Christopher Collins

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+44 (0) 118 378 8910
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Professor of Environmental Chemistry
- Coordinator of the NERC Soil Security Programme (2015-2020)
- Natural Capital Committee (2018 - present)
- Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee (2013 – present, Chair 2017 onward)
- Linking Environment and Farming (2016 – present) – Board of Directors
- Soil Research Centre (Director 2016-present)
- Science Media Centre – member of pool of experts responding to news articles
Areas of interest
- Risk assessment of chemicals
- Fate, transport and remediation of organic contaminants in soils
- Carbon turnover in soils
My research focuses on determining the factors controlling exposure of biota to environmental pollution. This work combines experimental data with process description models and development of assessment tools.
Projects have been supported by a wide range of funders across industry, government and research bodies.
Recent research focuses on the role of soil organic carbon in modifying pollutant exposure and the parallels between pollutant and carbon cycling in soils using high level analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance.
Postgraduate supervision
Ongoing students
- Dedy Antony: Factors affecting soil carbon storage at depth in different land uses in UK and Indonesia. Indonesian Government Scholarship (DIKTI-LPDP).
- Soil health of horticultural production systems in the UK. BBSRC, G’s and Waitrose in partnership with Rothamsted Research.
- Developing optical methods for catchment management to protect drinking water. EPSRC DTC, Affinity Water and Syngenta
Completions in the last three years
- Jones: Quantifying pesticide uptake by crops for risk assessment. BBSRC Case studentship with Syngenta
- Olatunde: Inexpensive, robust methods for the determination of organic carbon and petroleum pollutants in soils. Nigerian Government.
- Duddigan: The fate of carbon from soil amendments in horticultural systems BBSRC Case with RHS Eric Dede The Human Health Impact of Contaminated Land EPSRC TSBE DTC
- Lowe: Developing a sustainable method for the determination of bioaccessibility of organic contaminants from polluted sites EPSRC TSBE DTC
- Kademoglou: How bioaccessible are contaminants present in air, dust, and diet? EU Marie Curie Initial Training Network
- Guerroro: Recovery of hydrocarbons from waste sludges Columbian Government
- Kokovic: Developing chemomimetic methods for predicting the plant uptake of organic pollutants. University of Reading Studentship
- Takaki: Developing a risk assessment framework for the application of waste materials to land Japanese Ministry of the Environment
For further information contact: c.d.collins@reading.ac.uk
Research centres and groups
- Chris's publications
- Soil, health and environment network (SHE-Net)
- Environmental Science Research Division
Professional bodies/affiliations
Coordinator of the NERC Soil Security Programme (2015–2020) – the SSP is a multi-million research investment to understand how soils resist, recover and ultimately adapt to land use and climate change.
Natural Capital Committee (2018–present) The NCC provides advice to the government on the sustainable use of natural capital, with a primary focus on helping the government develop its 25 year Environment Plan. Lead on soils.
Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee (2013–present, Chair 2017 onward). HSAC provides expert advice on how to protect the environment, and human health via the environment, from potentially hazardous substances and articles, including nanomaterials. Sustainable Soils Alliance (2016 - present) - The Alliance is a collective of businesses, campaign groups, applied and academic researchers, and governmental and non-governmental organisations. Lead of the academic panel.
Linking Environment and Farming (2016–present) – LEAF is the leading organisation promoting sustainable agriculture, food and farming. Board of Directors.
Soil Research Centre (Director 2016–present) – The SRC is a cross-disciplinary Centre of Excellence that brings together researchers across the University of Reading with external stakeholders to explore the challenges of a key resource - the soil.
Publications
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Duddigan, S.
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Shaw, L.
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Sizmur, T.
ORCID: 0000-0001-9835-7195 , Gogu, D. , Hussain, Z. , Jirra, K. , Kaliki, H. , Sanka, R. , Sohail, M. , Soma, R. , Thallam, V. , Vattikuti, H. , Collins, C. (2023) Natural farming improves crop yield in SE India when compared to conventional or organic systems by enhancing soil quality. Agronomy for Sustainable Development , 43 (2). ISSN: 1773-0155 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13593-023-00884-x
- Duddigan, S. , Shaw, L. , Alexander, P. , Collins, C. (2022) Effects of application of horticultural soil amendments on decomposition, quantity, stabilisation and quality of soil carbon. Scientific Reports , 12 ISSN: 2045-2322 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22451-2
- Brown, R. , Chadwick, D. , Bending, G. , Collins, C. , Whelton, H. , Daulton, E. , Covington, J. , Bull, I. , Jones, D. (2022) Nutrient (C, N and P) enrichment induces significant changes in the soil metabolite profile and microbial carbon partitioning. Soil Biology and Biochemistry , 172 ISSN: 0038-0717 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108779
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Antony, D.
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Collins, C.
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Clark, J.
ORCID: 0000-0002-0412-8824 , Sizmur, T.
ORCID: 0000-0001-9835-7195 (2022) Soil organic matter storage in temperate lowland arable, grassland and woodland topsoil and subsoil. Soil Use and Management , 38 (4). pp. 1532-1546. ISSN: 0266-0032 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sum.12801
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Duddigan, S.
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Collins, C.
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Hussain, Z.
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Osbahr, H.
ORCID: 0000-0002-0130-2313 , Shaw, L. , Sinclair, F. , Sizmur, T.
ORCID: 0000-0001-9835-7195 , Thallam, V. , Winowiecki, L. (2022) Impact of zero budget natural farming on crop yields in Andhra Pradesh, SE India. Sustainability , 14 (3). ISSN: 2071-1050 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14031689
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Duddigan, S.
ORCID: 0000-0002-6228-4462 , Alexander, P. , Shaw, L.
ORCID: 0000-0002-4985-7078 , Collins, C. (2021) Effects of repeated application of organic soil amendments on horticultural soil physicochemical properties, nitrogen budget and yield. Horticulturae , 7 (10). ISSN: 2311-7524 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7100371
- Ramirez, D. , Shaw, L. , Collins, C. (2021) Oil sludge washing with surfactants and co-solvents: oil recovery from different types of oil sludges. Environmental Science and Pollution Research , 28 (5). pp. 5867-5879. ISSN: 1614-7499 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10591-9
- Duddigan, S. , Alexander, P. , Shaw, L. , Sanden, T. , Collins, C. (2020) The Tea Bag Index—UK: using citizen/community science to investigate organic matter decomposition rates in domestic gardens. Sustainability , 12 (17). ISSN: 2071-1050 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12176895
- Craggs, M. , Gibson, G. , Whalley, P. , Collins, C. (2020) Bioaccessibility of difenoconazole in rice following industry standard processing and preparation procedures. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , 68 (37). pp. 10167-10173. ISSN: 0021-8561 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c02648
- Collins, C. , Depledge, M. , Fraser, R. , Johnson, A. , Hutchison, G. , Matthiessen, P. , Murphy, R. , Owens, S. , Sumpter, J. (2020) Key actions for a sustainable chemicals policy. Environment International , 137 ISSN: 0160-4120 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105463
- Duddigan, S. , Shaw, L. , Alexander, P. , Collins, C. (2020) Chemical underpinning of the tea bag index: An examination of the decomposition of tea leaves. Applied and Environmental Soil Science , 2020 ISSN: 1687-7675 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/6085180
- Duddigan, S. , Shaw, L. , Alexander, P. , Collins, C. (2019) A comparison of physical soil organic matter fractionation methods for amended soils. Applied and Environmental Soil Science , 2019 ISSN: 1687-7675 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/3831241
- He, M. , Yang, S. , Zhao, J. , Collins, C. , Xu, J. , Liu, X. (2019) Reduction in the exposure risk of farmer from e-waste recycling site following environmental policy adjustment: a regional scale view of PAHs in paddy fields. Environment international , 133 (Part A). pp 0. ISSN: 1873-6750 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105136
- Ramirez, D. , Kowalczyk, R. , Collins, C. (2019) Characterisation of oil sludges from different sources before treatment: high-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in the determination of oil and water content. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering , 174 pp. 729-737. ISSN: 0920-4105 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2018.11.078
- Kademoglou, K. , Giovanoulis, G. , Palm-Cousins, A. , Padilla-Sanchez, J. , Magnér, J. , de Wit, C. , Collins, C. (2018) In vitro inhalation bioaccessibility of phthalate esters and alternative plasticisers present in indoor dust using artificial lung fluids. Environmental Science and Technology Letters , 5 (6). pp. 329-334. ISSN: 2328-8930 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00113
- Dede, E. , Tindall, M. , Cherrie, J. , Hankin, S. , Collins, C. (2018) Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic models for estimating human exposure to five toxic elements through oral ingestion. Environmental toxicology and pharmacology , 57 pp. 104-114. ISSN: 1872-7077 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2017.12.003
- Kademoglou, K. , Williams, A. , Collins, C. (2018) Bioaccessibility of PBDEs present in indoor dust: a novel dialysis membrane method with a Tenax TA® absorption sink. Science of the Total Environment , 621 pp. 1-8. ISSN: 0048-9697 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.097
- Kademoglou, K. , Xu, F. , Padilla-Sanchez, J. , Haug, L. , Covaci, A. , Collins, C. (2017) Legacy and alternative flame retardants in Norwegian and UK indoor environment: implications of human exposure via dust ingestion. Environment International , 102 pp. 48-56. ISSN: 0160-4120 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.12.012
- Kang, F. , Wang, Q. , Shou, W. , Collins, C. , Gao, Y. (2017) Alkali-earth metal bridges formed in biofilm matrices regulate the uptake of fluoroquinolone antibiotics and protect against bacterial apoptosis. Environmental Pollution , 220 pp. 112-113. ISSN: 0269-7491 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.029
- Takaki, K. , Wade, A. , Collins, C. (2017) Modelling the bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in agricultural food chains for regulatory exposure assessment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research , 24 (5). pp. 4252-4260. ISSN: 1614-7499 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5176-1
- Collins, C. , Baddeley, M. , Clare, G. , Murphy, R. , Owens, S. , Rocks, S. (2016) Considering evidence: the approach taken by the Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee in the UK. Environment International , 92-93 pp. 565-568. ISSN: 0160-4120 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.01.006
- García-Alcega, S. , Rauert, C. , Harrad, S. , Collins, C. (2016) Does the source migration pathway of HBCDs to household dust influence their bioaccessibility?. Science of the Total Environment , 569-570 pp. 244-251. ISSN: 0048-9697 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.178
- Fernández-Romero, M. , Parras-Alcántara, L. , Lozano-García, B. , Clark, J. , Collins, C. (2016) Soil quality assessment based on carbon stratification index in different olive grove management practices in Mediterranean areas. Catena , 137 pp. 449-458. ISSN: 0341-8162 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2015.10.019
- Fernández-Romero, M. , Clark, J. , Collins, C. , Parras-Alcántara, L. , Lozano-García, B. (2016) Evaluation of optical techniques for characterising soil organic matter quality in agricultural soils. Soil and Tillage Research , 155 pp. 450-460. ISSN: 0167-1987 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2015.05.004
- Fernández-Romero, M. , Lozano-García, B. , Parras-Alcántara, L. , Collins, C. , Clark, J. (2016) Effects of land management on different forms of soil carbon in olive groves in Mediterranean areas. Land Degradation and Development , 27 (4). pp. 1186-1195. ISSN: 1085-3278 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2327
- Takaki, K. , Wade, A. , Collins, C. (2015) Assessment and improvement of biotransfer models to cow’s milk and beef used in exposure assessment tools for organic pollutants. Chemosphere , 138 pp. 390-397. ISSN: 0045-6535 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.04.032
- Whaley, P. , Halsall, C. , Ågerstrand, M. , Aiassa, E. , Benford, D. , Bilotta, G. , Coggon, D. , Collins, C. , Dempsey, C. , Duarte-Davidson, R. , FitzGerald, R. , Galay-Burgos, M. , Gee, D. , Hoffmann, S. , Lam, J. , Lasserson, T. , Levy, L. , Lipworth, S. , Ross, S. , Martin, O. , Meads, C. , Meyer-Baron, M. , Miller, J. , Pease, C. , Rooney, A. , Sapiets, A. , Stewart, G. , Taylor, D. (2015) Implementing systematic review techniques in chemical risk assessment: challenges, opportunities and recommendations. Environment International ISSN: 0160-4120 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2015.11.002
- Collins, C. , Craggs, M. , Garcia-Alcega, S. , Kademoglou, K. , Lowe, S. (2015) Towards a unified approach for the determination of the bioaccessibility of organic pollutants. Environment International , 78 pp. 24-31. ISSN: 0160-4120 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2015.02.005
- Takaki, K. , Wade, A. , Collins, C. (2014) Assessment of plant uptake models used in exposure assessment tools for soils contaminated with organic pollutants. Environmental Science & Technology , 48 (20). pp. 12073-12082. ISSN: 0013-936X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es501086x
- Gouliarmou, V. , Collins, C. , Christiansen, E. , Mayer, P. (2013) Sorptive physiologically based extraction of contaminated solid matrices: incorporating silicone rod as absorption sink for hydrophobic organic contaminants. Environmental Science & Technology , 47 (2). pp. 941-948. ISSN: 0013-936X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es303165u
- Collins, C. , Mosquera-Vazquez, M. , Gomez-Eyles, J. , Mayer, P. , Gouliarmou, V. , Blum, F. (2013) Is there sufficient 'sink' in current bioaccessibility determinations of organic pollutants in soils?. Environmental Pollution , 181 pp. 128-132. ISSN: 0269-7491 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2013.05.053
- Bull, S. and Collins, C. (2013) Promoting the use of BaP as a marker for PAH exposure in UK soils. Environmental Geochemistry and Health , 35 (1). pp. 101-109. ISSN: 1573-2983 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10653-012-9462-2
- Tiltson, E. , Collins, C. , Mitchell, G. , Princivalle, J. , Shaw, L. (2013) Nanoscale zerovalent iron alters soil bacterial community structure and inhibits chloroaromatic biodegradation potential in Aroclor 1242-contaminated soil. Environmental Pollution , 173 pp. 38-46. ISSN: 0269-7491 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2012.09.018
- Abadallah, M. , Tilston, E. , Harrad, S. , Collins, C. (2012) In vitro assessment of the bioaccessibility of brominated flame retardants in indoor dust using a colon extended model of the human gastrointestinal tract. Journal of Environmental Monitoring , 14 pp. 3276-3283. ISSN: 1464-0333 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c2em30690e
- Tilston, E. , Gibson, G. , Collins, C. (2011) Colon extended physiologically based extraction test (CE-PBET) increases bioaccessibility of soil-bound PAH. Environmental Science and Technology , 45 (12). pp. 5301-5308. ISSN: 0013-936X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es2004705
- Gomez-Eyles, J. , Collins, C. , Hodson, M. (2011) Using deuterated PAH amendments to validate chemical extraction methods to predict PAH bioavailability in soils. Environmental Pollution , 159 (4). pp. 918-923. ISSN: 0269-7491 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.12.015
- Gomez-Eyles, J. , Sizmur, T. , Collins, C. , Hodson, M. (2011) Effects of biochar and the earthworm Eisenia fetida on the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and potentially toxic elements. Environmental Pollution , 159 (2). pp. 616-622. ISSN: 0269-7491 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.09.037
- Zhang, Y. , Collins, C. , Graham, N. , Templeton, M. , Huang, J. , Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2010) Speciation and variation in the occurrence of haloacetic acids in three water supply systems in England. Water and Environment Journal , 24 (3). pp. 237-245. ISSN: 1747-6593 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-6593.2009.00200.x
- Collins, C. and Finnegan, E. (2010) Modeling the plant uptake of organic chemicals, including the soil-air-plant pathway. Environmental Science & Technology , 44 (3). pp. 998-1003. ISSN: 0013-936X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es901941z
- Cullen, L. , Tilston, E. , Mitchell, G. , Collins, C. , Shaw, L. (2010) Assessing the impact of nano- and micro-scale zerovalent iron particles on soil microbial activities: Particle reactivity interferes with assay conditions and interpretation of genuine microbial effects. Chemosphere , 82 (11). pp. 1675-1682. ISSN: 0045-6535 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.11.009
- Gomez-Eyles, J. , Collins, C. , Hodson, M. (2010) Relative proportions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons differ between accumulation bioassays and chemical methods to predict bioavailability. Environmental Pollution , 158 (1). pp. 278-284. ISSN: 0269-7491 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2009.07.012
- Abdallah, M. , Harrad, S. , Collins, C. , Tilston, E. (2009) Preliminary assessment of bioaccessibility of HBCDs from Human GIT following indoor dust ingestion using a colon extended physiologically based extraction test (CEPBET). Organohalogen Compounds , 71 pp. 106-110. ISSN: 1026-4892
- Huang, J. , Graham, N. , Templeton, M. , Zhang, Y. , Collins, C. , Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2009) A comparison of the role of two blue-green algae in THM and HAA formation. Water Research , 43 (12). pp. 3009-3018. ISSN: 0043-1354 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2009.04.029
- Gao, Y. and Collins, C. (2009) Uptake Pathways of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in White Clover. Environmental Science & Technology , 43 (16). pp. 6190-6195. ISSN: 0013-936X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es900662d
- Collins, C. and Willey, N. (2009) Phylogenetic variation in the tolerance and uptake of organic contaminants. International Journal of Phytoremediation , 11 (7). pp. 623-639. ISSN: 1522-6514 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15226510902787286
- Collins, C. , Lothian, D. , Schifano, D. (2009) Remediation of soils contaminated with petrol and diesel with lime. Land Contamination and Reclamation , 17 (2). pp. 237-244. | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.2462/09670513.940
- Sjostrom, A. , Collins, C. , Smith, S. , Shaw, G. (2008) Degradation and plant uptake of nonylphenol (NP) and nonylphenol-12-ethoxylate (NP12EO) in four contrasting agricultural soils. Environmental Pollution , 156 (3). pp. 1284-1289. ISSN: 0269-7491 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2008.03.005
- Collins, C. (2008) A semi-quantitative approach to deriving a model structure for the uptake of organic chemicals by vegetation. International Journal of Phytoremediation , 10 (5). pp. 371-377. ISSN: 1522-6514 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15226510802100440
- Collins, C. , White, J. , Rock, S. (2007) Plant uptake of organic chemicals: current developments and recommendations for future research. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry , 26 (12). pp. 2465-2466. ISSN: 0730-7268 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1897/07-311.1
- Collins, C. , eds. (2007) Organic pollutants in animal products. In: Faye, . and Sinyavskiy, . , (eds.) Springer pp. 55-62.
- Fryer, M. , Collins, C. , Ferrier, H. , Colvile, R. , Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2006) Human exposure modelling for chemical risk assessment: a review of current approaches and research and policy implications. Environmental Science & Policy , 9 (3). pp. 261-274. ISSN: 1462-9011 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2005.11.011
- Collins, C. , Fryer, M. , Grosso, A. (2006) Plant uptake of non-ionic organic chemicals . Environmental Science and Technology , 40 (1). pp. 45-52. ISSN: 0013-936X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es0508166