Steven J. Christopher    

Research Chemist, NIST Charleston Laboratory, Fort Johnson Campus, Charleston, SC

Ph.D., Clemson University

Steven.Christopher@noaa.gov

Research:

Active areas of research include development of hyphenated analytical methods for studying anthropogenic organometallic compounds in the marine environment using gas and liquid chromatography interfaced to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Development of novel methods for quantitative determination of metalloproteins that play a role in health and disease of marine organisms and humans. Studies involving the fate and transport of mercury and its impact on the marine environment through various long-term monitoring initiatives involving sentinel species including terrapins and marine animals.

Recent Publications:

Day, R. D., Vanderpol, S. S., Christopher, S. J., Davis, W. C., Pugh, R. S., Simac, K. S., Roseaneau, D. G., Becker, P. R. Murre eggs (Uria aalge and U. lomvia) as indicators of mercury contamination in the Alaskan marine environment. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2005, submitted for publication

Christopher, S. J.; Day, R. D.; Bryan, C. E; Turk, G. C. Improved Calibration Strategy for Measurement of Trace Elements in Biological and Clinical Whole Blood Reference Materials via Collision-Cell Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. J.Anal At. Spectrom, 2005, in press.

Day, R. D.; Christopher, S. J.; Becker, P. R.; Whitaker, D. W. Monitoring Mercury in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Caretta caretta. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2005, 39, 437-446

Davis, W. Clay; Vander Pol, Stacy, S.; Schantz, Michele M.; Long, S. E.; Day, Rusty D.; Christopher, S. J. An accurate and sensitive method for the determination of methylmercury in biological specimens using GC-ICP-MS with solid phase microextraction. J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2004, 1546-1551

Christopher, S. J.; Vander Pol, S. S.; Pugh, R. S.; Day, R. D.; Becker, P. R. Determination of mercury in the eggs of common murres (Uria aalge) for the seabird
tissue archival and monitoring project. Journal of Analytical Atomic
Spectrometry (2002), 17(8), 780-785.
 

Grants: SC Sea Grant No. 520525 (116K), Using Diamondback Terrapins as a Sentinel Species for Monitoring Mercury Contamination in Estuarine Systems. Dates: 03/01/04 to 02/28/06, Co-Principle Investigators, D. Owens (College of Charleston, GPMB) and S. J. Christopher (NIST).
Committees: Committee chair for Fort Johnson Marine Science Seminar Series; Member of Hollings Marine Laboratory Environmental Chemistry Committee