Nathan Johnson
Sulfate; mercury; wild rice; wastewater; sediment contamination
Background & Expertise
Nathan Johnson aims to understand and manage how contaminants are transported and transformed in engineered and natural systems. Johnson is a professor in the Swenson College of Science and Engineering. His research group is interested in chemical and biological contaminant transformations (mercury and sulfur are some of our favorites!) in natural and wastewaters under fluctuating redox conditions and near redox interfaces. Their projects answer scientific questions that they hope will further the development of tools and technologies for managing risk from environmental contaminants, typically complementing field observations and lab experiments with mathematical modeling. Johnson has working relationships with state and federal resource management agencies, industrial and municipal wastewater facilities, and consulting engineering firms who share an interest in sulfate, mercury, and other contaminant discharges to surface waters.
Featured Project: Nathan Johnson
Assessing the Role of MN Lake Associations in Improving Water Quality
Challenge
State-led initiatives track water quality; however, local non-government entities like lake associations often drive actions to improve water quality. Some literature has characterized lake association form and effectiveness, but to our knowledge there have been no studies linking lake association characteristics or practices to changes in water quality.
Meet the Project Team
Project Leads
All Projects Featuring Nathan Johnson
2023 Impact Goal Grants Award $1.1M to Support Interdisciplinary, Sustainability-Focused Project Teams
As increasing concentrations of greenhouse gasses and environmental degradation threaten people and ecosystems around the world, sustainability issues have never been more pressing. At the same time, signals are emerging of pathways to a liveable future, including growth in clean energy, greater consideration of natural capital in decision-making, and advocacy for socio-economic equity.