Breakthrough research in environmental chemistry is celebrated after 27 years
NEWS
Terry Bidleman, Visiting Professor at the Department of Chemistry, was one of the first environmental scientists to realize that the atmosphere is an important contributor to persistent organic pollutants in aquatic systems. The most prestigious scientific journal in this field, Environmental Science and Technology now celebrates him with an article covering the importance of his findings.
“The Celebration tribute by Elisabeth Galarneau and colleagues to my 1988 paper warmed my heart this cold winter day. It was completely unexpected and greatly appreciated! I was especially glad to hear that the paper has been used often to introduce students to the atmospheric deposition of trace organic compounds”, says Professor Bidleman.
In 1988 he published the article “Atmospheric Processes: Wet and dry deposition of organic compounds are controlled by their vapor-particle partitioning” in the high-impact scientific journal Environmental Science and Technology. This was a major research breakthrough. The article has ever since had a notable impact on the field of contaminant science, and it has become a standard reference in the study of semivolatile organic compounds in the environment.
Now, twenty-seven years later, Professor Bidleman is being celebrated in the same scientific magazine. A great number of distinguished scientists from throughout the world have written an article covering the importance of his findings.
Since 2011 Umeå University has been honored by having Terry Bidleman as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Chemistry. Mats Tysklind, Professor in Environmental Chemistry hopes for many years of future collaboration.
“Terry Bidleman has added deep knowledge in many important research areas highly relevant for the environmental- and biogeochemistry research in Umeå. He also shows great generosity in inspiring research discussions with young scientists and students which is highly appreciated”, he says.
Terry Bidleman has had an active role both in the research project React and the strategic research programme Ecochange.
Ecochange is an interdisciplinary research programme that has been running for five years. It is a collaboration between Umeå University, Linnaeus University, SLU and Swedish Museum of Natural History. Within the Ecochange programme the ecological consequences of climate changes in the Baltic Sea are studied.
“Professor Bidleman’s contribution to Ecochange has been of great importance, especially regarding the interdisciplinary aspects of environmental chemistry and marine ecology. He has initiated and carried out several important projects”, says Agneta Andersson, Professor and Programme Coordinator of Ecochange.
Bidleman´s collaboration with Umeå University started in 1997, when Ph.D. student Karin Wiberg worked in his laboratory in Canada for one year. In 2001, he was invited to Umeå University for five months to organize and teach a course on “Arctic Contaminants Issues”. He and his wife Kathleen Agosta loved the City of Umeå, and over the years have looked for a way to return.
“That opportunity came in 2011, when I was awarded a Marie Curie Visiting Fellowship to investigate atmospheric deposition of persistent pesticides in the northern Baltic. After the 2-year fellowship ended, I have remained on contract to work on Ecochange and React projects. My research interests continue to be atmospheric deposition, with recent additions of sediment-water exchange in the project React and natural brominated compounds in the Baltic in the project EcoChange”, says Professor Bidleman.
Text: Kristina Viklund och Ingrid Söderbergh Photo: Sofi Jonsson
Professor Terry Bidleman received his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Minnesota, and did postdoctoral research at Dalhousie University and the University of Rhode Island. He was on the faculty of the Chemistry and the Marine Science Program at the University of South Carolina for seventeen years, rising to the rank of full professor. He left this position in 1992 for a position at Environment Canada. During his years at University of South Carolina and Environment Canada, he twice took leave to take up temporary visiting professorships in Sweden, at Stockholm University and Umeå University.
