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School of Biosciences, Division of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
   
   
  
 

Liz Bailey

Lecturer in Environmental Science, Faculty of Science

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Biography

Specific projects include;

Remediation of heavy metal contamination of soils and groundwatersTechnologies to treat heavy metal contaminated sites are currently moving away from costly 'pump and treat' or 'dig and dump' methods into passive treatments including incorporation of soil amendments to precipitate or 'fix' metals in-situ, or reactive barriers to remove pollutants from contaminated groundwaters. Several reaction mechanisms for metal removal are employed, including absorption, precipitation and absorptive precipitation. Whilst such technologies are apparently successful and cost-effective in the short-term, it is important to consider their long-term performance in terms of metal re-release into the environment. Understanding the changes that occur in the local environment of a metal during and after implementation of passive remediation technologies is therefore necessary to underpin models of bio-hazard and long-term risk assessment.

Speciation of metals in aqueous solutionsResearch here focuses on the use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy to investigate metal speciation in fluids (Bailey et al., 2004; Mosselmans et al., 2001). Organic and inorganic ligands are of interest over a wide range of pH, ligand, and temperature conditions (25-250oC), for example investigation of uranium speciation with organic acids on a recent NERC grant, has demonstrated that these complexes are stable at conditions typical of ore deposit formation (Bailey et al., 2004).

Rare Earth Element Geochemistry in Active Tectonic SettingsOne aspect of my research has concentrated on the behaviour of metals in crustal fluids and includes work on patterns of Rare Earth Element (REE) geochemistry in a range of active tectonic settings to establish whether or not REE can be used as reliable indicators of sediment provenance (Alexander et al., 1998). REE in shales from around the world have very similar REE patterns, with little fluctuation since the end of the Archean as a result of mixing and recycling of continental source rocks. In active tectonic settings more variation is observed and may allow mud-rock provenance to be established. The extent to which REE are mobile in such settings as a consequence of weathering, burial diagenesis, hydrothermal activity and metamorphosis is uncertain.

Uptake of metals by biological organismsResearch has concentrated on the interaction of metals with biological organisms and the role biological organisms play in metal release from mineral phases, in particular focusing on the lichen-metal system (Purvis et al., 2004; Haas et al., 1998; McLean et al., 1998).

 

Expertise Summary

I have primarily developed my research in the area of metal speciation both in solution and, more recently, at mineral surfaces. I use X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) as a tool to understand mechanisms at the atomic level and I am currently applying these techniques to a range of environmental problems including metal fixation in contaminated soils, remediation of metal contaminated groundwaters and metal sorption by natural and synthetic zeolites.

Research Summary

Zeolite solubility and dissolution kinetics

Metal speciation and mobility in the environment

Uranium geochemistry

Rare Earth Element (REE) mobility in active tectonic settings

Selected Publications

Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

University of Nottingham
Gateway Building, Sutton Bonington Campus,
Nr Loughborough, LE12 5RD

telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 6262
email: biosciences-aes@nottingham.ac.uk