Biography
Damien is a PhD researcher in the iCRAG groundwater research spoke. Damien graduated with a BSc in Forensic and Environmental Chemistry in June 2015 from the Dublin Institute of Technology, before joining iCRAG in September 2015 under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Coxon at Trinity College Dublin. Damien’s PhD is being run through Trinity College in collaboration with Teagasc. His research investigates the occurrence of emerging organic contaminants in rural environments, with the main focus on groundwater quality. His research will primarily focus on the occurrence of agricultural antiparasitic agents in groundwater, with investigations in karst and fractured aquifers throughout Ireland.
Due to an increasing global population, there is a huge demand for more food, while using less space. This has led to more intensive food producing practices being used. As a result agro-chemicals, such as veterinary drugs, are now commonly used in agriculture in Ireland. Use of these chemicals can potentially lead to their occurrence in our groundwater. My research focuses on developing advanced techniques to allow us to be able to find these trace agricultural contaminants in groundwater. This research will seek to determine where such contaminants came from (source) and how they reached groundwater (pathway).
Projectt title: Emerging organic contaminants arising in rural environments: investigations in karst and fractured bedrock
Technical description
This research investigates the occurrence of emerging organic contaminants in rural environments, with the main focus on groundwater quality.The primary focus of this project will be on investigating the occurrence in groundwater of agro-chemicals used in Irish agriculture, particularly anti-parasitic agents which represent the most widely use veterinary drugs in Irish agricultural production. The three main groups of agro-chemicals that will be investigated are the anthelmintics, anti-coccidials and pyrethroid insecticides. This project will focus on investigations in karst and fractured bedrock aquifers throughout Ireland, which themselves are potentially susceptible to contamination due to their geological and hydrogeological characteristics. Not only will the research focus on investigating the frequency of occurrence of these contaminants, it will also seek to determine both the source factors involved in contaminant detections (point and diffuse source such as land spreading of manures and slurries, animal grazing and animal feeding locations) and pathway factors involved in contaminant occurrence (e.g. characteristics of soil, Quaternary deposits and bedrock and to also include any seasonal aspects).
Role
- Postgraduate Researcher
Institution
- TCD, Teagasc
Research Area
- Earth System Change
Expertise
- Connected Waters
