Dr Andrew Turner

• I am an Associate Professor in marine and environmental biogeochemistry at the University of Plymouth. My teaching focuses on marine, terrestrial and atmospheric processes and the impacts of pollutants on these processes.

  My research is mainly related to marine pollution by plastics, pharmaceuticals, antifouling paints, rare earth elements and other emerging contaminants, human health impacts arising from exposure to chemicals and microplastics, contamination of consumer plastics through recycling of electronic waste, and the analysis of low-density materials through X-ray fluorescence. I have also recently seen the many benefits of combining conventional scientific research with citizen science.

  I am currently collaborating with colleagues from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Birmingham University, The Cornish Plastic Pollution Coalition, The University of Geneva, Lancaster University and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, and I am on various advisory boards and committees, including “Lead Safe World” and the International Scientific Committee for Estuarine Biogeochemistry. Research outputs are in numerous scientific publications and reports, as well as media outlets, blogs and forums.

  
  
• Reader in Environmental Sciences (Biogeochemistry)
  
• Lecturer on the Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Ocean Science, Applied Marine Science and Environmental Consultancy programmes
• Stage Two tutor for Environmental Science and Environmental Management
• Module leader for ENVS2005

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) in Oceanography and Meteorology
• PhD in Marine Chemistry 
• SEDA in Higher Education 

Professional membership

• Member of the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association
• Full member of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography

Roles on external bodies

• Advisory committee for LEAD safe group
• Member of the International Scientific Committee for Estuarine Biogeochemistry
• Guest associate editor for Marine Chemistry
• Editorial board for Marine Pollution Bulletin
• Editor for Frontiers topic "Plastics in the Environment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Solutions"

Teaching interests

• Marine and environmental biogeochemistry
• Marine pollution
• Environmental radioactivity
• Air quality modelling
• Environmental impact and risk assessment
• Applied statistics and data management
• Meteorology
• Persistent organic pollutants
• Plastic recycling and pollution
• Waste management and WEEE

Staff serving as external examiners

• PhD, University of Sydney (2002)
• PhD, Queen Mary College, University of London (2010)
• PhD, University of Vigo (2009)
• PhD, Brunel University (2012)
• PhD, Stockholm University (2013)
• PhD, Queen Mary College, University of London (2015)
• PhD, Andhra University, India (2015)
• PhD, Stockholm University (2019)
• PhD, Nova Gorica University (2020)

Research interests

Behaviour and fate of trace metals in natural waters

• Conceptual and empirical modelling of the particle-water interactions of trace metals and organic contaminants in natural waters
• Thermodynamic speciation modelling of metals in estuaries
• Mercury cycling in estuaries and coastal waters
• Hydrophobic and amphiphilic properties of trace metals in contaminated rivers
• Radionuclide behaviour in coastal waters 
• The influence of surfactants on the behaviour of organic and inorganic contaminants in natural waters 
• Uptake of metals by marine macroalgae and microalgae 
• Interactions of metals with plastic production pellets in sea water

Emerging pollutants

• Behaviour and environmental impacts of cytotoxic drugs
• The behaviour of the platinum group metals in natural waters
• Interactions of thallium with natural surfaces
• Effects of antifouling paint residues on the distributions and effects of biocides in coastal waters
  
• Toxicity of nanoparticles to fresh water and marine organisms

Bioaccessibility, bioavailability and toxicity of contaminants

• Human bioaccessibility of metals in household dust, road dust and urban paints
• Invertebrate bioavailability of sediment-bound contaminants using enzymatic digestions and proteins
• Toxicity of tyre wear constituents in marine systems
• Toxicity of metals and surfactants to marine macroalgae
• Bioaccessibility of metal pigments in marine plastics
• Mobility of metals in ceramicware and consumer glassware

• Development of XRF for the analysis of low density materials (plastics, paints)
• Application of XRF for the analysis of macroalgae
• In situ monitoring of trace elements in sediments
• Metals in microplastics
• Occurrence of harmful elements in the domestic setting and in consumer products
• Use of XRF to characterise plastic WEEE

Other research

Research degrees awarded to supervised students

• D. Mohammed; Toxicity of metals and surfactants to freshwater macroalgae. MPhil (2017).
• C. Levy; Study of modified calcium carbonates as active-agent slow-release and environmental clean-up agents. PhD (2016)
• N. Vyas; Effectiveness of a closed system device in reducing occupational exposure and environmental concentrations of anticancer drugs. PhD (2014).
• L. Holmes; Interactions of trace metals with plastics in the marine environment. PhD (2013)
• L. Dallas; Assessing the impacts of chronic exposure of contaminants on marine organisms. PhD (2013)
• C. M. Gribble; Surface adsorption and pore-level properties of mineral and related systems of relevance to the recycling of paper. PhD (2010)
• L. Shams; Uptake of platinum group elements by the marine microalga, Chlorella stigmatophora. PhD (2010)
• S. Batchelli: Multi-method characterisation of terrestrial and marine colloids in coastal waters. PhD (2010) 
• S.J. Watts; Recovery of the Mersey Estuary from metal contamination. PhD (2004)
• E. Mawji; Speciation and hydrophobicity of trace metals, MRes (2003)
• Y. Dogra; Biological effects of tritium, MRes (2003)
• T.L. Jones-Hughes; Surfactants in rivers and estuaries, PhD (2003)
• M.S. Williams; Radionuclides in estuaries, PhD (2001)
• S.M. Le Roux; Speciation and reactivity of metals in estuaries, PhD (2000)
• A. Punt; Estuarine modelling of trace metals, PhD (2000)
• M. Martino; Reactivity of nickel in estuaries, PhD (2000)
• M.C. Rawling; Partitioning of organics micropollutants in estuaries, PhD (1999)
• T.J. Mathews; Void structure, colloid and tracer transport properties of stratified porous media, PhD(1998)
• T.K. Sands; Metal Reactivity in the North Sea, PhD (1997)
• Supervisor for research projects of 60 MSc Students

Current PhD students

• C. Crawford; Analytical, taxicogenomics and modelling approaches to determine the impacts of radionuclides and metals.

Grants & contracts

Channel Catchment Cluster (3C): Recent developments in tools and techniques for water quality management in the France (channel) England region; European Commission(INTERREG IV A); 2013-2015 (Co-I)

EU Horizon 2020 9 Transversal actions for tritium (TRANSAT); 2017-2021 (Co-I).

Conferences organised

• Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association. Local meeting: "Estuaries of South West England". Plymouth, April 2005.
• 12th International Estuarine Biogeochemistry Symposium: "An Integrated Approach to Estuarine Biogeochemistry". Plymouth, July 2013.
• Marine Pollution and the English Channel - a public engagement event. Plymouth, September 2014.

Other academic activities

Links