Professor Aradhana Mehra

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Job title: Professor of Environmental Geochemistry and Health

Email: a.mehra@derby.ac.uk
Phone No: 01332 591133
Room: KR N719

I'm a media friendly expert

Recent publications

Kalavrouziotisa, I.K., Koukoulakis, P.H., Papadopoulos, A.H. and Mehra, A. 2009 Heavy metal accumulation in Brussels sprouts after irrigation with treated municipal waste water. Journal of Plant Interactions, 4, 41-48.

Brewin, L.E., Mehra, A., Lynch, P.T. and Farago, M.E. 2007. Bioavailability of copper within Dolfrwynog Bog soils, North Wales, UK. Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability, 19, 149-162.

Lynch, P.T., Siddika, A., Mehra, A., Benelli, C and Lambardi, M. 2007. The challenge of successful cryopreservation of olive (Olea europeae L.) shoot tips, Advances in Horticultural Science, 21 (4), 211-214.

Kalavrouziotis, I.K., Carter, J., Varnavas, S., Mehra, A. and Drakatos, A. 2006. Towards an understanding of metal contamination in food crops and soils related to road traffic. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 15, 170-175.

Kalavrouziotis, I.K., Carter, J., Varnavas, S., Mehra, A. and Drakatos, A. 2006. Towards an understanding of the effect of road pollution on adjacent food crops: Zea mays as an example. International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 30, 576-592.

Mehra, A. and Baker, C.L. 2006. Leaching and bioavailability of aluminium, copper and manganese from tea. Food Chemistry, 100, 1456-1463.

Kalavrouziotis, I.K., Carter, J., Varnavas, S., Mehra, A. and Drakatos, A. 2006. Towards an understanding of metal contamination in food crops and soils related to road traffic. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 15, 170-175.

Kalavrouziotis, I.K., Carter, J., Varnavas, S., Mehra, A. and Drakatos, A. 2006. Towards an understanding of the effect of road pollution on adjacent food crops: Zea mays as an example. International Journal of Environment and Pollution (in press)

Saikat, S.Q., Carter, J., Mehra, A., Smith, B. and Stewart, A. 2004. Goitre and environmental iodine deficiency in the UK-Derbyshire: A review. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 26, 395-401.

Casper, S.T., Mehra, A., Farago, M.E. and Gill, R.A. 2004. Contamination of surface soils, river water, and sediments by trace metals from copper processing industry in the Churnet River Valley, Staffordshire, UK. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 26, 59-67.

Adetunji, A., Williams, J.M. and Mehra, A. 2003. 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopic investigation of some coals of geographically different provenance and their fly-ashes. Journal of Hyperfine Interactions, 5, 379-382.

Brewin, L., Mehra, A., Lynch, P.T. and Farago, M.E. 2003. Mechanisms of copper tolerance by Armeria maritima in Dolfrwynog Bog, Wales - initial studies. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 25, 147-156.

Lambardi, M., Lynch, P.T., Benelli, C., Mehra, A. and Siddika, A. 2002. Towards the cryopreservation of olive germplasm. Advances in Horticultural Science, 16(3-4), 165-174.

Cordes, K.B., Mehra, A., Farago, M.E. and Banerjee, D.K. 2000. Uptake of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn by the water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, (Mart.) Solms from pulverised fuel ash (PFA) leachates and slurries. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 22, 297-316.

Mehra, A., Farago, M.E. and Banerjee, D.K. 2000. A study of Eichhornia crassipes growing in the overbank and floodplain soils of the River Yamuna in Delhi, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 60, 25-45.

Faculty: Education, Health and Sciences

School: School of Science

Subject Area: Environmental Sciences

Assistant Subject Head (postgraduate operations) of Geographical, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES)

Teaching responsibilities

I am Programme Leader for MSc Environmental Management, I teach on various aspects of environmental pollution, biogeochemical cycling of environmental contaminants, human health implications of toxins in the environment, pollution abatement technologies, and analytical techniques for environmental analysis.

Research interests

My research interests lie in the area of biogeochemistry of elements in the water-soil-plant-human pathway. This is a growing area with considerable national and international interest to understand the links between the geochemical environment and the health of plants, animals and human beings. My current research work is in two main areas:

mobility, bioavailability and speciation of toxic trace metals in different environmental media and their impacts on biota including human beings;
micro-anionic nutrients in the environment and their significance to human health.

Membership of professional bodies and advisory committees

I am a member of the following professional bodies:

MInstLM - Full Member, Institute of Leadership and Management, UK
CEnv - Chartered Environmentalist, Society for the Environment, UK
MIEnvSc - Full Member, Institution of Environmental Sciences, UK

I am a member of the following academic societies:

Invited member of 'Science Diploma Higher Education Working Group', SEMTA (The Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies), 2008
Appointed member of Environment Agency's Regional Environment Protection Advisory Committee (REPAC), 2005: advisor to the Environment Agency on regional priorities impacting on regional policy making.
Nominated and confirmed Vice-President of the National Federation of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Associations, India, 2005.
Elected Chairperson, Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH), European Section (2002 - 05).
Invited Executive Committee member, Environment City Executive, Derby City Partnership, Derby City Council, 2003-06.
Elected Councillor, Executive Board, Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH) USA, Europe, Asia Pacific, 2002 onwards.
Invited Environmental Sustainability Advisor, Derby City Partnership Objective 2 Action Plan, Derby City Council, 2001 onwards.
Invited member of the Executive Committee, Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH), European Section (1997 onwards).

Recent Conferences

Mehra, A, Saikat, S Q, , Carter, J E, Smith, B and Stewart, A. 2007. Human exposure to environmental iodine - a case study of endemic goiter in the UK-Peak District at the Urban Geochemistry and Health Conference, July, 2007, New Orleans, USA.

Saikat, S Q, Mehra, A, Carter, J E, Stewart, A and Smith, B. 2007. 'Derbyshire neck' - the role of environmental iodine in the aetiology of goiter in the UK-Peak District, at the 25th European Conference of Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health, June 2007, Liverpool, UK.

Lynch, P.T., Siddika, A., Mehra, A., Benelli, C and Lambardi, M. 2007. The challenge of successful cryopreservation of olive (Olea europeae L.) shoot tips, at the COST 814, Working Group 2 Meeting - Technology, Application and Validation of Cryopreservation, CNR, National Research Council of Italy, May, 2007, Florence, Italy.

Additional Interests and Activities

I have supervised the following PhD students towards successful completion:

Kevin Cordes, 2001. Leaching and bioavailability of selected elements from coal-fired power station waste; other supervisors: Professor Margaret Farago, Imperial College, London, Professor D K Banerjee, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India.
Susan Casper. 2003. Contamination, bioavailability, and speciation of metals from copper processing industry in the Churnet River Valley, Staffordshire, UK.; other supervisors: Professor Margaret Farago, Imperial College, London, Mr Richard Gill.
Kathleen Holding, 2005. Epilithic periphyton as a potential biomonitor of trace metals contamination in freshwater aquatic systems; other supervisors: Professor Joy Carter, University of Glamorgan, Professor Trevor Brown.
Sohel Saikat, 2005. Distribution, mobility and health significance of iodine and fluorine in the UK-Peak District; Other supervisors: Professor Joy Carter, University of Glamorgan, Professor Barry Smith, British Geological Survey; Advisor: Dr Alex Stewart, Health Protection Agency.
Leigh Brewin, 2005. Towards the further understanding of the copper tolerance mechanisms in Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd. (sea thrift); other supervisors: Professor Paul Lynch, Professor Margatert Farago Imperial College.
Mohannad Al-Majathoub, 2006. Development of cryopreservation techniques for strawberry Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne; other supervisors: Professor Paul Lynch.
Ayesha Siddika, 2007. In vitro conservation of germplasm of temperate woody fruit tree species; other supervisors: Professor Paul Lynch
Laura Chan (started 2008). Human exposure assessment of fluoride from tea; other supervisors: Professor Paul Lynch; Dr Sohel Saikat Health Protection Agency

I am a member of the following journal editorial boards:

Invited Assistant Editor of the international refereed journal, Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability, 2003 onwards
Invited member of the Editorial Board of the international refereed journal, Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 2003 onwards
Guest Editor, Special Issue of the international refereed journal, Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 2000

Media experience

ITV News 6 pm, March 2009: interviewed on 'fluoridation of drinking water'

Research qualifications

PhD Environmental Chemistry, University of London

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