Research Interests

Ben’s current research includes:

• Understanding the fate and impacts of conventional and biodegradable plastic polymers within soil and freshwater ecosystems. This includes research within the Material Social Futures programme at Lancaster that is examining photo-oxidation of polymer surfaces and the biodegradation of plastic polymers within soil. New research in this area, under the EU Horizon 2020-funded SOPLAS project, is examining the transport of microplastics from agricultural soil systems.

• The development and application of a new stable isotope framework to understand phosphorus biogeochemistry in natural ecosystems. This work involves measuring the stable oxygen isotope composition of phosphate, in order to provide new insights into the sources and the fate of phosphorus in the environment. Ben’s recent publications in this area include a synthesis of this emerging research field in the context of aquatic ecosystems, a new methodology to enable oxygen isotope analysis in phosphate within ecosystems at low ambient phosphate concentration, and collaboration with the British Geological Survey to use the stable oxygen isotope composition of phosphate as a marker of phosphorus that is added to drinking water in the UK to prevent lead contamination.

• Examining the relationships between agricultural production and nutrient biogeochemistry and the fate and impacts of nutrients within networks of freshwater ecosystems. This research includes:

1. Work to understand how nutrient elements are transferred through connected river-lake networks, including under the NERC-funded Hydroscape project;
2. Examining how to maximise the agronomic value of nutrients with materials such as biomass ash and anaerobic digestate, including via NERC funding under the Resource Recovery from Waste programme;
3. Evaluating future scenarios for nutrient management in food production systems within the UK and more widely, including within China under the Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Network.

Ben has published >50 journal papers with research funding >£4.5M to Lancaster as PI or Co-I since 2009 from NERC, EPSRC, BBSRC, the European Commission, Defra, the UK water industry and private companies.

Additional Information

Ben is Associate Editor for the journal Limnology and Oceanography: Methods

Current Teaching

Ben’s teaching includes:

• Convening a third year undergraduate module on Water Resources Management, as part of the environment-focussed degrees within Lancaster Environment Centre.

• Leading a field-based Masters module on the science and management of soil and water resources in river catchments, as part of the Sustainable Water Management MSc within Lancaster Environment Centre.