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Mark Krekeler

My research interests are in explaining the variation of mineralogical and geochemical properties in both natural and synthetic systems. My work is environmental in nature and has primarily focused on phyllosilicates, oxhyroxides, phosphates, metals and industrial minerals in sedimentary systems and geotechnologies. Current specific interests include development of defense related geotechnologies, mineralogical variation of shales in space and time, gold and native metal mineralization, rare earth element mineralization, urban pollution. I work extensively with graduate students and undergraduate student on numerous projects often involving transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and bulk chemistry and field work. Current field areas are central Nevada, the Mexico-U.S. border, and the Midwest.

Possible Thesis/Dissertation Topics

• Development of remote sensing data bases for finding people and objects in the environment (with Dr. McLeod)
• Countermeasures for radiological, biological and chemical warfare agents
• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of gold, platinum, copper and silver (with Dr. Rakovan)
• Mineralogy and geochemistry of gold ore and associated rocks in Nye County, Nevada (with Dr. McLeod)
• Environmental mineralogy of urban and disturbed landscapes in socioeconomically disadvantaged settings
• Minerals as catalysts, adsorbents and use in removal of micropollutants from water (with Dr. Levy)
• Environmental and applied investigations of unconventional shale reservoirs (with Dr. Currie) 
• Economic geology relating to gold and rare earth element resources (with Drs. McLeod and Rakovan)
• Mineralogy and resources of the Moon and Mars (with Dr. McLeod)
• Mineralogy and geochemistry of palygorskite-sepiolite deposits and smectite deposits
• Consumer wastes in the environment

Current/Recent Graduate Student Research

• Kailee Gokey (M.S. in progress) The Nature and Distribution of Contaminants in Las Vegas, NV Street Sediments
• Nick Jenkins (M.S. 2023) 
• Maria Leonard (M.S. in progress)
• Alexander Ruley (M.S.  2021) Geochemistry of pyrite from major ore units at Round Mountain Gold Mine and the implications for ore deposit genesis
• Jennifer McClellan (M.S. in progress) The role of Basin and Range extension in Rhyolite Magmatism and silver mineralizations in Tonopah, Nevada.
• Brittany Cymes (Ph.D. 2020) Manganese industrial mineral catalysts
• Lonnie Flett (M.S. 2020) n Metal contamination on the Spokane reservation, Washington State
• Effie Harker (M.S. 2018, co-advised with Dr. Levy) Recyclable micropollutant removal media studies
• Mack Taylor (M.S. 2017) Electron microscopy of Type 4 gold ore at Round Mountain, Nevada
• Matt Dietrich (M.A. 2017) Urban pollution studies of Goldman Park, Middletown, Ohio
• Joshua Silverstein (M.A. 2016) Investigations of placer gold deposits in Venezuela

Selected Publications

*Allen, A., Dietrich, M., McLeod, C. L., Gillis, M., Gokey, K., Fouh Mbindi, M., Krekeler, M. P. S. (2024) Investigating mercury in road sediment in Michigan City, Indiana: A new type of environmental pollution record. Environmental Advances, 15:100483.  

Almquist, C., *Thrailkill, A., Krekeler, M.P.S. (2018) A comparative investigation of metal sorption using manganese oxides from alkaline battery manufacturing and post-consumer wastes. Journal of Environmental Engineering-ASCE [Ms. No. EEENG-4463R1] (IF:1.314/1.536) Contribution 25%

**Dietrich, M., *Huling, J., Krekeler, M.P.S. (2018) Metal Pollution Investigation of Goldman Park, Middletown Ohio: Evidence for Steel and Coal Pollution in a High Child Use Setting. Science of the Total Environment.

**Burke M. Rakovan, J., Krekeler M.P.S. (2017) A study by electron microscopy of gold and associated minerals from Round Mountain, Nevada. Ore Geology Reviews (IF:3.095/3.449) dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.08.026.

*Cymes, B.A., Krekeler M.P.S., Nicholson K.N., Grigsby, J.D. (2017) A transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of silver nanoparticles associated with mine waste from New Caledonian nickel deposits: potential origins of silver toxicity in a World Heritage Site. Environmental Earth Sciences Vol 76: 640 (IF:1.569/1.844) DOI 10.1007/s12665-017-6978-x.

McLeod, C., Krekeler M.P.S. (2017) Sources of Extraterrestrial Rare Earth Elements: To the Moon and Beyond. Resources 6: 40; doi:10.3390/resources6030040.

**Berhane, T., Levy, J., Krekeler, M.P.S., Danielson, N.D. (2017) Kinetic sorption of contaminants of emerging concern by a palygorskite-montmorillonite filter medium. Chemosphere 176: 231-242.

*Paul, K.C., **Silverstein, J., Krekeler, M.P.S. (2017) New insights into rare earth element particulate generated by cigarette lighters: an electron microscopy and materials science investigation of a poorly understood indoor air pollutant and constraints for urban geochemistry. Environmental Earth Sciences 76: 369.

**Berhane, T.M., Levy, J., Krekeler M.P.S., Danielson, N.D. (2016) Adsorption of bisphenol A and iprofloxacin by palygorskite-montmorrillonite: Effect of granule size, solution chemistry and temperature. Applied Clay Science 132: 518-527.

*Flett, L., Krekeler, M.P.S., Burke, M. (2016) Investigations of road sediment in an industrial corridor near low-income housing in Hamilton, Ohio. Environmental Earth Sciences 75: 1156.

Argyilan, E.P., Avis, P.G., Krekeler, M.P.S., Morris, C.C. (2015) The origin of collapse features appearing in a migrating parabolic dune along the southern coast of Lake Michigan. Aeolian Research 19:137-149.

*Armentrout, C., **Burke, M., **Silverstein, J., Krekeler, M.P.S., *Nesbit, L., *Kidd, M., *Straub, K., *Newby, N., *Sellers, A. (2015) An unusual occurrence of silver in stream sediment from northern Breathitt county, Kentucky. Southeastern Geology 51: 109-119.

Varma Sinha, S., Argyilan E. P., Krekeler M.P.S. (2015) An environmental investigation of the mineralogical, geotechnical, hydrogeologic and botanical properties of subsurface flow constructed wetlands in Akumal, Mexico. Environmental Earth Science Vol. 73: 2299-2317.

**Berhane, T.M., Levy, J., Krekeler, M.P.S., Danielson N.D., Stalcup, A. (2015) Sorption-desorption of carbamazepine by palygorskite-montmorillonite (PM) filter medium. Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 282, 183-193.

Almquist, C., Krekeler M.P.S., **Jiang, L (2014) An investigation of the structure and catalytic activity of cryptomelane-type manganese oxide materials prepared by different synthesis routes. Chemical Engineering Journal , Vol. 252, 249-262.

*White, K., *Detherage, T., *Verellen, M., **Tully, J., Krekeler, M.P.S. (2014) An investigation of lead chromate (crocite-PbCrO4) and other inorganic pigments in aged traffic paint samples from Hamilton, Ohio: Implications for lead in the environment. Environmental Earth Sciences, Vol 71, 3517-3528.

Select Grants

NSF (2018)– GEOPATHS - AUGITE career development (Co-PI, with C. McLeod - PI)

NIJ ( 2016) for remote sensing of human materials in the environment (start: 6/1/16)

Kinross USA (2015) for mineralogical investigations of the Round Mountain Mine

NSF (2014) ACACIA: Ancient Climate and the Authigenic Clay Index of Aridity. (Col. Prop.)

Patents

• Krekeler, M.P.S. and Emore, S. (2010)  Counter weapon containment.  US Patent, US 7,662,738 B2 (Final Issue Date:  February 16, 2010).
• Krekeler, M.P.S., Elmore, S., and Tselepis, C.M. (2010 Radioactive materials sequestration.  US Patent. 34 US 7,647,935 B2.  (Final Issue Date January 19, 2010).
• Krekeler, M.P.S., Elmore, S., Tselepis, C.M. and Stoll, D. (2010) Secondary process for radioactive chloride deweaponization and storage.  US Patent.  US 7,663,014 B2.  (Final Issue Date:  May 25, 2010)

Teaching Interests

• GLG 121 - Environmental Geology
• GLG 244 - Oceanography
• GLG 311 - Geoenvironmental Field Methods
• GLG 307 - Water and Society
• GLG 677 - Shales
• GLG 677 - Economic Geology
• GLG 710 - Advanced Mineralogy

Education

Ph.D. Geotechnical Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago (2003)