Mark Francis Fitzsimons

University of Plymouth | UoP · School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Methylamines are polar, volatile, and organic nitrogen-containing compounds. They are challenging to analyze, limiting our understanding of their occurrence and role within the marine nitrogen cycle. We describe an automated headspace solid-phase microextraction method, coupled with gas chromatography and nitrogen phosphorus detection (HS-SPME-GC-N...

A growing body of research is demonstrating the potential of Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to identify and differentiate morphologically similar pollen taxa. The Poaceae (grass) family is a large and complex with morphologically similar pollen grains. It is not possible to use traditional light microscopy to differentiate Poaceae...

This review provides a critical assessment of knowledge regarding the determination of volatile, low molecular weight amines, and particularly methylamines, in marine aquatic; systems. It provides context for the motivation to determine methylamines in the marine aquatic environment and the analytical challenges associated with their measurement.Wh...

Nations can build and rebuild degraded soils to help address climate change and potentially improve the nutritional content of food if we change policies that allow the addition of safe mineral and organic wastes to soil. We present a framework that facilitates the transition from intensive conventional to more regenerative farming practices by con...

Dry deposition of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the aerosol phase represents a potential source of nutrients to marine surface waters. To investigate the significance of this deposition pathway, aerosol samples were collected from Penlee Point Atmospheric Observatory in SW England, UK, over a 6-month period (February to July 2015) covering t...

While the contamination of agroecosystems with pharmaceutical compounds has been reported, the fate of these compounds, particularly uptake into plants remains unclear. This lack of environmental fate data is evident for a critical class of pharmaceuticals, the antivirals and antiretrovirals (ARVDs). Thus, this study evaluated the root uptake of th...

Organic nutrients can constitute the major fractions (up to 70%) of aquatic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), but their cycling is poorly understood relative to the inorganic pools. Some phytoplankton species access P from the dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) pool through expression of alkaline phosphatase (AP), which hydrolyses orthophosphate fro...

The ability to determine accurately the fate of APIs in soil is essential for rigorous risk assessment associated with wastewater reuse or biosolid recycling to land, particularly in lower income countries where water and fertiliser is scarce. Four APIs (naproxen, ofloxacin, propranolol and nevirapine) with wide ranging functionality were used as e...

The largely uncontrolled release of active pharmaceuticals ingredients (APIs) within untreated wastewater discharged to waterbodies, associated with many rapidly urbanising centres is of growing concern owing to potential antimicrobial resistance, endocrine disruption and potential toxicity. A sampling campaign has been undertaken to assess the sou...

The synthesis of manufactured soils converts waste materials to value-added products, alleviating pressures on both waste disposal infrastructure and topsoils. For manufactured soils to be effective media for plant growth, they must retain and store plant-available nutrients, including nitrogen. In this study, biochar applications were tested for t...

Measurements of alkylamines from seawater and atmospheric samples collected simultaneously across the Antarctic Peninsula, South Orkney and South Georgia Islands are reported. Concentrations of mono-, di- and trimethylamine (MMA, DMA and TMA, respectively), and their precursors, the quarternary amines glycine betaine and choline, were enhanced in s...

Aliphatic amines are important constituents of the marine environment. However, their biogenic origins, formation processes and roles in atmospheric chemistry are still not well understood. Here we present measurements of monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA) and diethylamine (DEA) from two intensive sampling campaigns at the Cape Verde Atmosp...

The direct discharge of untreated wastewater has been identified as an important source of environmental contamination by active pharmaceutical ingredients and other ‘down-the-drain’ chemicals in developing countries. It necessitates the development of an environmental risk assessment approach for the resulting impact zone. This study was designed...

Artificial soils made from waste materials offer an alternative to imported natural topsoils, notably in large-scale groundwork and reclamation projects. Benefits include diversion of waste from landfill and recycling. Nonetheless, there is limited information on the characteristics needed to support plant growth in the long term, particularly the...

Under many circumstances chemical risk assessments for pharmaceuticals and other substances are required to differentiate between 'loss' of a chemical from the aqueous phase as a result of abiotic (sorption or precipitation reactions) or biotic (biodegradation) processes. To distinguish only abiotic processes, it is necessary to work under sterile...

Evidence of ecotoxicological effects of active pharmaceuticals ingredients (APIs) has increased research into their environmental fate. In low and low-middle income countries (LLMICs) the main source of APIs to surface waters is from discharge of untreated wastewater. Consequently, concentrations of APIs can be relatively high in the “impact zone”...

The global consumption and production of pharmaceuticals is increasing concomitantly with concern regarding their environmental fate and effects. Active pharmaceutical ingredients are mainly released into the aquatic environment through wastewater effluent discharge. Once in the environment, pharmaceuticals can undergo processes of natural attenuat...

Climate warming affects the development and distribution of sea ice, but at present the evidence of polar ecosystem feedbacks on climate through changes in the atmosphere is sparse. By means of synergistic atmospheric and oceanic measurements in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, we present evidence that the microbiota of sea ice and sea ice-influ...

Contamination of surface waters by pharmaceuticals is now widespread. There are few data on their environmental behaviour, particularly for those which are cationic at typical surface water pH. As the external surfaces of bacterio-plankton cells are hydrophilic with a net negative charge, it was anticipated that bacterio-plankton in surface-waters...

Population growth, increasing affluence, and greater access to medicines have led to an increase in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) entering sewerage networks. In areas with high wastewater reuse, residual quantities of APIs may enter soils via irrigation with treated, partially treated, or untreated wastewater and sludge. Wastewater used...

Benzodiazepines are a large class of commonly-prescribed drugs used to treat a variety of clinical disorders. They have been shown to produce ecological effects at environmental concentrations, making understanding their fate in aquatic environments very important. In this study, uptake and biotransformations by riverine bacterio-plankton of the be...

p>This chapter deals with the interactions of chemical species with suspended particulate matter (SPM), including nutrients, organic pollutants, metals, and radionuclides. The definition of SPM and its physical and chemical characteristics are introduced and followed by an evaluation of the distribution coefficient, Kd. The subsequent sections focu...

This chapter deals with the interactions of chemical species with suspended particulate matter (SPM), including nutrients, organic pollutants, metals, and radionuclides. The definition of SPM and its physical and chemical characteristics are introduced and followed by an evaluation of the distribution coefficient, Kd. The subsequent sections focus...

This chapter deals with the interactions of chemical species with suspended particulate matter (SPM), including nutrients, organic pollutants, metals, and radionuclides. The definition of SPM and its physical and chemical characteristics are introduced and followed by an evaluation of the distribution coefficient, Kd. The subsequent sections focus...

Previous measurements of the benthic nitrogen (N) flux from resuspended estuarine particles in the Thames Estuary appeared to underestimate benthic inputs. This study attempted to address experimental limitations by using a mini-annular flume. The flume has a 45l capacity and was prepared in order to facilitate trace chemical analysis of N. Sedimen...

We report the first data for atrazine removal in low-turbidity freshwaters. Atrazine is a globally applied herbicide, contamination by which may lead to direct and indirect ecotoxicological impacts. Although a common contaminant of surface waters, microbial biodegradation of atrazine in this environment has been little studied, with most work focus...

Tanjung Rhu, Pulau Langkawi, which is located in the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia. The objective of this study was to measure and compare the sediment fallout rates of Teluk Dedap in Tanjung Rhu with its control site in Teluk Datai during the wet and dry seasons to shed light on the sedimentation problem faced by the coral reefs of north Pulau...

The hypothesis that particle–water interactions of organic nitrogen (ON) in turbid estuaries are controlled by specific fractions of suspended particulate matter (SPM) has been tested. Suspended particles from the turbidity maximum zone of a temperate, macro-tidal estuary were separated by gravitational settling to yield permanently suspended (PSPM...

The frequency and severity of wildfire events are predicted to increase in many fire-prone areas of the world with implications for erosion, sediment transport and sedimentation. While cohesive suspended sediment is known to be transported primarily as flocculated material in river channels, with important implications for catchment nutrient and co...

Estuaries are regarded as valuable nursery habitats for many commercially important marine fishes, potentially providing a thermal resource, refuge from predators and a source of abundant prey. To assess the extent of estuarine use by juvenile (0+) common sole (Solea solea), whiting (Merlangius merlangus) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax)...

Alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) was determined in bulk particulate material and in a single-cell (ELF) assay at station L4 in the western English Channel during the summer of 2007. Throughout this period, the UK experienced its heaviest summertime rainfall since records began in 1914; with the result that riverine run-off into coastal waters wa...

Low molecular weight (LMW; <1 kDa) dissolved organic nitrogen ( DON) is the dominant DON fraction in marine systems. However, existing methods for DON characterization exclude this fraction through size exclusion or destruction during sample hydrolysis. In this study, we developed a method for the extraction and analysis of LMW peptides in saline w...

Many commercially important marine fishes are found in estuaries, particularly as juveniles. The estuaries may provide a thermal resource, refuge from predators and a source of abundant prey. Here, carbon (δ13C) and sulphur (δ34S) stable isotope data from coastally caught common sole (Solea solea) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) were used in ind...

This review provides a critical assessment of knowledge regarding the determination of organic phosphorus (OP) and organic nitrogen (ON) in aquatic systems, with an emphasis on biogeochemical considerations and analytical challenges. A general background on organic phosphorus and organic nitrogen precedes a discussion of sample collection, extracti...

Estuaries are regarded as valuable nursery habitats for many commercially important marine fishes, potentially providing a thermal resource, refuge from predators and a source of abundant prey. Stable isotope analysis may be used to assess relative resource use from isotopically distinct sources. This study comprised two major components: (1) devel...

Acid hydrolysis of estuarine water samples for the determination of amino acids (AAs) was tested and found to be effective at high (250μM) nitrate concentrations when the anti-oxidant, ascorbic acid, was added to the samples. Hydrolysable AA concentrations were then determined in surface sediments collected from low and high salinity regions of the...

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) is a key component regulating the biogeochemistry of natural and contaminant moieties in estuaries. Individual particle analyses can complement conventional bulk analyses of SPM, but are rarely undertaken. This study used scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) of particles to q...

Concentrations of dissolved and particulate NH4+ and mono-, di- and trimethylamines (MAs) were determined in surface sediments and pore-waters collected from the Thames Estuary, United Kingdom, during July and November 2001. Dissolved NH4+ was an order of magnitude more abundant than the MAs in the pore-waters, whereas in the solid phase each MA wa...

The size and shape of the stones in dry gravel river beds are of interest in geology and river hydraulics. The topography of a bed surface can be measured by three-dimensional laser scanning. A method is described for fitting ellipsoids to the surfaces of individual stones to estimate their size, shape and orientation in the river bed. Different co...

A preliminary investigation of the solution phase behaviour of the biomarker compound 1-aminopropan-2-one (APR) using NMR spectroscopy was carried out. This was achieved, in part, by synthesis of APR with13C-enrichment in the methylene position. In this paper, we report that this biomarker undergoes H/D exchange with D2O, probably via an enol inter...

Methylamine (MA) concentrations were measured at 2 sites in the Ria Formosa, Portugal, including a rearing plot for the clam Ruditapes decussatus (L), Sampling encompassed both sediment exposure and tidal inundation. Porewater MA concentrations at Site 1 (cohesive sediment with low numbers of clams) did not change significantly during sediment expo...

Conference Presented at: 2nd European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry, Dijon, France, 12th-15th December 2001.

Sediment cores were taken from a pristine mudflat in SE England, UK, at different stages of the tidal cycle in order to study potential sources and distributions of the methylamines (MAs). They were abundant in both the pore-waters and sediments, with trimethylamine (TMA) being most abundant (up to 4.7 μM and 4.6 μmol g−1 in the pore-waters and sol...

A new method for the determination of 1-aminopropan-2-one (APR) in water samples was developed. APR was synthesised as its hydrochloride and derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) for determination by high-pressure liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (UV-HPLC). APR was determined in water samples at pH 12 using a gas-stripp...

Observations were made on the distribution, morphology, and chemoautotrophic potential of microbial mats found in submarine caves of dolomitized limestone which contain hydrothermal sulphidic springs at Cape Palinuro, Italy. The distribution of microbial mats is closely associated with the flow of hydrothermal fluid from springs whose activity is i...

Concentrations of three aliphatic amines namely, methylamine, dimethylamine and trimethylamine were monitored in different vegetation zones of an inter-tidal salt marsh over a period encompassing two spring tides in March/April 1992. The analytes were abundant in both the pore-waters and sediments of the marsh, but there was considerable temporal v...

A shallow hydrothermal brine seep located off the Greek island of Milos in the Aegean Sea was studied. The brine fluid outcropped as a pool of water in a seabed depression and was detected in the surrounding pore-waters of sediments colonised by the sulphur bacterium Achromatium volutans. The seep fluid was highly saline and sulphidic, depleted in...

Aminopropanone has been identified in raw sewage. Its presence at high concentrations (up to 60 μmol l−1) in several samples from the Mersey Estuary (UK) and Port Erin Bay (Isle of Man) is consistent with the contamination at those sites. The lifetime of the ketone is sufficiently long (t12ca 8–10 days in raw sewage) for it to be useful as a tracer...

A sensitive and reproducible method was developed for the determination of μg l−1 levels of methylamines in marine samples. The compounds are preconcentrated from water or pore-water samples by microdiffusion, then determined by gas chromatography on a packed column of untreated Chromosorb 103 (60–80 mesh), using a nitrogen—phosphorus-selective det...

Concentrations of the methylamines (MAs) were determined in surface sediments from the outer Thames Estuary, UK. Extraction of MAs from the sediment solid phase was carried out using a widely used single-volume extraction with 2 M KCl (20 mL per g dry sediment) and compared with a multi-volume extraction (3 x 20 mL followed by 3 x 40 mL). The multi...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Liverpool, 1993.