College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Geology

Nico Perdrial

Research Assistant Professor

Teaching and Research

As a low-temperature geochemist and environmental mineralogist I apply high-precision aqueous geochemical techniques and state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques to understand molecular-scale geochemical processes in bio/geo media. Molecular-scale processes are best investigated using the interactions of X-Ray and electrons with matter which makes Synchrotron X-Ray spectroscopy (XRD, XRF, XAS) and electron microscopy the primary tools of my research.
My current research focuses on elucidating the fate and mobility of radionuclides (U, Sr, Cs and I) in nuclear waste impacted environments. Using analog sediments as a proxy for field conditions I simulate the reactions occurring when complex sediments are contacted by hyper-alkaline and hyper-acidic high level radioactive wastes. Elucidation of molecular scale processes occurring during reaction, coupled with continuum scale investigation of contaminant stability allows to constrain the development of mechanistic, reactive transport models used to predict long-term contaminant fate.
I am also a collaborator on various projects that aim to investigate geochemical responses to environmental disturbances.

Publications

Bower J.A., Lister S., Hazebrouck G., Perdrial N. (Accepted) - Geospatial evaluation of lead bioaccessibility and distribution for site specific prediction of threshold limit. Environmental Pollution.
Clark K.E., Shanley J.B., Scholl M.A., Perdrial N., Perdrial J.N., Plante A.F., McDowell W.H. (2017) - Tropical river suspended sediment and solute dynamics in storms during an extreme drought. Water Resource Research, 53, doi:10.1002/2016WR019737
Singleton A., Schmidt A., Bierman P., Rood D., Neilson T., Greene S., Bower J. and Perdrial N. (2016) - Effects of Grain Size and Mineralogy on the Distribution of the Fallout Radionuclides 7Be, 10Be, 137Cs, and 210Pb in River Sediment. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 197, 71-86.
Caulk R., Ghazanfari E., Perdrial J. and Perdrial N. (2016) - Experimental investigation of fracture aperture and permeability change within Enhanced Geothermal Systems. Geothermics, 62, 12-21.
Perdrial N., Thompson A. LaSharr K., Amistadi M.K. and Chorover J. (2015) - Quantifying particulate and colloidal release of radionuclides in waste-weathered Hanford sediments. Journal of Environmental Quality, 44, 945-952.
Linker B., Khatiwada R., Perdrial N., Abrell L., Sierra R., Field J. and Chorover J. (2015) - Adsorption of novel insensitive munitions compounds at clay mineral and metal oxide surfaces. Environmental Chemistry, 12, 74-84.
Zaunbrecher L., Elliott W.C., Wampler J.M., Perdrial N., Kaplan D.I. (2015) - Enrichment of cesium and rubidium in weathered micaceous materials at the savannah river site, South Carolina. Environmental Science and Technology, 49, 4226-4234.
Perdrial N., Thompson A., O’Day P. and Chorover J. (2014) - Mineral transformation controls speciation and pore-fluid transmission of contaminants in waste-weathered Hanford sediments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 141, 487-507.
Hayes S., Root R., Perdrial N., Maier R. and Chorover J. (2014) - Surficial weathering of iron sulfide mine tailings under semi-arid climate. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 141, 240-257.
Kanematsu M., Perdrial N., Um W., Chorover J. and O'Day P.A. (2014) – Influence of phosphate and silica on U(VI) precipitation from acidic and neutralized wastewaters. Environmental Science and Technology, 48, 6097-6106.