The University of Arizona

Research Faculty

Katerina Dontsova

Assistant Research Professor, Biosphere 2

Dontsova

Research Interests

Soil chemistry and mineralogy; reactions on soil-water interface and reactive transport of organic and inorganic compounds in soils; colloidal behavior of soils; mineral weathering.

I am a soil scientist with interest in interactions between physical, chemical, and biological processes that take place in the soils. My primary focus is in soil chemistry, including dissolution, precipitation, and sorption reactions in the soils with both basic science applications including critical zone processes, mineral-organic interactions and applied research looking at fate and transport of organic contaminants and nano-particles in soils that is relevant to environmental quality. 

Education

  • 2002 Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, Doctor of Philosophy in Agronomy
  • 1998 Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, Master of Science in Agronomy
  • 1995 National Agricultural University (NAU), Kyiv, Ukraine, Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science Specialist

Employment

  • Assistant Research Professor, Biosphere2, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. 2009 – present.
  • Senior Research Specialist, Biosphere2, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. 2008 – 2009.
  • Senior Scientist, SpecPro, Inc.; duty station: U. S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS. 2005 – 2008.
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Mississippi, University, MS; duty station: U. S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS. 2004 – 2005.
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, The School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. 2002 – 2004.
  • Research Assistant, National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory (NSERL), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. 1995 – 2002.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

  • Taylor, S., K. Dontsova, S. Bigl, C. Richardson, J. Lever, J. Pitt, et al. 2012. Dissolution Rate of Propellant Energetics from Nitrocellulose Matrices. Cold regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH.
  • Andrew, D.R., R.R. Fitak, A. Munguia-Vega, A. Racolta, V.G. Martinson and K. Dontsova. 2012. Abiotic Factors Shape Microbial Diversity in Sonoran Desert Soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 78: 7527-7537.
  • Jardine, K., G. Barron-Gafford, J. Norman, L. Abrell, R. Monson, K. Meyers, M. Pavao-Zuckerman, K. Dontsova, E. Kleist, C. Werner, T. Huxman. 2012. Green leaf volatiles and oxygenated metabolite emission bursts from mesquite branches following light–dark transitions. Photosynthesis Research: 1-13. doi:10.1007/s11120-012-9746-5.
  • Brantley, S.L.,  J. P. Megonigal, F.N. Scatena, Z. Balogh-Brunstad, R. T. Barnes, M. A. Bruns, P. van Cappelen,K. Dontsova, H. Hartnett, T. Hartshorn, A. Heimsath, E. Herndon, L. Jin, C. K. Keller, J.R. Leake, W.H. McDowell, F. C. Meinzer, T. Mozdzer, S. Petsch, J. Pett-Ridge, K. S. Pregitzer, P. Raymond, C. S. Riebe, K. Shumaker, A. Sutton-Grier, R. Walter, and K. Yoo. 2011. Twelve testable hypotheses on the geobiology of weathering. Geobiology. 9:140-165.
  • Deng, B., V. Medina, C. Reed, A. Bednar, C. Griggs, K.M. Dontsova, and C.C. Nestler. 2011. Uptake of Cesium (Cs+) by Building Materials in Aqueous Batch Systems. Journal of Environmental Engineering 1:329.
  • Dontsova, K.M., C. I. Steefel, S. Desilets, A. Thompson, and J. Chorover. 2009. Solid phase evolution in the Biosphere 2 hillslope experiment as predicted by modeling of hydrologic and geochemical fluxes. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 13: 2273-2286.
  • Dontsova, K.M., C. Hayes, J. C. Pennington, and B. Porter. 2009. Sorption of high explosives to water-dispersible clay: Influence of organic carbon, aluminosilicate clay, and extractable iron. J. Environ. Qual. 38:1458-1465.
  • Dontsova, K.M., C. Hayes, J. Šimunek, J. C. Pennington, and C. W. Williford. 2009. Transport of 2,4-DNT and M1 propellant in soils. Chemosphere 77:597-603.
  • Chappell, M. A., A. J. George , K.M. Dontsova, B. E. Porter, C. L. Price, P. Zhou, E. Morikawa, A. J. Kennedy, J. A. Steevens. 2009. Surfactive stabilization of multi-walled carbon nanotube dispersions with dissolved humic substances. Environmental Pollution 157: 1081-1087.
  • Kennedy, A.J., M.S. Hull, J.A. Steevens ,K. Dontsova, C.A. Weiss, J. Gunter. 2008. Factors influencing the environmental partitioning and toxicity of nanotubes. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 27: 1932–1941.
  • Dontsova, K.M., M. Chappell, J. Šimunek, and J. C. Pennington. 2008. Dissolution and transport of nitroglycerin, nitroguanidine and ethyl centralite from M9 and M30 propellants in soils. In Characterization and fate of gun and rocket propellant residues on testing and training ranges: Final report.ERDC TR-08-1. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS.
  • Dontsova, K.M., J. C. Pennington, S. Yost, and J. Brannon. 2007. Transport of nitroglycerin, nitroguanidine and diphenylamine in soils. In Characterization and fate of gun and rocket propellant residues on testing and training ranges: Interim report 1.ERDC TR-07-1. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS.
  • Pennington, J. C., J. M. Brannon, J. C. Lynch, J. Lewis, K. Dontsova, S. L. Yost, and C. A. Hayes. 2006. Transport parameters for firing range residues, Chapter 3. pp. 60-82. In Distribution and fate of energetics on DoD test and training ranges: Final Report. ERDC TR-06-13. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS.
  • Dontsova, K.M., S.L. Yost, J. Šimunek, J.C. Pennington, and C.W. Williford. 2006. Dissolution and transport of TNT, RDX, and Composition B in saturated soil columns. J. Environ. Qual. 35(6):2043-2054.
  • Dontsova, K.M., L.D. Norton, and C.T. Johnston. 2005. Calcium and magnesium effects on ammonia adsorption by soil clays. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69:1225-1232.
  • Dontsova, K.M. and J.M. Bigham. 2005. Anionic polysaccharide sorption by clay minerals. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69:1026-1035.
  • Dontsova, K.M., Y. B. Lee, B. K. Slater, and J. M. Bigham. 2004. Gypsum for agricultural use in Ohio – Sources and quality of available products. Extension Fact Sheet.  http://ohioline.osu.edu/anr-fact/0020.html
  • Dontsova, K.M., L.D. Norton, C.T. Johnston, and J.M. Bigham. 2004. Influence of exchangeable cations on water adsorption by soil clays. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68:1218-1227.
  • Norton, L.D., E. Ventura, and K. Dontsova. 2003. Soil degradation as a result of water erosion. Terra 21: 259-265.
  • Dontsova, K.M. and L.D. Norton. 2002. Clay dispersion, infiltration and erosion as influenced by exchangeable Ca and Mg. Soil Science 167:184-193.
  • Dontsova, K. and L.D. Norton. 2001. Effects of exchangeable Ca:Mg ratio on soil clay flocculation, infiltration and erosion. 580-587 pgs. In: D.E. Stott, R.H. Mohtar, and G.C. Steinhardt (eds). Sustaining the Global Farm – Selected papers from the 10th International Soil Conservation Organization Meeting, May 24-29, 1999, West Lafayette, IN (peer reviewed).
  • Norton, L.D. and K.M. Dontsova. 1998. Use of soil amendments to prevent soil surface sealing and control erosion. Advances in GeoEcology. 31:581-587.
  • Nearing, M.A., L.D. Norton, D.A. Bulgakov, G.A. Larionov, L.W. West, and K.M. Dontsova. 1997. Hydraulics and erosion in eroding rills. Water Resources Research. 33:865-876.

Current Projects

  • Dissolution of NTO, DNAN and insensitive munitions formulations and their fates in soils. $1,350,466. DOD Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program. 3/1/12-1/31/15. PI (Dontsova), Co-PIs (Taylor, Brusseau, Pesce-Rodriguez, Simunek).
  • ETBC: Plant-microbe-mineral interaction as a driver for rock weathering and chemical denudation. $424,623. National Science Foundation. 08/01/10 – 07/31/13. PI (Dontsova), Co-PIs (Chorover, Huxman, Maier).
  • REU Site: Environmental and Earth Systems Research at Biosphere 2. $401,727 National Science Foundation. 01/01/10 – 12/31/12. PI (Pavao-Zuckerman), Co-PI (Dontsova).
  • Dissolution and transport of propellants in soils. $202,175. Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program. 12/16/09 - 11/22/11. PI (Dontsova), Co-PIs (Huxman, Chorover, Simunek).

Past Projects

  • Environmental Reactivity and Mobility of Carbon and Metal Nanoparticles in Soils. $370,000.  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Quality Technology Program. FY08-FY09. PI (Dontsova).
  • Perchlorate fate in soils. $120,000. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Quality Technology Program. FY08. PI (Dontsova), Co-PIs (Chappell, George).
  • Mechanisms of Sorption and Colloidal Transport of High Explosives in Soils. $700,000. ERDC Basic Research Program. FY06-FY08. PI (Pennington), Co-PIs (Dontsova, Simunek).

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