Lemkau Lab

Chemical Legacies in the Environment

Research

Research

Oil weathering

Examining small scale processes related to post-spill oil weathering.

Persistent Organic Pollutants

Examining historical signatures of human actions preserved in the sedimentary record.

Polyunsaturated Aldehydes

Examining the distribution and impact of naturally-produced cytotoxic compounds on ecosystem dynamics.

Wastewater Epidemiology

Examining signatures of human activity through wastewater streams.

Publications:

†co-first author, * graduate student co-author, ‡undergraduate co-author

  1. Johnson, J.*, Lemkau, K., Parker, I.‡, Olson, M.B. Inorganic carbon enrichment does not increase production of polyunsaturated aldehydes in a pelagic and benthic diatom. PlosOne.
  2. Moma, M.*, Lee, A.‡, Olson, M.B., Lemkau, K.L., Cooper, W.J. (2024) The Impact of Polychlorinated Biphenyls on the Development of Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Biomedicines 12, 2068. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12092068
  3. Johnson, J.*, Olson, M.B., Parker, I.‡, Hoffmeister, I.‡, Lemkau, K.L. (2024) Widespread Production of Polyunsaturated Aldehydes by Benthic Diatoms of the North Pacific Ocean’s Salish Sea. Journal of Chemical Ecology 50, 290-298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-024-01496-9
  4. Reddy, C.M., Nelson, R.K., Hanke, U., Cui, X., Summons, R.E., Valentine, D.L., Rodgers, R.P., Chacon-Patino, M.L., Niles, S.F., Teeixeira, C.E.P, Bezerra, L.E.A., Cavalcante, R.M., Soares, M.O., Oliveira, A.H.B., White., H.K., Swarthout., R.F., Lemkau, K.L., Radovic, J.R. (2022) Synergy of Analytical Approaches Enables a Robust Assessment of the Brazil Mystery Oil Spill. Energy and Fuels 36, 13688-13704. doi: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.2c00656
  5. Kivenson, V. *,†, Lemkau, K.L. †, Pizarro, O., Yoerger, D.R., Kaiser, C., Nelson, R.K., Carmichael, C.A., Paul, B.G., Reddy, C.M., Valentine, D.L. (2019) Ocean dumping of containerized DDT waste was a sloppy process. Environmental Science and Technology 53, 2971-2980. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.8b05859.
  6. Lemkau, K.L., Reddy, C.M., Carmichael, C.A., Aeppli, C., Swarthout, R.F., White, H.K. (2019) Hurricane Isaac brings more than oil ashore: Characteristics of beach deposits following the Deepwater Horizon spill. PLOS ONE. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213464.
  7. Nelson, R.K., Aeppli, C., Arey, J.S., Chen, H., de Oliveira, A., Eiserbeck, C., Frysinger, G.S., Gaines, R.B., Grice, K., Gros, J., Hall, G.J., Koolen, H.H.F., Lemkau, K.L., McKenna, A., Reddy, C.M., Rodgers, R.P., Swarthout, R.F., Valentine, D.L. White, H.K. (2016) Applications of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) in studying the source, transport, and fate of petroleum hydrocarbons in the environment. In Standard Handbook of Oil Spill Environmental Forensics. Chapter 8; pp. 339-448; Stout, S. A. and Z. Wang (Eds). Elsevier.
  8. Lemkau, K.L., McKenna, A.M., Podgorski, D.C., Rodgers, R.P., Reddy, C.M., 2014. Molecular evidence of heavy oil weathering following the M/V Cosco Busan spill: insights from Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Environmental Science and Technology 48, 3760–3767. doi: 10.1021/es403787u.
  9. McKenna, A.M., Williams, J.T., Putman, J.C., Aeppli, C., Reddy, C.M., Valentine, D.L., Lemkau K.L., Kellermann, M.Y., Savory, J.J., Kaiser, N.K., Marshall, A.G., Rodgers, R.P., 2014. Unprecedented ultrahigh resolution FT-ICR mass spectrometry and parts-per-billion mass accuracy enable direct characterization of nickel and vanadyl porphyrins in petroleum from natural seeps. Energy and Fuels 28, 2454–2464. doi:10.1021/ef5002452.
  10. Corilo, Y.E., Podgorski, D. C., McKenna, A. M., Lemkau, K.L., Reddy, C.M., Marshall, A.G., Rodgers, R.P., 2013. Oil spill source identification by principal component analysis of electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectra. Analytical Chemistry 85(19), 90064–90069. doi: 10.1021/ac401604u.
  11. Hall, G. J., Frysinger, G. S., Aeppli, C., Carmichael, C.A., Gros, J., Lemkau, K.L., Nelson, R.K., Reddy, C. M., 2013. Oxygenated weathering products of Deepwater Horizon oil come from surprising precursors. Marine Pollution Bulletin 75(1–2), 140-149. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.07.048.
  12. Aeppli, C., Carmichael, C.A., Nelson, R.K., Lemkau, K.L., Graham, W.M., Redmond, M.C., Valentine, D.L. and Reddy C.M., 2012. Oil weathering after the Deepwater Horizon spill led to formation of oxygenated residues. Environmental Science and Technology 46, 8799–8807. doi: 10.1021/es3015138
  13. Carmichael, C.A., Arey, S.J., Graham, W.M., Linn, L.J, Lemkau, K.L., Nelson, R.K, Reddy, C.M., 2012. Floating oil-covered debris from the Deepwater Horizon: identification and application. Environmental Research Letters 7(1). doi:10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/015301
  14. Reddy, C.M., Arey, J.S., Seewald J.S., Sylva S.P., Lemkau, K.L., Nelson, R.K., Carmichael, C.A., McIntyre, C.P., Fenwick J., Ventura, G.T., Van Mooy B.A.S., and Camilli, R., 2012. Composition and fate of gas and oil released to the water column during the Deepwater Horizon oil-spill. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 109(50), 20229–20234. doi:10.1073/pnas.1101242108
  15. Lemkau, K.L., Peacock, E.E., Nelson, R.K., Ventura, G.T., Kovecses, J., Reddy, C.M, 2010. The M/V Cosco Busan spill: Source identification and short-term fate. Marine Pollution Bulletin 60(10), 2123–2123. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.09.001