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Johnson Haas

Dr. Johnson Haas
Associate Professor of Geosciences


Office: (269) 387-2878
Fax: (269) 387-5513
Email:

Location
1129 Rood Hall

Mailing Address
Department of Geosciences
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5419

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Education
Ph.D. Washington University (1993)
B.Sc. Auburn University (1988)

Teaching Interests
ENVS 2150 - Environmental Systems and Cycles
GEOS 2000 - Evolution of Life
GEOS 5550 - Introduction to Geochemistry
CHEM 5450 - Biogeochemistry

Bio
My research focuses on the biogeochemistry of trace elements in the environment. I am interested in how trace elements behave in natural systems, where they are subject to chemical influences from minerals, organic matter, bacteria, fungi, and dissolved compounds. Bacteria in particular can profoundly influence the geochemical behavior of many trace elements, including chromium, arsenic, uranium and exotic pollutants such as plutonium and technetium. Understanding how bacteria can control metal geochemistry helps us deal with heavy metal pollution, radioactive waste, and how ore-bearing rocks form.

Specific topics that he is investigating include:

• The influence of geochemical variables on uranium reduction and biomineralization by metal-reducing bacteria,
• The role of bacteria in the biogeochemical cycling of uranium in natural systems,
• The process of microbial metal reduction and how it affects the environmental mobility of redox-inactive heavy metals such as Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, and the rare earth elements,
• The geochemistry of metal-oxidizing bacteria in acid mine drainage, and
• Biomonitoring atmospheric metal-pollutant fallout with lichens.