Teaching Responsibilities
Jim Saunders teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in aqueous and environmental geochemistry, general geochemistry, and economic geology.

Research Interest & Current Projects

Dr. Saunders' research involves the geochemistry of metals in shallow crustal fluids, including groundwater, sedimentary brines, geothermal systems, and volcanic epithermal systems. Consequently, an integrated approach of rock petrography, isotopic and trace-element geochemical analyses, and numerical computer models are used to investigate these systems. Results have shed new light on the genesis of hydrothermal mineral deposits and the origin of naturally occurring trace metals in groundwater systems.

Dr. Saunders' current research interests lie in the interaction of natural bacteria with dissolved metals and organic compounds in groundwater and aquifer minerals. In particular, Dr. Saunders is interested in stimulating naturally occurring sulfate-reducing bacteria under anaerobic conditions to remediate groundwaters contaminated by heavy metals and possibly organic compounds as well. His group has been able to raise the pH, and remove these chalcophile metals as metal-sulfide solid phases, particularly as the (Zn,Cd)S sphalerite and apparently as PbS (galena? or amorphous PbS).

Along with Drs. Lee and Uddin, he is currently working on geologic/biogeochemical causes of natural arsenic contamination in groundwater in young sedimentary aquifers in the USA and Bangladesh. This research is supported by the National Science Foundation. Dr. Saunders is also looking at bacterial involvement in certain sediment-hosted ore deposits, such as the Carboniferous carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb-Ag-Ba deposits of Ireland (supported by PRF-ACS).

Other Professional Activities
Dr. Saunders has been an associate editor of Elsevier's Ore Geology Reviews since 1996.

Selected Publications

Southam, G., Saunders, J.A., 2005, Geomicrobiology of metals and implications for ore deposits: Economic Geology 100th Anniverary Issue (in press).

Saunders, J.A, Lee, M.-K., and Mohammad, S., 2004, Geochemistry and geomicrobiology of arsenic in Holocene alluvial flood-plain aquifers, USA: Implications for universal causative mechanisms and possible bioremediation, in P. Bhattacharya and  J. Bundschuh (eds.) Natural Arsenic in Groundwater, Chapter 25, Taylor and Francis (in press).

Saunders, J.A, Lee, M.K., Mohammad, S., Uddin, A., Wilkin, R.T., Fayek, M., Geologic, biologic and hydrologic processes controlling arsenic mobility in Holocene alluvial aquifers: G-Cubed, (in review).

Lee, M.-K., Saunders, J.A., Mohammad, S., Wilkin, R.T., Harrington, J.,  and Lutes, C., 2004, Strategy for bioremediation of arsenic in groundwater: Book chapter, Remediation of Recalcitrant Contaminants, Battelle Press, Columbus, OH, (in press).

Saunders, J.A., Mohammad, S., Korte, N.E., Lee, M.-K., Fayek, M., Castle, D., and Barnett, M.O., 2004, Groundwater geochemistry, microbiology, and mineralogy of two arsenic-bearing Holocene alluvial aquifers from the USA: Special Publication of the American Chemical Society (in press).

Lee, M.-K., Saunders, J.A., Wilkin, R.T., and Shahnewaz, M., 2004, Geochemical modeling of arsenic speciation and mobilization: Implications for bioremediation:  Special Publication of the American Chemical Society (in press).

Saunders, J.A, Lee, M-K., Wolf. L.A., Geomicrobiology and geophysics of in situ bioremediation using sulfate-reducing bacteria:  Bioremediation Journal (in press). 

Lee, M.-K.,Saunders, J.A.,Uddin, A., 2003, Geochemical and hydrologic considerations on evolution of groundwaters in a portion of the Mississippi Embayment: Southeastern Geology, v. 42, p. 83-98.

Lee, M.-K. And Saunders, J.A., 2003, Effects of pH on metals precipitation and sorption: Field Bioremediation and geochemical modeling approaches: Vadose Zone Journal, v. 2, p. 177-185.