Dr. William Davison

Professor of Environmental Chemistry

Environmental Science Department
Lancaster University
Bailrigg
Lancaster, LA1 4YQ
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1524 593935
Fax: +44 (0)1524 593985

Email: w.davison@lancaster.ac.uk

Interests

• The biogeochemical cycling of metals and inorganic components in natural waters, sediments and soils.
  
  
• The dynamics of chemical interactions between solution complexes and with solid phases in aquatic, sediment and soil systems.
  
  
• Mechanisms of metal release within sediments, in the context of transport and reaction dynamics fuelled by the carbon cycle.
  
  
• Further development of new gel-based measurement, diffusive gradients and equilibration in thin films (DGT and DET).
  
  

Specific Programmes

• Investigation of the processes controlling the localised mobilization of metals (microniches) in marine and freshwater sediments.
  
  
• Developing and applying procedures for measuring solutes at high spatial resolution (100 microns) and in two dimensions.
  
  
• Development and use of models to simulate and understand interactions between DET and DGT in soils and sediments (see DIFS).
  
  
• Development of 3-dimensional models of transport and reaction of carbon mineralization, redox processes and trace metals in sediments at mm and sub-mm scales (see 2D-TREAD).
  
  
• Use of in situ procedures to characterize and understand the dynamics and equilibrium controls of the chemical speciation of trace metals in natural waters.
  
  
• Development of integrating monitoring tools for measuring trace metals, nutrients and radionuclides in natural waters.

Important Links

DET and DGT: Information on the principles, capabilities, use, applications and commercial availability of DET and DGT can be found at www.dgtresearch.com

Information on DGT Induced Fluxes in Soils and Sediments (DIFS) can be found here

Publications in the last 5 years

1. Zhang, H. and Davison, W. (2001) In situ speciation measurements. Using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) to determine inorganically and organically complexed metals. Pure Appl. Chem. 73, 9-15.
   
   
2. Zhang, H., Zhao, F., Sun, B., Davison, W. and McGrath, S. P. (2001) A new method to measure effective soil solution concentration predicts copper availability to plants. Env. Sci. Technol., 35, 2602-2607.
   
   
3. Fones, G. R., Davison, W., Holby, O., Jorgensen, B. B., and Thamdrup, B. (2001) High-resolution metal gradients measured by in situ DGT/DET deployment in Black Sea sediments using an autonomous benthic lander. Limnol. Oceanogr., 46, 982-988.
   
   
4. Gimpel, J., Zhang, H., Hutchinson, W. and Davison W. (2001) Effect of solution composition, flow and deployment time on the measurement of trace metals by DGT technique. Anal. Chim. Acta. 448, 93-103.
   
   
5. Murdock, C., Kelly, M., Chang, L. Y., Davison, W. and Zhang, H. (2001) DGT as an in situ tool for measuring radiocesium in natural waters. Env. Sci. Technol., 35, 4530-4535.
   
   
6. Tye, A. M., Young, S. D., Crout, N. M. J., Zhang, H., Preston, S. Bailey, E. H., Davison, W., McGrath, S. P., Paton, G. I. And Kilham, K. (2002) Predicting arsenic solubility in contaminated soils using isotopic dilution techniques. Env. Sci. Technol.36, 982-988.
   
   
7. Ernstberger, H., Davison, W., Zhang, H., Tye, A. and Young, S. (2002) Measurement and dynamic modeling of trace metal mobilization in soils using DGT and DIFS. Env. Sci. Technol. 36, 349-354.
   
   
8. Dahlqvist, R., Zhang, H., Davison, W. and Ingri, J. (2002) Performance of DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) for measuring Ca and Mg in freshwater. Anal. Chim. Acta. 460, 247-256.
   
   
9. Mortimer, R.J.G., Krom, M.D., Harris, S.J., Hayes, P.J., Davies, I.M, Davison, W., & Zhang, H. (2002) Evidence for suboxic nitrification in recent marine sediments. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 236, 31-35.
   
   
10. Zhang, H., Davison, W., Mortimer, R., Krom, M., Hayes, P.J. and Davies, I.M.(2002) Structured Remobilisation of Metals in a Marine Sediment at High Spatial Resolution. Sci. Total Environ. 296, 175-187.
    
    
11. Ernstberger, H., Zhang, H., Davison, W. Tye, A. and Young, S. (2002) Simultaneous in situ measurement of chromium speciation in natural systems. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 373, 873-879.
    
    
12. Krom, M.D., Mortimer, R.J.G., Poulton, S.W., Hayes, P., Davies, I.M., Davison, W., & Zhang, H. (2002) In-situ determination of dissolved iron production in recent marine sediments. Aquatic Science, 64, 282-291.
    
    
13. Smith, E. J., Davison, W. and Hamilton-Taylor, J. (2002) Methods for preparing synthetic freshwaters. Water Res., 36, 1286-1296.
    
    
14. Gimpel, J. Zhang, H and Davison, W. (2003) In-situ trace metal speciation in lake surface waters using DGT, dialysis and filtration. Env. Sci. Technol, 37, 138-146.
    
    
15. Tye, A., Young, S., Crout, N., Zhang, H. and et al (2003) Predicting solution pCd2+ and pZn2+ from labile and total soil metal pools. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 67, 375-385.
    
    
16. Scally, S., Davison, W. and Zhang, H. (2003) In situ measurements of dissociation kinetics and labilities of metal complexes in synthetic solutions using DGT. Env. Sci. Technol., 37, 1379-1384.
    
    
17. Peters, A., Zhang, H. and Davison, W. (2003) Investigation of the application of DGT devices for measurement of trace metals in low ionic strength freshwaters. Anal. Chim. Acta., 478, 237-244.
    
    
18. Motelica-Heino, M, Naylor, C, Zhang, H and Davison, W. (2003) Simultaneous release of metals and sulfide in lacustrine sediment. Environ. Sci. Technol., 37, 4374-4381.
    
    
19. Warnken, K W, Zhang, H & Davison, W. (2004) Performance characteristics of suspended particulate reagent iminodiacetate (SPR-IDA) as a binding agent for diffusive gradients in thin-films. Anal. Chim. Acta, 508, 41-55.
    
    
20. Fones, G R, Davison, W and Hamilton-Taylor, J. (2004) The fine scale remobilisation of metals in the surface sediment of the North East Atlantic. Cont. Shelf Res., 24, 1485-1504.
    
    
21. Smith, E, Hamilton-Taylor, J H and Davison, W. (2004) The effect of humic substances on barite precipitation – dissolution. Chem. Geol., 207, 81-89.
    
    
22. Naylor, C, Davison, W, Motelica-Heino, M G. A. Van Den Berg, G A and L. M. Van Der Heijdt, A A. (2004) Simultaneous release of sulphide with Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn in marine harbour sediment measured using a combined metal/sulphide DGT probe. Sci. Tot. Environ., 328, 275-286.
    
    
23. Warnken, K, Zhang, H and Davison, W. (2004) High-resolution analysis of polyacrylamide gels for trace metals in two dimensions using diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Anal. Chem., 76, 6077-6084.
    
    
24. Scally, S., Davison, W. and Zhang, H. (2004) Measurements of Pb speciation in synthetic solutions using DGT, Austr. J. Chem., 57, 925-930.
    
    
25. Ernstberger, H, Zhang, H, Tye, A, Young, S. and Davison, W. (2005) Desorption kinetics of Cd, Zn and Ni measured in intact soils by DGT. Environ. Sci. Technol., 39, 1591-1597.
    
    
26. Naylor, C, Davison, W, Motelica-Heino, M G. A., Van Den Berg, G A and Van Der Heijdt, A A. (2006) Potential kinetic availability of metals in sulphidic freshwater sediments. Sci. Tot. Environ., 357, 208-220.
    
    
27. Hamilton-Taylor, J, Smith, E J, Davison, W and Sugiyama, M. (2005) Resolving and modelling the effects of Fe and Mn redox cycling on trace metal behaviour in a seasonally anoxic lake. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 69, 1947-1960.
    
    
28. Unsworth E., Zhang H. and Davison, W. (2005) Use of DGT to measure cadmium speciation in solutions with synthetic and natural ligands: comparison with model predictions. Env. Sci. Technol., 39, 624-630.
    
    
29. Warnken, K, Zhang, H and Davison, W. (2005) Trace metal measurements in low ionic strength solutions by diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT). Anal. Chem., 77, 5440-5446.
    
    
30. van Leeuwen, H. P., Town, R., Buffle, J., Cleven, M. J., Davison, W., Puy, J., van Reimsdijk, W. H., Sigg, L. (2005) Dynamic speciation analysis and bioavailability of metals in aquatic systems. Environ. Sci. Technol., 39, 8545-8556.
    
    
31. Mason, S. D, Hamon R. E, Nolan, A. L., Zhang, H. and Davison, W. (2005), Performance of a mixed binding layer (MBL) for measuring anions and cations in a single assay using the diffusive gradients in thin films technique, Anal. Chem., 77, 6339-6346.
    
    
32. Bellis, D., Nowell, G. M., Ottley, C. J., Pearson, D. G. and Davison, W. (2005) Solution and laser ablation analysis of sulphur isotopes with the Neptune high resolution multi-collector ICP-MS (MC-ICP-MS): application to diffusive gradients in thin-films. Plasma Source Mass Spectrometry, Currents Trends and Future Developments, Royal Society of Chemistry, Chapter 21.
    
    
33. Warnken, K.W. Zhang, H. and Davison, W. (2006) Accuracy of the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) technique: diffusive boundary layer and effective sampling area considerations. Anal. Chem. 78, 3780-3787.
    
    
34. Scally, S. Davison, W. and Zhang, H. (2006) Diffusion coefficients of metals and metal complexes in hydrogels used in diffusive gradients in thin films. Anal. Chim. Acta 558, 222-229.
    
    
35. Unsworth , E.R . Warnken, K.W., Zhang, H., Davison, W., Black, F., Buffle, J., Cao, J., Cleven, R., Galceran, J., Gunkel, P., Kalis, E., Kistler, D., Van Leeuwen, H.P., Michel, M., Noel, S., Nur, Y., Odzak, N., Puy, J., VanRiemsdijk W., Sigg, L., Temminghoff., W., Tercier-Waeber, M-L., Toepperwien, S., Town, R.M., Weng, L. and Xue, H. (2006) Model predictions of metal speciation in freshwaters compared to measurements by in situ techniques. Environ. Sci. Technol., 40: 1942-1949.
    
    
36. Zhang, H., Davison, W. Tye, A. M. Crout, N. M. J. and Young, S. D. (2006) Kinetics of Zn and Cd release in freshly contaminated soils measured by DGT and isotopic dilution. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 25, 664-670.
    
    
37. Sigg, L.; Black, F.; Buffle, J.; Cao, J.; Cleven, R. F. M. J.; Davison, W. et al (2006) Comparison of analytical techniques for dynamic trace metal speciation in natural freshwaters. Environ. Sci. Technol., 40, 1934-1941.
    
    
38. Niklas J. Lehto, N. J., Davison, W, Zhang, H and Tych, W. (2006) Analysis of micro-nutrient behaviour in the rhizosphere using a DGT parameterised plant uptake model. Plant and Soil, 282, 227-238.
    
    
39. Niklas J. Lehto, N. J., Davison, W, Zhang, H and Tych, W. (2006) Theoretical comparison of how soil processes affect uptake of metals by DGT and plants. J. Env. Qual., in press
    
    
40. Tankere-Muller, S., Zhang, H., Davison, W., Finke, N., Larsen, O., Stahl, H. and Glud, R. N. (2006) Fine scale remobilisation of Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu and Cd in contaminated marine sediment. Mar. Chem., in press
    
    
41. Sochaczewski, L., Tych, W., Davison, W. and Zhang H. (2006) 2D DGT Induced Fluxes in Sediments and Soils (2D DIFS). J. Environ. Modelling, in press.
    
    
42. Aaberg-Garmo, Ø.; Lehto, N.; Zhang, H.; Davison, W.; Røyset, O.; Steinnes, E. (2006) Effect of complexation on DGT sampling of lanthanoides in Multi-metal solutions. Environ Sci Technol. in press.
    
    
43. Niklas J. Lehto, N. J., Davison, W, Zhang, H and Tych, W. (2006) An Evaluation of DGT Performance Using a Dynamic Numerical Model. Environ Sci Technol. in press.