Christopher Fuller
Christopher Fuller is a Emeritus Scientist for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area. His research characterizes processes and mechanisms of metal sorption reactions through field studies and lab experiments to better understand the metal transport and natural attenuation in mine contaminated systems and to better understand geochemical processes affecting bioavailability of metal contaminants to aquatic organisms.
Professional societies/affiliations/committees/editorial boards
American Geophysical Union
American Chemical Society
Geochemical Society
Professional Experience
Professional Studies/Experience
2019 - current: Scientist Emeritus
2018 - 2019: Research Hydrologist (Geochemistry), Hydrological-Ecological Interactions Branch, Earth Surface Processes Division, Water Mission Area, U.S. Geological Survey
1982 - 2017: Research Hydrologist (Geochemistry), National Research Program, Western Region, U.S. Geological Survey
1976 - 1982: Research Technician, Unversity of Southern California
Education and Certifications
Education
1976: BS Chemistry, SUNY Oswego
1982: MS Geology, emphasis in Marine Geochemistry, University of Southern California
Honors and Awards
Honors, awards, recognition, elected offices
May 1996: Editors Citation for Excellence in Manuscript Review for the Soil Science Society of America Journal
May 2003. STAR award for instrumental role in developing cooperative project with BLM at the Fry Canyon permeable reactive barrier demonstration site.
November 2006 Superior Service Award
October 2007. STAR award “Chris has done an outstanding job in age dating over 90 lake sediment cores collected from Great Salt Lake in a very short time frame to accommodate a Utah Water Science Center cooperator. This work was published in Applied Geochemistry.
June 2014 Superior Service Award
Science and Products
Determination of uranyl incorporation into biogenic manganese oxides using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and scattering
Effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the chemistry of bottom sediments in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, USA
Collection, analysis, and age-dating of sediment cores from 56 U.S. lakes and reservoirs sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1992-2001
Handbook of groundwater remediation using permeable reactive barriers: Applications to radionuclides, trace metals, and nutrients
Toxic substances in surface waters and sediments: A study to assess the effects of arsenic-contaminated alluvial sediment in Whitewood Creek, South Dakota
Surface complexation and precipitate geometry for aqueous Zn(II) sorption on ferrihydrite: II. XANES analysis and simulation
Molecular-scale characterization of uranium sorption by bone apatite materials for a permeable reactive barrier demonstration
Mechanisms of uranium interactions with hydroxyapatite: Implications for groundwater remediation
Potential artifacts in interpretation of differential breakthrough of colloids and dissolved tracers in the context of transport in a zero-valent iron permeable reactive barrier
Processes of nickel and cobalt uptake by a manganese oxide forming sediment in Pinal Creek, Globe mining district, Arizona
Reactive uptake of trace metals in the hyporheic zone of a mining- contaminated stream, Pinal Creek, Arizona
Sediment chronology in San Francisco Bay, California, defined by 210Pb, 234Th, 137Cs, and 239,340Pu
Science and Products
- Science
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Filter Total Items: 83
Determination of uranyl incorporation into biogenic manganese oxides using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and scattering
Βiogenic manganese oxides are common and an important source of reactive mineral surfaces in the environment that may be potentially enhanced in bioremediation cases to improve natural attenuation. Experiments were performed in which the uranyl ion, UO22+ (U(VI)), at various concentrations was present during manganese oxide biogenesis. At all concentrations, there was strong uptake of U onto the oAuthorsS.M. Webb, C. C. Fuller, B.M. Tebo, J.R. BargarEffects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the chemistry of bottom sediments in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, USA
The effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the subsequent unwatering of New Orleans, Louisiana, on the sediment chemistry of Lake Pontchartrain were evaluated by chemical analysis of samples of street mud and suspended and bottom sediments. The highest concentrations of urban-related elements and compounds (e.g., Pb, Zn, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and chlordane) in bottom sediments exceAuthorsP. C. Van Metre, A. J. Horowitz, B.J. Mahler, W.T. Foreman, C. C. Fuller, M.R. Burkhardt, K. A. Elrick, E. T. Furlong, S. C. Skrobialowski, J.J. Smith, J.T. Wilson, S.D. ZauggCollection, analysis, and age-dating of sediment cores from 56 U.S. lakes and reservoirs sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1992-2001
The U.S. Geological Survey Reconstructed Trends National Synthesis study collected sediment cores from 56 lakes and reservoirs between 1992 and 2001 across the United States. Most of the sampling was conducted as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The primary objective of the study was to determine trends in particle-associated contaminants in response to urbanization;AuthorsPeter Van Metre, Jennifer T. Wilson, Christopher C. Fuller, Edward Callender, Barbara MahlerHandbook of groundwater remediation using permeable reactive barriers: Applications to radionuclides, trace metals, and nutrients
Over the last century and a half, groundwaters have become contaminated by a growing number of organic and inorganic substances ranging from petroleum-derived hydrocarbons to radioactive compounds, to cancer-causing hexavalent chromium. The importance of uncontaminated groundwater for agriculture, human consumption, and the environmental health of ecosystems is paramount to the health and productiToxic substances in surface waters and sediments: A study to assess the effects of arsenic-contaminated alluvial sediment in Whitewood Creek, South Dakota
Field measurements and bioassay experiments were done to investigate the effects of arsenic and phosphorus interactions on sorption of these solutes by the benthic flora (periphyton and submerged macrophytes) in Whitewood Creek, a stream in western South Dakota. Short-term (24-hour) sorption experiments were used to determine arsenic transport characteristics for algae (first-order rate constantsAuthorsJames S. Kuwabara, Christopher C. FullerSurface complexation and precipitate geometry for aqueous Zn(II) sorption on ferrihydrite: II. XANES analysis and simulation
X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) analysis of sorption complexes has the advantages of high sensitivity (10- to 20-fold greater than extended X-ray absorption fine structure [EXAFS] analysis) and relative ease and speed of data collection (because of the short k-space range). It is thus a potentially powerful tool for characterization of environmentally significant surface complexesAuthorsG.A. Waychunas, C. C. Fuller, J.A. Davis, J.J. RehrMolecular-scale characterization of uranium sorption by bone apatite materials for a permeable reactive barrier demonstration
Uranium binding to bone charcoal and bone meal apatite materials was investigated using U LIII-edge EXAFS spectroscopy and synchrotron source XRD measurements of laboratory batch preparations in the absence and presence of dissolved carbonate. Pelletized bone char apatite recovered from a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) at Fry Canyon, UT, was also studied. EXAFS analyses indicate that U(VI) sorptAuthorsC. C. Fuller, J.R. Bargar, J.A. DavisMechanisms of uranium interactions with hydroxyapatite: Implications for groundwater remediation
The speciation of U(VI) sorbed to synthetic hydroxyapatite was investigated using a combination of U LIII-edge XAS, synchrotron XRD, batch uptake measurements, and SEM-EDS. The mechanisms of U(VI) removal by apatite were determined in order to evaluate the feasibility of apatite-based in-situ permeable reactive barriers (PRBs). In batch U(VI) uptake experiments with synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA),AuthorsC. C. Fuller, J.R. Bargar, J.A. Davis, M.J. PianaPotential artifacts in interpretation of differential breakthrough of colloids and dissolved tracers in the context of transport in a zero-valent iron permeable reactive barrier
Many published studies have used visual comparison of the timing of peak breakthrough of colloids versus conservative dissolved tracers (hereafter referred to as dissolved tracers or tracers) in subsurface media to determine whether they are advected differently, and to elucidate the mechanisms of differential advection. This purely visual approach of determining differential advection may have arAuthorsP. Zhang, W.P. Johnson, M.J. Piana, C. C. Fuller, D. L. NaftzProcesses of nickel and cobalt uptake by a manganese oxide forming sediment in Pinal Creek, Globe mining district, Arizona
A series of column experiments was conducted using manganese oxide coated sediments collected from the hyporheic zone in Pinal Creek (AZ), a metal-contaminated stream, to study the uptake and retention of Mn, Ni, and Co. Experimental variables included the absence (abiotic) and presence (biotic) of active Mn-oxidizing bacteria, the absence and presence of dissolved Mn, and sediment manganese oxideAuthorsJ.T. Kay, M.H. Conklin, C. C. Fuller, P. A. O'DayReactive uptake of trace metals in the hyporheic zone of a mining- contaminated stream, Pinal Creek, Arizona
Significant uptake of dissolved metals occurred by interaction of groundwater and surface water with hyporheic-zone sediments during transport in Pinal Creek, AZ. The extent of trace metal uptake was calculated by mass balance measurements made directly within the hyporheic zone. A conservative solute tracer injected into the stream was used to quantify hydrologic exchange with the stream and grouAuthorsC. C. Fuller, J. W. HarveySediment chronology in San Francisco Bay, California, defined by 210Pb, 234Th, 137Cs, and 239,340Pu
Sediment chronologies based on radioisotope depth profiles were developed at two sites in the San Francisco Bay estuary to provide a framework for interpreting historical trends in organic compound and metal contaminant inputs. At Richardson Bay near the estuary mouth, sediments are highly mixed by biological and/or physical processes. Excess penetration ranged from 2 to more than 10 cm at eightAuthorsC. C. Fuller, Alexander van Geen, M. Baskaran, R. Anima