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Pasi Peltola

Research interest

Geochemistry and biogeochemistry

My research has mainly focused on surface geochemistry in environmental compartments such as soil, sediment and biota. My PhD thesis (2005) deals with the possibilities of multielement geochemistry and biogeochemistry in various urban environments, such as sediment, soil, humus, dust and bacteria (bioavailability). Of particular interest in several of my past studies has been the utilisation of multielement datasets for studying the whereabouts of chemical elements. I have continued with projects in the field of environmental geochemistry (sediments and water), biogeochemistry and environmental toxins. My current position (05/2010-) is lecturer (universitetslektor) in environmental science at the School of Natural Sciences at Linnaeus University (www.lnu.se/nv). I teach mainly in the Environmental Analysis Programme.

Current topics and media

Discovery News reports on power line study.
A related blog post (in Swedish).

Follow the dredging project of the Oskarshamn harbour on www.renhamn.se. Tons of pollution there that needs to be taken care of, and I’m glad to bee in the scientific referee group of this project.

Curriculum Vitae - short

Current Position

Lecturer at the School of Natural Sciences at Linnaeus University (05/2010-)

Academic degrees

MSc, Geology, Åbo Akademi University (12/1999).

PhD Kalmar University (02/2005) Environmental Science. Thesis title: Multielement Urban Geochemistry – Exploring  the Expected, the Unexpected and the Unknown. ISBN: 91-89584-32-5.

Supervisor

Currently co-supervisor of 5 Ph.D. students.

Current teaching

Autumn 2011: Miljövetenskaplig metodologi (environmental scientific methodology) http://lnu.se/utbildning/kurser/1MX016
Autumn 2011: Giftfri miljö (A toxic free environment) 
Autumn 2011: Hållbar utveckling (sustainable development) as part of several courses
Spring 2011: Klimatfrågan (the climate question) http://lnu.se/utbildning/kurser/1MX002

 

Pasi Peltola. Foto: Högskolan i Kalmar

Refereed journal articles

Contact pasi.peltola@lnu.se for request.

Published and in press

Yu C, Peng B, Peltola P, Tang X, Xie S. (2011). Effect of weathering on abundance and release of potentially toxic elements in soils developed on Lower-Cambrian black shales, P.R. China. Environmental Geochemistry and Health (accepted)

Peltola P., Virtasalo, J., Öberg, T., Åström, M. (2011). Geochemistry of surface sediments in the Archipelago Sea, SW Finland - A multiparameter and multivariate study. Environmental Earth Sciences, 62, 725-734.

Augustsson A, Peltola P, Bergbäck B, Saarinen T, Haltia-Hovi E. (2010). Trace metal and geochemical variability during 5,500 years in the sediment of lake Lehmilampi, Finland. Journal of Paleolimnology, 44, 1025-1038

Brun C, Peltola P, Åström M, Johansson M-B. (2010). Spatial distribution of major, trace and ultra trace elements in three Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.)) stands in boreal forests, Forsmark, Sweden. Geoderma, 159, 252-261

Öberg T. och Peltola, P. 2009. Increased deposition of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) under an AC high voltage power line. Atmospheric Environment. 43, 6168-6174.

Åström M, Nystrand M, Gustafsson JP, Österholm P, Nordmyr L, Reynolds JK and Peltola P. 2010. Lanthanoid behaviour in an acidic landscape. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 74, 829-845

Filipsson M., Henningsson M., Peltola, P. och Öberg, T. 2009. Exposure to contaminated sediments during recreational activities at a public bathing place. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 171, 200-207.

Peltola P, Brun C, Åström M, Tomilina O. 2009. High K/Rb ratios in stream waters - Exploring plant litter decay, ground water and lithology as potential controlling mechanisms Chemical Geology. 257, 92-100

Åström, M., Peltola, P., Rönnback, P., Lavergren, U., Bergbäck, B., Tarvainen, T., Backman, B. and Salminen, R. 2009. Uranium in surface and ground waters in Boreal Europe. Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis. 9, 51-62

Åström M., Peltola P., Virtasalo J, Kotilainen A. and Salminen R. 2008. Niobium in boreal streams and sediments. Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis. 8, 1-10.

Brun C., Åström M., Peltola P. and Johansson M-B. 2008. Trends in major and trace elements in decomposing needle litters during a long-term experiment in Swedish forests. Plant and Soil 306, 199 – 210.

Nordmyr, L., Åström, M. and Peltola, P. 2008. Metal pollution of estuarine sediments caused by leaching of acid sulphate soils. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 76, 141-152.

Fältmarsch, R., Peltola, P., Åström, M. and Raitio, H. 2007. Abundance, correlations and spatial patterns of nutrients and metals in till, humus, moss and pine needles in a boreal forest, western Finland. Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analyses. 7. 57–69.

Peltola, P. and Wikström, E. 2006. Tyre stud derived tungsten carbide particles in urban street dust. Boreal environment research. 11 (3). 161-168.

Peltola, P. and Åström, M. (2006). Can boron and boron isotopes be used as a sedimentary marker for fire events? A case study from a historic urban fire event in W Finland”. Applied geochemistry. 21 (6). 941-948.

Peltola, P., Ivask, A., Åström, M. and Virta, M. (2005). Lead and Cu in contaminated urban soils: Extraction with chemical reagents and bioluminescent bacteria and yeast. Science of the total environment. 350 (1-3). 194-203.

Peltola, P. and Åström, M. (2003). Urban geochemistry: a multimedia and multielement survey of a small town in northern Europe. Environmental Geochemistry and Health. 25. 397-419.

Peltola, P. and Åström, M. (2002). Concentrations and leachability of chemical elements in estuarine sulphur-rich sediments, W. Finland. Science of the Total Environment. 284. 109-122.

Submitted or under revision

Augustsson A, Gaillard M-J, Peltola P, Mazier F, Bergbäck B, Saarinen T. Mid- and Late Holocene erosion rates recorded in Lake Lehmilampi, Finland – the influence of land use and climate change, and its effect on the sediment geochemical composition.

Brun C, Peltola P, Åström M, Johansson M-B. Major and trace element dynamics during decomposition of bilberry and beech litter in boreal forests.

Conference abstracts and similar

Öberg T. and Peltola P. (2009). Deposition of persistent organic pollutants under a high voltage power line. NOSA (the Nordic Society for Aerosol Research)

Peltola, P., Åström, M., Virtasalo, J., Kotilainen, A. and Salminen, R. (2007). Tracking mobile niobium in the boreal environment with a "multi-survey" approach. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 71 (15). A773-A773 Suppl. S. (Goldschmidt 2007).

Brun, C., Åström, M., Peltola, P. and Johansson, M. (2007). Patterns in major and trace element dynamics during long-term decomposition of boreal forest litters. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 71 (15). A128-A128 Suppl. S. (Goldschmidt 2007).

Brun, C., Åström, M., Peltola, P. and Johansson, M. (2007). Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements in the Environment: Environmental Protection, Remediation and Human Health. Tsinghua University Press. 588-589 (9th ICOBTE Beijing, China).

Linda Nordmyr, Mats Åström, Peter Österholm and Pasi Peltola. The influence of metal leakage from acid sulphate soils on estuarine sediments in western Finland. 18th World Congress of Soil Science
July 9-15, 2006 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 174-3.

P.J. Virta, A Ivask, P Peltola, M Åström. Relationship between microbially bioavailable and sequentially extracted fractions of Pb, Cs, Zn, and Cu in metal contaminated soils. SETAC Europe 15th Annual Meeting 22-26 May 2005, Lille, France. TUP-09/04.

Peltola, P. and Åström, M. Urban geochemistry: a multimedia and multielement survey of a northern small-town urban area. 6th International Symposium on Environmental Geochemistry: 7-11 September 2003, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Technical reports

Peltola, P. (2007). Provtagning av vatten och sediment för analys av organiska och ickeorganiska miljögifter vid sjön Trekanten, Liljeholmen, Stockholm 2007 - Steg 2

Peltola, P. (2006). Provtagning av vatten och sediment för analys av organiska och ickeorganiska miljögifter vid sjön Trekanten, Liljeholmen, Stockholm.

Referee
Referee for several scientific journals within my field.