Expert Areas

Analytical Environmental Chemistry

Education

Post Doctoral Studies, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, 1970-1973 
Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, 1970 
M.S., Organic Chemistry, San Diego State University, 1966 
B.S., Organic Chemistry, San Diego State University, 1963

Research Interests

Much of the research efforts of Dr. Hodge's group is focused on developing chemical methods and instrumental techniques for use in investigating the behavior of trace metals (radioactive and stable) in the environment. The ultimate goal of the research is to identify the role of speciation on the movement and fate of natural metals and radioactivity and those metals mobilized or created by man. Students are currently working on: 1) the determination of radium, uranium and plutonium isotopes in drinking water by radioactivity techniques and ICP/MS; 2) the determination of plutonium and cesium in sediments from Utah reservoirs and in trees from Utah in order to evaluate the impact of atomic weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site; 3) the occurrence of the natural radioactivity polonium in fish from Lake Mead; 4) the analysis of well water by ICP/MS in order to fingerprint the water in an attempt to identify its source and subterrian travel time; and 5) the analysis of flora and fauna near radioactively hot-thermal hot springs to determine the affect of the hot spring on the background radioactivity.