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Brian A. Powell
Classes | Publications | Honors | CV
Dr. Brian Powell has extensive expertise with the mobility of radionuclides in soil and groundwater systems through his research in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at Clemson University as well as previous work at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Montevallo, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and Science from Clemson University. He holds memberships in the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, the American Geophysical Union, Sigma Xi, and the American Chemical Society.
Dr. Powell’s major research interest is to understand interrelated chemical, biological, and physical processes that control the fate and transport of radionuclides and trace metals in the environment. These processes include sorption by minerals, interactions with nano-colloids, complexation by organic ligands, and interactions with microorganisms. He has published over 20 refereed journal publications, 16 research reports, and made nearly 50 technical presentations on these topical areas. He has conducted sponsored research dealing with topics such as: nuclear forensics, evaluation of nanoparticle behavior, sorption and environmental transport of plutonium, development of radiation detection and radiation laboratory courses, evaluation of radionulcide geochemistry in wetland and subsurface sediments, solid waste performance assessments at the Savannah River Site, measurement of thermodynamic parameters supporting advanced nuclear fuel cycle chemistry, and related topics. These projects have garnered over $5M in research awards. The knowledge gained from this work can be used to evaluate risk posed by subsurface contamination, to design remediation strategies for contaminated sites, and to facilitate the use of safe disposal practices.
For current syllabi, please search the Clemson University Syllabus Respository.
EE&S 490/690 Geochemical Reaction Modeling
EE&S 813 Environmental Radiation Measurements Laboratory
EE&S 842 Environmental Actinide Chemistry
GEOL 318 Geochemistry
GEOL 459/659 Biogeochemistry
Powell, B. A., Dai, Z., Zavarin, M. Z., Zhao, P., Kersting, A. B. “Stabilization of Plutonium Nano-colloids by Epitaxial Distortion on Mineral Surfaces” Environ. Sci. Tech., 45, 2698-2703, 2011.
Tinnacher, R. M., Powell, B. A., Kersting, A. B., Zavarin, M. “Kinetics of Neptunium(V) Sorption and Desorption Reactions on Goethite: Experiment and Modeling” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 75, 6854-6599, 2011
Kaplan, D. I., Roberts, K. A., Schwehr, K. A., Lilley, M. S., Brinkmeyer, R., Denham, M. E., DiPrete, D., Li, H., Powell, B. A., Xu, C., Yeager, C. M., Zhang, S., Santschi, P. H. “Cause of a Multi-species Radioiodine Plume that is Increasing in Concentration” Environ. Sci. Tech., 45(2), 489-495, 2011.
Zhao, P., Zavarin, M., Leif, R., Powell, B. A., Singleton, M., Lindvall, R., Kersting, A. “Mobilization of Actinides by Dissolved Organic Compounds at the Nevada Test Site” Applied Geochemistry, 26, 208-218, 2011.
Powell B. A., Rao, L., Nash, K. L. “Effect of 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDPA) on Partitioning of Np and Pu to Synthetic Boehmite” Sep. Sci. Tech., 45, 1-11, 2010.
Hixon, A. E., Hu, Y., Kaplan, D. I., Kukkadapu, R. K., Nitsche, H., Qafoku, O., Powell, B. A., “Infleunce of Iron Redox Transformations on Plutonium Sorption to Sediments” Radiochimica Acta, 98, 685-692, 2010
Seliman, A. F., Borai, E. H., Lasheen, Y. F., Abo-aly, M. M., DeVol, T. A., Powell, B. A., “Mobility of radionuclides in soil/groundwater system: Comparing the influence of EDTA and four of its degradation products” Environmental Pollution, 158, 3077-3084, 2010.
Powell B. A., Rao, L., Nash, K. L. “Examination of Uranium(VI) Leaching During Ligand Promoted Dissolution of Waste Tank Sludge Surrogates” Sep. Sci. Tech., 43, 1-15, 2008.
Kaplan, D. I., Powell, B. A., Duff, M., Demirkanli, D. I., Denham, M., Fjeld, R. A., Molz, F. J. “Influence of Sources on Plutonium Mobility and Oxidation State Transformations in Vadose Zone Sediments” Env. Sci. Tech., 41, 7417-7423, 2007.
Powell, B. A., Hughes, L. D., Soreefan, A. M., Falta, D. M., Wall, M., DeVol, T. A. “Analysis of Promordial Radionuclides in Sediments from the Reedy River and Surrounding Creeks in Simpsonville, SC,” J. Env. Radio., 94(3), 121-128, 2007.
Reed, W. A., Rao, L., Zanonato, P. L., Garnov, A. Y., Powell, B. A., Nash, K. “Complexation of U(VI) with 1-Hydroxy-1,1-ethanediphosphonic acid (HEDPA),” Inorg. Chem., 46, 2870-2786, 2007.
Powell, B. A., Duff, M. C., Kaplan, D. I., Bertsch, P. M., Coates, J. T., Eng, P., Fjeld, R. A., Hunter, D. B., Newville, M., Rivers, M. L., Serkiz, S. M., Sutton, S. R., Triay, I. R., Vaniman, D. T. “Plutonium Oxidation and Subsequent Reduction by Mn(IV) Minerals in Yucca Mt. Tuff,” Env. Sci. Tech., 40(11), 3508-3514, 2006.
Powell BA, Fjeld RA, Kaplan DI, Coates JT, Serkiz SM. 2005. Pu(V)O2+ adsorption and reduction on synthetic goethite and hematite. Env. Sci. Tech., 39(7):2107–2114.
Hughes, L. D., Powell, B. A., Soreefan, A. M., Falta, D. M., DeVol, T. A. “Anomalously High Levels of Uranium and Other Naturally Occurring Radionuclides in Private Wells in the Peidmont Region of South Carolina,” Health Physics, 88(3), 248-252, 2005.
Sigma Xi Young Investigator of the Year, 2011
Best Poster Presentation Prize, 12th International Conference on the Chemistry and Migration Behavior of Actinides and Fission Products in the Geosphere, 2009
W. R. Heatley Jr. Annual Fellowship, Clemson University, 2004
R.C. Edwards Fellowship, Clemson University, 1999-2000
Dean’s Scholarship in Chemistry, University of Montevallo, 1995-1999