Welcome to the Chemical Hydrology and Mass Spectrometry Lab!
We are chemical hydrogeologists and aqueous geochemists working on environmental sustainability.
Our research focuses on issues of water resources, water availability, and understanding the cycling of different metals and organic compounds in our groundwaters, surface waters, soils, and sediments, as well as how land use pattern changes affect the distribution of such metals and pollutants in our environments. Our research projects have links to health impact assessments, targeting both human and ecosystem health.
We are also interested in studies on trace element and oxyanion migration and contamination in the environment, especially in groundwaters, urban air particulates, rice grains, and unproductive soil environments, using hydrological and geochemical tools including speciation of elements via synchrotron spectroscopy. Dr. Datta and his students travel to various sites in India, Bangladesh, Argentina, Mexico, and several states within the U.S.
We have been working in delineation of areas of groundwater problems in Kansas, Texas, and neighboring states. Additionally, recent studies of mineralization in rock-brine and supercritical CO2 mixtures in a CO2 injection scenario within subsurface saline aquifers has gained momentum in our group.
I am always looking for new students!
Contact me if you are interested in graduate studies in hydrogeology and geochemistry at UTSA.
Dr. Saugata Datta
faculty profile »
research overview »
curriculum vitae »
Dr. Saugata Datta
Dr. Weldon W. Hammond, Jr. Endowed Distinguished Professorship in Hydrogeology
Postdoctoral Opportunity
The lab has an opening for a postdoctoral position in organic contaminants and low-temperature geochemistry (released November 2022).
Doctoral Student Opportunity
The lab has openings for doctoral students interested in (#1) soil physics, soil chemistry, water-rock interaction, nutrients and contaminants mobility in soils and interaction, (#2) groundwater quality, water chemistry, trace elements geochemistry, or (#3) soil physics, soil chemistry, water-rock interaction, phosphates and nutrients in soils and interaction
Recent News
MS student Ronny Saunders received a Geological Society of America scholarship
The lab's first PhD! Tom Varner defended his dissertation "Biogeochemical Controls on Arsenic Mobility Within Sediments"
PhD student Tom Varner featured in UTSA Today article "UTSA doctoral student explores solutions to prevent contaminated water sources"
Recent Funding
USDA
Addressing the soil-microbial gap: Assessment of microbial-based soil health indicators and its efficacy for broad deployment across grasslands
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Formalize partnership between four MSIs and the US Fish and Wildlife Service focused on advancing equity in conservation and natural resources educational programs and professions
NSF EAR
RAPID: Impacts of High Magnitude Wildfire on Volcanic (Lava Tube) Cave Water Chemistry, Nutrient Transport, Activity and Diversity of Cave Microbiome
