Specialties
Geochemistry/biogeochemistry, Technology evaluation, Environmental microbial forensics, Environmental microbiology, Phytotechnologies
Practice Areas
Environmental Management; Water and Natural Resources
Education
Post-doctoral Research, Biosciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 2016; Ph.D., Engineering Science, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, 2011; M.S., Oceanography, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 2007; B.S., Biology, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas, 2000
Client Service
As a consultant, Andrea has led multi-disciplinary teams, and established collaborations between organizations and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories. Andrea’s specific areas of expertise include evaluating the influence of geochemical and biogeochemical reactions on the fate and transport of organic, inorganic, and radionuclear groundwater pollutants; applying molecular technologies for defining and managing environmental processes; using computational biology tools for characterization of potentially key microbial metabolic processes involved in bioremediation and bioenergy; and implementing newly-developed biotechnology for microbial detection and assessment.
Andrea has made substantial progress conducting research on the in situ biogeochemical stabilization of leachable metals in coal combustion residuals (CCR) and downgradient of CCR impoundments, ponds, and landfills. The basis of her approach requires harnessing the metabolic diversity of naturally occurring microbial communities to drive reactions that yield insoluble forms of the constituent metals such as arsenic, molybdenum, cadmium, and others. This technology offers an alternative approach for the long-term management of CCR liabilities.
Contact Andrea Rocha at ARocha@Geosyntec.com or +1-865-291-4713.
