Faculty Profile
John Hassett
Emeritus
Department of Chemistry
321 Jahn Lab
Ph.D., 1978, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Postdoctoral Fellow, Drexel University, Philadelphia, 1978-1979; Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Florida-Gainesville, 1980.
John Hassett is particularly interested in the behavior of organic chemicals in the environment. His research includes study of partitioning interactions of hydrophobic chemicals such as PCBs and mirex between water, the gas phase and natural organic matter phases. He is also working on reaction of organic compounds with photochemically-generated intermediates such as hydrated electrons and hydroxyl radicals in water. These reactions may be important pathways for breakdown of otherwise recalcitrant contaminants in natural systems, and they have potential treatment applications in engineering systems.
Dr. Hassett is also developing sampling and extraction methods for trace organic contaminants in water that will improve precision and accuracy of analyses, provide better detection limits than existing technology, and lower the costs of field sampling and analysis. These devices include passive, long-term samplers, active short-term samplers and real-time monitors. They are being used as research tools for studies of organic contaminant behavior in aquatic systems. They are also being developed cooperatively with regulatory agencies for use as tools in environmental monitoring and for hunting down sources of contaminants.
Selected Publications
- Dissolved Natural Organic Matter as a Microreactor. J. P. Hassett, Science 311(5768), 1723 (2006).
- Wavelength-Dependent Photoreactivity of Mirex in Lake Ontario, K. L. Lambrych, J. P. Hassett, Environ. Sci. Technol. 40, 858 (2006).
- Role of sooty mold fungi in accumulation of fine-particle-associated PAHs and metals on deciduous leaves, V. A. Jouraeva, D. L. Johnson, J. P. Hassett, D. J. Nowak, N. A. Shipunova, D. Barbarossa, Environ. Res. 102,272 (2006).
Prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact members of the faculty directly.
Current Graduate Advisees
Hollis Harrington
hcharrin@syr.edu
- Degree Sought: PHD
- Graduate Advisor(s): Hassett
- Area of Study: FCH Environmental Chemistry
Graduate Research Topic
The composition of leaf derived DOM is largely unknown beyond aggregate measurements. My research focuses on the quantity and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from forest canopies. Im examining the molecular composition of leaf derived DOM using HPLC-Orbitrap, examining its transport into freshwater systems, and determining if/to what extent leaf derived DOM may be impacting the formation of unregulated disinfection byproducts in downstream drinking water facilities.