• Geology 1001 - Physical Geology
• Geology 4002 - Topics in Environmental Geology (Seminar)
• Geology 4202/7900 - Groundwater Flow Modeling
• Geology 4202/7900 - Subsurface Contaminant Transport
• Geology 4202/7900 - Aqueous Geochemical Modeling

Dr. Blanford has four projects where funded research opportunities currently exist for graduate and undergraduate students. If you are interested in being involved in these projects please contact Dr. Blanford. These projects are part of Dr. Blanford’s research program whose effort is directed toward preserving and protecting the quality and quantity of our water resources. This is one of the most important and exciting research areas of geosciences today. To contribute to that effort, my research group studies factors that govern the circulation of water and the transport, fate, and remediation of waterborne microbial pathogens and chemicals in subsurface and surface environments. In this pursuit we integrate elements of hydrology, geology, microbiology, and environmental engineering. In practice while performing research in the laboratory, field, or with computer models we often also learn about public policy and finance, as well as plumbing, electrical wiring, and how to operate a drill rig. Below details some of the exciting areas we are now working. If you would like more information about them please contact me.

There are several opportunities for graduate students to be involved in an exciting international project funded by NATO that just began. In this project, Dr. Blanford leading a group of international researchers on a three year project which is evaluating performance of riverbank filtration (RBF) wells as pretreatment of river water in Jordan. The end users of this water are family farms along the Zarqa River in Jordan. As part of this project, two pilot-scale riverbank filtration wells along with numerous monitoring are being installed and operated for 2 years. Dr. Blanford is involved in collecting field data on changes in permeability and aquifer chemistry of the riverbank during operation of the RBF well. He is also assisting in the execution of virus and bacterial tracer studies. This field data will then serve as the basis for testing flow, geochemical and contaminant transport models for RBF wells that Dr. Blanford is developing.

A second project where Dr. Blanford is interested in advising students involves applying cutting edge microbial analysis techniques to evaluate a new class of microbial contaminant, microsporidia, in the environment. In this project funded by the Louisiana Board of Regents, Dr. Blanford is working with Elizabeth Didier of the Tulane University Primate Center. She is a microbiologist specializing in microsporidia. Together, they are performing a survey of microsporidia in karstic systems which has ever been done, even though microsporidia species infecting humans have been identified in various water sources. We are applying currently used and novel techniques such as immunomagnetic bead capture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the quantity and species of microsporidia that are infectious to humans in a karstic aquifer serving more than two million people in Texas. Next, to determine the parameters that control the fate and transport of microsporidia in these systems, we are conducting a series of laboratory studies under model conditions. These parameters will then be incorporated into computer models, which will be evaluated through attempts to simulate the results of field-tracer studies with analogs of microsporidia and observations of naturally existing microsporidia. With this information and these models, regulatory agencies, water utilities, and emergency-response teams will be better equipped to design protocols for safeguarding public health.

Dr. Blanford has an on-going program which has been funded by the EPA and the state of Louisiana to evaluate the complexing sugar, cyclodextrin, as a remedial agent. Currently this project, research is being performed to: 1) determine the solubility enhancement of different contaminants in cyclodextrin; 2) evaluate methods to separate contaminants from cyclodextrin; 3) evaluate biodegradation potential cyclodextrins; 4) develop advanced analytical techniques for cyclodextrin in environmental waters; 5) create numerical models of contaminant transport associated with cyclodextrin solutions.

In another interesting project, Dr. Blanford and one of his students are investigating the processes influencing the movement of solutes in water and gaseous states moving through the permeable rock cores. In this project, we are mapping the porosity of 2 inch diameter by 1 to 6 inch long sandstone and limestone cores with X-ray tomography. We are then using this data as the basis for basis for a flow and solute transport model which will be evaluated by attempting to simulate lab tracer test results on these cores. This project will determine the influence of fracture and rock organic matter content, water saturation, and density driven and pressure driven advection VOC transport. And practically, it will aid the design and operation of a water and soil gas extraction systems for remediation at site in central Texas.

• Ph.D. Hydrogeology, 2001, The University of Arizona
• B.S. Geology, 1992, University of Notre Dame

Blanford, W J. and Boving, T. 2006. Monitoring of Conditions in a DNAPL Contaminated Aquifer after Active Flushing with Complexing Surgar Solutions. Technology News and Trends. USEPA. Pages 2-4. (pdf Copy)

Boving, T. Blanford, W.; McCray, J.; Divine, C.; Brusseau, M. 2006. Comparison of Line-Drive and Push-Pull Flushing Schemes Applied during Cyclodextrin Enhanced Flushing of a Multi-Component DNAPL Contaminated Aquifer. In press: Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation.

Keim R. and W. J. Blanford. 2006. Hurricanes Create a Crossroads for Hydrological Management of the Mississippi River Delta. Ground Water. Groundwater Vol. 44, No. 2 March-April 2006 page 123-124. (pdf Copy)

Blanford, W. J., J. Yeh, C. P. Gerba, R. W. Harvey, R. Bales, and M. L. Brusseau. 2005. Bacteriophage PRD-1 Transport in a Sandy Aquifer: Influence of Water Chemistry and Travel Distance on Viability. Water Research, Volume 39, Issue 11, June 2005, Pages 2345-2357. (pdf Copy)

Brusseau, M.L., J.K. Oleen, J. Santamaria, P. Orosz-Coglan, W.J. Blanford, P.Rykwalder, and C.P. Gerba. 2005. Transport of Microsproidium Encephalitozoon Intestinales Spores in Porous Media. Water Research, Volume 39, Pages 3636-3642. (pdf Copy)

Rykwalder P. and W. J. Blanford. 2005. Vadose Zone Monitoring. Editor J. H. Lehr: The Encyclopedia of Water. Vol. 1. p. 538-543. John Wiley and Sons. (pdf Copy)

Blanford W. J. 2005. Parasite Transport in Limestone Aquifers. Editor J. H. Lehr: The Encyclopedia of Water. Vol. 5. p. 365-370. John Wiley and Sons. (pdf Copy)

Sandrin S. K., M. L. Brusseau, J. J. Piatt, W. J. Blanford, N. T. Nelson, and A. A. Bodour. 2003. Characterizing Spatial Variability of In-Situ Microbial Activity Using Biotracer Tests. Groundwater 42 (3): 374-383 May-June 2004. (pdf Copy)

Divine, C. E., J. E. McCray, L. M. Wolf Martin, W. J. Blanford, D. J. Blitzer, M. L. Brusseau, T. B. Boving. 2004. Partitioning Tracer Tests as a Remediation Metric: Case Study at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Remediation Journal. Vol. 14, Iss. 2, p. 7-31. (pdf Copy)

Blanford, W. J. 2004. Parasite Fate and Transport in Karstic Aquifers. IDS-Water Americas 2004. 10 May – 28 May 2004.

McCray, J., Bryan, K., Cain, R., Johnson, G., Blanford, W., and Brusseau, M., 1999. Field Test of Cyclodextrin for Enhanced Flushing of Multicomponent Immiscible Liquid Contamination: Comparison to Water Flushing. Annable, J. S. Gierke, D. A. Sabatini Symposium Name: Field Testing of Innovative Subsurface Remediation Technologies. (pdf Copy)

Blanford W. J., Barackman, M., Boving, T. B., Klingel, E., and Brusseau, M., 2000. Cyclodextrin-enhanced Vertical Flushing of a Trichloroethene Contaminated Aquifer. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation. pp. 58-66. (pdf Copy)

Cain, R. B., Johnson, G. R., McCray, J. E., Blanford, W. J., and Brusseau, 2000. M. L. Partitioning Tracer Tests for Evaluating Remediation Performance. Vol. 38, No. 5 Ground Water pages 752-761. (pdf Copy)

Blanford W. J., E. J. Klingel, G. R. Johnson, R. B. Cain, C. Enfield, and M. L. Brusseau. 1999. Performance Assessment of In-well Aeration for the Remediation of an Aquifer Contaminated by a Multi-component Immiscible Liquid. Editors: M. L. Brusseau, M. D. Annable, J. S. Gierke, D. A. Sabatini Symposium Name: Field Testing of Innovative Subsurface Remediation Technologies. (pdf Copy)

Robyn Alcanzare
PhD Candidate in Environmental Engineering
E-mail: ralcan1@lsu.edu
Robyn is focusing her PhD on the microbial pathogen transport in limestone aquifers project.

Amy Lasseigne
Undergraduate Geology Major
Amy has obtained funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for work on the project to characterize of volatile solvent transport and fate in sandstone and limestone cores.

William Hake
Undergraduate Geology Major
Funding has been obtained from NSF for Bill to perform lab and field studies where he is attempting to develop empirical relationships between seismic properties and soil permeability and porosity. These relationships will then be applied by utilizing a shallow seismic survey to develop a permeability map for usage in a groundwater flow and contaminant transport model.