Tag Archives: alumni

Alumni Update from Carlos Manzano

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This year Carlos Manzano received his PhD from the Simonich lab (Project 5), and moved on from the OSU Superfund Research Center (SRC).

His research with the SRC focused on the development of new analytical techniques for the analysis of PAHs in complex environmental samples. With Dr. Simonich, he developed an analytical method using comprehensive two dimensional GC (GCxGC/ToF-MS) to analyze around 90 PAHs in one chromatographic run, using a highly orthogonal column combination.  For his PhD thesis, they wanted to focus specifically on oxy-PAHs and alkyl-PAHs, which were part of other SRP projects at OSU. They got some standards from other groups, and regularly collaborated with other cores and projects.

During his training, he received a prestigious 2012 Student Paper Award from the American Chemical Society (ACS).   His work was published in ES & T.

Manzano C, Hoh E, Simonich SM. Optimization of Column Selection for Separation of Complex Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Mixtures using GCxGC/ToF-MS.  Environmental Science and Technology, 46, 7677-7684.

Manzano’s PhD thesis helped him get his current position. He is now holding a postdoctoral Visiting Fellowship in Canadian Laboratories, working in the Canada Centre for Inland Waters as part of the Aquatics Contaminants Research Division of Environment Canada, located in Burlington, Ontario.  His research focuses on novel methods and analysis of polycyclic aromatic compounds in oil sands sediments, precipitation and snow samples. The goals are to expand the list of PACs to match reported industry emissions and to identify new PACs that characterize atmospheric emissions from bitumen upgraders as well as dust from mining and refinery waste.

Screen Shot 2013-09-16 at 9.25.45 AM
Carlos Manzano (far right) was able to visit with members of the Simonich lab again when he came to the 2013 International Symposium on Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (ISPAC 2013) conference at OSU from Sept. 8 – 12.

Thanks to the SRP funding and meetings I was also able to meet my
current supervisors and share with them my research interests (I met
them at SETAC Long Beach in 2012).

~Carlos Manzano

Alumni Update from Norm Forsberg

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NormFNorm Forsberg received his PhD this year and has moved on from the Superfund Research Center and  Project 4.  One of his projects that received much attention was when he collaborated with the  Community Engagement Core to research the effects of fish smoking and dietary exposure to PAHs. He published and also presented at numerous conferences.

Forsberg ND, Stone D, Harding A, Harper B, Harris S, Matzke M, Cardenas A, Waters K, Anderson KA. Effect of Native American fish smoking methods on dietary exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and possible risks to human health. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2012, 60 (27), pp 6899–6906. DOI: 10.1021/jf300978m

From Norm on 8-27-13

I am currently working as a post-doctoral researcher with Oregon Department of Energy. I primarily provide technical guidance to the multi-agency Hanford Natural Resource Trustee Council during their ongoing natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) of the Hanford Site. The Site, established by the federal government in 1943, is located in southeastern Washington and was the site of the world’s first plutonium production facility. More than 40 years of operation resulted in the generation of large amounts of radioactive and chemically hazardous wastes at Hanford – wastes which were released to the natural environment through direct soil discharges, subsurface injections, unplanned spills, and storage tank leaks. My efforts are largely focused on collaborating with Trustees to develop and implement fit-for-purpose contaminant concentration thresholds to help identify and quantify natural resource injury, characterize natural background levels of contaminants, identify and synthesize key ecotoxicity data from the scientific literature, and help the Trustees peer review and develop new studies to fill key knowledge gaps.