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Allen Burton
About
Allen Burton, PhD, is a Professor at SEAS and the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences. He has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Roskilde (Denmark), is a Concurrent Professor at Nanjing University, and an Honorary Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment in Beijing China.
His research on ecological risk assessment, sediment quality guidelines, and aquatic ecosystem stressors has taken him to all seven continents with Visiting Scientist positions in China, Denmark, Italy, New Zealand, and Portugal. His research focuses on sediment and stormwater contaminants and understanding contaminant bioavailability processes, effects and ecological risk at multiple trophic levels, and ranking stressor importance in human dominated watersheds and coastal areas. He has received over ten million dollars in extramural research funding.
He is Director of the Institute for Global Change Biology a Fellow of the international Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). He served as Director of the University of Michigan Water Center and Cooperative Institute of Limnology and Ecosystems Research. He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry, past president of SETAC, and served on numerous national and international panels and Advisory Boards with over 200 peer-reviewed publications on aquatic ecosystem risk issues.
Publications
- Net methylmercury production in two contrasting stream sediments and associated accumulation and toxicity to periphyton
- Macroinvertebrate responses to nickel in multi-system exposures. Environ Toxicol Chem
- Toxicological effects of short-term resuspension of metal contaminated freshwater and marine sediments.
- Development of a bioavailability-based risk assessment approach for nickel in freshwater sediments. Integr Environ Assess & Mgmt.
- Microplastic as a Vector for Chemicals in the Aquatic Environment. Critical Review and Model-Supported Re-interpretation of Empirical Studies.
- Watch lecture on video: Adverse Effects of Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems are Questionable
Research
2019 New Funding as of June: $416,114
- 2019. Copper Transformations in Sediment. Copper Alliance. $60,386
- 2019. South Pond Ecotoxicological Study Phase 2. Jacobs Engineering. $173,984
- Technical Support for Developing and Field Testing In Situ Bioassays in the Surface Mixing Layer of Marine Waters at Oil Spill Sites. NOAA. $140,000.
- A PFAS Special Section for Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry: Highlights of SERDP/ESTCP Research. SERDP. $41,744.
2018 New Funding: $2,644,556
- 2018-2020. Institute for Global Change Biology. University of Michigan. $2,200,000
- 2018. CH2M. Ecotoxicological evaluation of sediment-associated metals in East Wilson Pond.
- Amendment of $35,000
- 2018. Erb Watershed based Policy – City of Detroit Green Stormwater Infrastructure Pilot. $51,215
- Copper removal from freshwaters – International Copper Association $110,000
- South Pond Ecotoxicological Study. Dow Chemical. $132,834
- 2018. Identifying Sediments for rapid Removal- Reasonable Worst Case. International Lead Zinc Organization. $115,507
2017 New Funding: $564,723
- 2017-2018. CH2M. Ecotoxicological evaluation of sediment-associated metals in East Wilson Pond. Amendment of $36,694.
- 2017-2018. SERDP. Proof-of-Concept for the in situ Toxicity Identification Evaluation iTIE) Technology for Assessing Contaminated Sediments, Remediation Success, Recontamination and Source Identification. $200,000.
- 2017. University of Michigan. Environmental Dredging: Evaluation of Human Health Benefits and Risks. $20,000
- 2017-2018. NiPERA. Metal partitioning to oxic natural sediments and removal from water. $102,046.
- 2017. Ecotoxicological evaluation of sediment-associated metals in East Wilson Pond. Amendment. CH2M Hill. $205,983
Education
PhD, University of Texas at Dallas (environmental science: aquatic toxicology)
MS, University of Texas at Dallas (environmental science: aquatic toxicology)
MS, Auburn University (microbiology)
BS, Ouachita Baptist University (biology and chemistry)
Affiliations
- Board of Advisors. University of North Texas, Inaugural Board of Advisors for the Advanced Environmental Research Institute. 2016-2019.
- Expert Panel. Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (2016-2019)
- Advisory Panel. Ecological Toxicity Advisory Panel. Non-Ferrous Metals Research Associations. 2000-present.
- Program Review Panel. University of North Texas Department of Biological Sciences. 2015.
- Chair, Global Partners Committee, Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry. 2014-2015.
In the Media