuary: a case study for the effects of NVZ measures. Part 2 - the estuary. Investigating the Effectiveness of NVZ Action Programme Measures: Development of a Strategy for England. Report to UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 14 pp.
Nimmo-Smith, R., G. Glegg, A.D. Tappin and P.J. Worsfold (2005) A review of estuarine eutrophication, with specific reference to England and Wales. Investigating the Effectiveness of NVZ Action Programme Measures: Development of a Strategy for England. Report to UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 52 pp.
Tappin, A.D., S. Gellers-Barkmann, J.D. Burton and P.J. Statham (1998) Development of a water quality model for trace metals in the North Sea. Final Report to UK Department of the Environment, Contract PECD 7/8/202, 117 pp.
Contributions to the following reports:
OSPAR Commission (1999) Report of the ASMO Workshop on Modelling Transport and Fate of Contaminants. 4-7 November 1997, The Hague, The Netherlands.
North Sea Task Force (1994) The North Sea Quality Status Report 1993, Oslo and Paris Commissions, London. Olsen and Olsen, Fredensborg, Denmark, 132+vi pp.
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1994) Quality Status Report of the North Sea 1993. Report on Sub-Region 3b. HMSO, 154 pp.
Reid, P.C., C. Auger, M. Chaussepied and M. Burn (1994) Quality Status Report of the North Sea 1993. Report on Sub-Region 9. The Channel. HMSO, 153 pp.
de Vries, I. (ed.) (1992) Report of the NSTF Modelling Workshop, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Report DGW-92045, The Hague, 40 pp.
