Dr Paul Sutton

Biography

Since graduating with a 1st Class BSc Hons in Environmental Science from the University of Plymouth I completed a Ph.D. in 2000 entitled "The quantitative isolation of 'insoluble organic matter' (IOM) from sediments and bacteria and its attempted dissolution using the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium (III) chloride" under the supervision of Professor Steve Rowland.
I have completed two Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships. The first investigated the nutritional status of soils and grasses in the Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kenya, a collaboration between the University of Plymouth (John Maskall) and Imperial College, London (Professor Ian Thornton) on behalf of The People's Trust for Endangered Species. The second (NERC; 2000-2003), investigated the molecular characterisation of chromatographically 'unresolved complex mixtures, (UCMs) obtained from crude oils using preparative-gas chromatography, "Hydrocarbon 'humps' a forgotten petroleum fraction" under the supervision of Professor Rowland and Dr Anthony Lewis.
Between 2000-2008 I was employed as a Scientific Officer in the School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences.
In 2008 I was seconded to a two-year Joint Industry Project co-ordinated by Oil Plus Ltd., Newbury, U.K., on behalf of five oil companies: BG Group, BP, Chevron, Nalco and Total. The purpose of this project was to develop a method for the quantification of C80 tetraacids 'ARN' acids in crude oils.
In 2011 my role changed to a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences. My interests include developing chromatographic separation techniques for organic geochemistry applications, especially isolation of high molecular weight organic compounds and the application of high temperature gas chromatography (HTGC) and HTGC coupled with mass spectrometry.

My role changed in 2019 to a Technical Specialist in Mass Spectrometry, responsible for maintenance and training in the use of three gas chromatographs with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID; two can be operated in high temperature mode, HTGC-FID), two GCs coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometers (GC/MS), an HTGC-ToF-(Select eV) MS, a Flash chromatography system with evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD), a semi-preparative liquid chromatography (HPLC) system with ultraviolet (UV) and refractive index (RI) detectors (can be coupled with an external ELSD), and a QE Focus uHPLC (reverse and normal phase pumps; heated electrospray ionisation (HESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI), atmospheric pressure photoionisation (APPI) and atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP) interfaces) with Orbitrap high-resolution accurate-mass mass spectrometer. I manage the wet chemistry laboratory (630) and undertake practical demonstration work and instrument training as part of undergraduate teaching and project work, and post-graduate project training.

Qualifications

1st Class BSc (Hons) Environmental Science (1995), University of Plymouth
PhD Organic Geochemistry (2000), University of Plymouth

Publications

Key publications

Key publications are highlighted

Journals

Baldanza, A, Bizzarri, R, Boschi, C, Famiani, F, Frondini, F, Lezzerini, M, Rowland, SJ and Sutton, PA (2022) CO2 degassing carbonate conduits in Early Pleistocene marine clayey deposits from Southwestern Unbria (Central Italy). Minerals 12(7), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070819

Articles

Rowland SJ, Wilde MJ, Sutton PA, Blackbird SJ & Wolff GA (2024) 'If speed is of the essence: rapid analysis of ambergris by APCI compact mass spectrometry' Natural Product Research 1-7 Publisher Site , DOI

Longman J, Manners H, Gernon T, McManus J, Palmer M, Rowland S & Sutton P (2023) 'Production and preservation of organic carbon in sub-seafloor tephra layers' Marine Chemistry , DOI Open access

Grundy D, Abraham A & Wilde M (2023) 'Investigating the Chemical Composition of Lanolin Waste to Improve the Production of Sustainable Natural Fibre Materials' ChromCom 1, (7) 18-25 , DOI

Baldanza A, Bizzarri R, Boschi C, Famiani F, Frondini F, Lezzerini M, Rowland S & Sutton PA (2022) 'CO2-Degassing Carbonate Conduits in Early Pleistocene Marine Clayey Deposits in Southwestern Umbria (Central Italy)' Minerals 12, (7) 819-819 , DOI

Nelson RK, Scarlett AG, Gagnon MM, Holman AI, Reddy CM, Sutton PA & Grice K (2022) 'Characterizations and comparison of low sulfur fuel oils compliant with 2020 global sulfur cap regulation for international shipping' Marine Pollution Bulletin 180, 113791-113791 , DOI

Scarlett AG, Nelson RK, Gagnon MM, Holman AI, Reddy CM, Sutton P & Grice K (2021) 'MV Wakashio grounding incident in Mauritius 2020: The world's first major spillage of Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil' Marine Pollution Bulletin , DOI Open access

Rowland SJ, Sutton PA, von der Lühe B, Volkman JK, Vane CH, Ingram SN, Dunn C & Claridge D (2020) 'Ambrein: a minor, but common constituent of mammalian faeces?' Natural Product Research 1-6 , DOI Open access

Rowland SJ, Sutton PA & Wolff GA (2019) 'Biosynthesis of ambrein in ambergris: evidence from isotopic data and identification of possible intermediates' Natural Product Research 1-7 , DOI Open access

Wilde MJ, Robson WJ, Sutton PA & Rowland SJ (2019) 'Volatile and semi-volatile components of jetsam ambergris' Natural Product Research 1-6 , DOI Open access

Vickers M, Price G, Jerrett RM, Sutton P, Watkinson M & FitzPatrick M (2019) 'The duration and magnitude of Cretaceous cool events: Evidence from the northern high latitudes' Geological Society of America Bulletin , DOI Open access

Rowland SJ, Sutton PA & Knowles TDJ (2018) 'The age of ambergris' Natural Product Research 1-9 Author Site , DOI Open access

Lengger SK, Sutton P, Rowland S, Hurley SJ, Pearson A, Naafs BDA, Dang X, Inglis GN & Pancost RD (2018) 'Archaeal and bacterial glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids in environmental samples by high temperature-gas chromatography with flame ionisation and time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection' Organic Geochemistry 121, 10-21 , DOI Open access

Rowland SJ, Sutton PA, Belt ST, Fitzsimmons-Thoss V & Scarlett AG (2018) 'Further spectral and chromatographic studies of ambergris' Natural Product Research 1-7 Author Site , DOI Open access

Rowland S & Sutton P (2018) 'Analysis of miscellaneous non-ambergris organic jetsam beach deposits' , DOI

Boyle D, Sutton PA, Handy RD & Henry TB (2017) 'Intravenous injection of unfunctionalized carbon-based nanomaterials confirms the minimal toxicity observed in aqueous and dietary exposures in juvenile rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss )' Environmental Pollution , DOI Open access

Rowland SJ & Sutton PA (2017) 'Chromatographic and spectral studies of jetsam and archived ambergris' Natural Product Research , DOI Open access

Robson WJ, Sutton PA, McCormack P, Chilcott NP & Rowland SJ (2017) 'Class Type Separation of the Polar and Apolar Components of Petroleum' ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY 89, (5) 2919-2927 Author Site , DOI Open access

Sutton PA & Rowland SJ (2016) 'Spectral and chromatographic characterisation of the onoceroid, ambrane: A potential novel biological marker' Organic Geochemistry 102, 106-109 , DOI Open access

Liu X-L, Birgel D, Elling FJ, Sutton PA, Lipp JS, Zhu R, Zhang C, Konneke M, Peckmann J & Rowland SJ (2016) 'From ether to acid: a plausible degradation pathway of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers' Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta , DOI Open access

Sheldon ND, Grimes ST, Hooker JJ, Collinson ME, Bugler MJ, Hren MT, Price GD & Sutton PA (2015) 'Coupling of marine and continental oxygen isotope records during the Eocene-Oligocene transition' Geological Society of America Bulletin 128, (3-4) 502-510 Author Site , DOI Open access

Manners HR (2014) 'A Multi-Proxy Study of the PETM at the Zumaia Section, northern Spain' Rendiconti online della Società Geologica Italiana 31, 147-148 , DOI

Sutton PA & Rowland SJ (2014) 'Determination of the Content of C<sub>80</sub> Tetraacids in Petroleum' ENERGY & FUELS 28, (9) 5657-5669 , DOI

Manners HR, Grimes ST, Sutton PA, Domingo L, Leng MJ, Twitchett RJ, Hart MB, Dunkley Jones T, Pancost RD & Duller R (2014) 'Reply to comment on "Magnitude and profile of organic carbon isotope records from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum: Evidence from northern Spain" by Manners et al. [Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 376 (2013) 220-230]' EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS 395, 294-295 , DOI

Manners HR, Grimes ST, Sutton PA, Domingo L, Leng MJ, Twitchett RJ, Hart MB, Dunkley Jones T, Pancost RD & Duller R (2013) 'Magnitude and profile of organic carbon isotope records from the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum: Evidence from northern Spain' Earth and Planetary Science Letters 376, 220-230 , DOI

Henry TB, Wileman SJ, Boran H & Sutton P (2013) 'Association of Hg2+ with aqueous (C60)n aggregates facilitates increased bioavailability of Hg2+ in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)' Environ Sci Technol 47, 9997-10004 Author Site , DOI

Sutton PA, Wilde MJ, Martin SJ, Cvacka J, Vrkoslav V & Rowland SJ (2013) 'Studies of long chain lipids in insects by high temperature gas chromatography and high temperature gas chromatography-mass spectrometry' J Chromatogr A 1297, 236-240 Author Site , DOI

Sutton PA & Rowland SJ (2012) 'High temperature gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (HTGC-ToF-MS) for high-boiling compounds' J Chromatogr A 1243, 69-80 Author Site , DOI

Johnson RJ, Smith BE, Sutton PA, McGenity TJ, Rowland SJ & Whitby C (2011) 'Microbial biodegradation of aromatic alkanoic naphthenic acids is affected by the degree of alkyl side chain branching' ISME JOURNAL 5, (3) 486-496 , DOI

Sutton PA, Smith BE & Rowland SJ (2010) 'Mass spectrometry of polycyclic tetracarboxylic ('ARN') acids and tetramethyl esters' Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 24, (21) 3195-3204 Author Site , DOI

Sutton PA, Smith BE, Waters D & Rowland SJ (2010) 'Identification of a Novel Ester Obtained during Isolation of C<sub>80</sub> ("ARN") Tetraprotic Acids from an Oilfield Pipeline Deposit' ENERGY & FUELS 24, (10) 5579-5585 , DOI

Sutton PA & Nesterenko PN (2007) 'Retention characteristics of aromatic hydrocarbons on silica and aminopropyl-modified monolithic columns in normal-phase HPLC' Journal of Separation Science 30, (17) 2900-2909

Smith BE, Sutton PA, Lewis CA, Dunsmore B, Fowler G, Krane J, Lutnaes BF, Brandal O, Sjoblom J & Rowland SJ (2007) 'Analysis of 'ARN' naphthenic acids by high temperature gas chromatoagraphy and high performance liquid chromatography' Journal of Separation Science 30, (3) 375-380

Booth AM, Sutton PA, Lewis CA, Lewis AC, Scarlett A, Chau W, Widdows J & Rowland SJ (2007) 'Unresolved complex mixtures of aromatic hydrocarbons: Thousands of overlooked persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic contaminants in mussels' Environmental Science & Technology 41, (2) 457-464

Booth AM, Sutton PA, Lewis CA, Lewis AC, Scarlett A, Chau W, Widdows J & Rowland SJ (2006) 'Unresolved Complex Mixtures of Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Thousands of Overlooked Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Contaminants in Mussels' Environmental Science & Technology 41, (2) 457-464 Author Site , DOI

Sutton PA, Lewis CA & Rowland SJ (2005) 'Isolation of individual hydrocarbons from the unresolved complex hydrocarbon mixture of a biodegraded crude oil using preparative capillary gas chromatography' Organic Geochemistry 36, (6) 963-970

Sutton PA, Maskall J & Thornton I (2002) 'Concentrations of major and trace elements in soil and grass at Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kenya' Applied Geochemistry 17, (8) 1003-1016

Sutton P, Maskall J & Thornton I (2002) 'Concentrations of major and trace elements in soil and grass at Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kenya' Applied Geochemistry 17, (8) 1003-1016

Sutton PA, Lewis CA & Rowland SJ (2000) 'Attempted dissolution of 'insoluble organic matter' from Methanococcus jannaschii and Rostherne Mere (UK) sediment with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride/aluminium (III) chloride' Ancient Biomolecules 2, 195-207

Conference Papers

Smith EL, Sutton PA, Lewis AC, Galloway T & Rowland SJ (2004) 'Analytical and toxicological methods for identification of unresolved complex mixtures ('humps') of hydrocarbons in the environment' A529-A529

Presentations and posters

Sutton PA, Lewis CA, Rowland SJ & Lewis A Sutton PA, Lewis CA, Rowland SJ & Lewis A 'GCxGC-ToF-MS Identification of Compounds in the Toxic Hydrocarbon Unresolved Complex Mixture (UCM) of Crude Oils'

Other Publications

Sutton, P.A., Tuthorn, M. and Newton, J. (2019): Use of compound specific delta¹³C stable isotope analysis for intact triacylglycerides using high temperature gas chromatography up to 430°C. ChemRxiv. Preprint. https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.9933236.v1

Sutton P, Tuthorn M & Newton J Use of compound specific δ13C stable isotope analysis for intact triacylglcerides using high temperature gas chromatography up to 430°C. ChemRxiv , DOI Open access

Profiles

Technical Specialist

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)

Qualifications