Dr. Hettiarachchi has been involved in a multitude of research projects within the field of soil chemistry. Primarily, her interests have focused on better understanding the mechanisms and interactions involved in soil chemical reactions enhancing soil quality to improve crop production and/or protection of human health. Main research areas include: the fate and transport of hazardous trace elements along with the steps that may be taken to remediate contaminated sites including urban brownfields and abandoned mines; determining reaction pathways of macro- and micronutrient fertilizer sources in soils to understand their relationship to potential availability and plant uptake; and the role soil mineralogy/chemistry play to enhance aggregation and soil C sequestration in agroecosystems.
Dr. Ganga Hettiarachchi is one of the world’s leading scientists in the fields of trace metal and nutrient chemistry in soils. Her research at K-State focuses on understanding the chemistry of both nutrient and contaminant elements in soils, with the goal of developing solutions to agricultural or environmental problems.
The Hettiarachchi Lab explores a range of topics related to soil and environmental chemistry.
As part of the Kansas State University Agronomy Department, the soil and environmental chemistry lab (Hettiarachchi lab) group is currently focusing on many facets of soil-water-plant chemical interactions including: soil and wastewater remediation methods, sustainable development of urban brownfields for agricultural production, the mechanisms behind fertilizer reaction pathways in soils of varying origin, the reuse potential of recovered nutrient products from waste and wastewaters, and the effect of agricultural management practices on soil carbon sequestration, nutrient transport, and sediment quality.
Research:
- Pedology & Mineralogy
- Soil & Environmental Chemistry
- Soil Health
Primary focus areas presently include:
- Determining reaction products of different P fertilizer sources in soils to understand their relationship to potential availability and plant uptake. The objective is to aid in the design of better and more efficient P fertilizers and P management practices
- Evaluating the impacts of contaminants on food safety from urban gardens and other types of local farming activities on brownfield sites
- “In situ” soil remediation involving the formation of stable solid phases, chemisorption, and phytostabilization to reduce soil-plant transfer of potentially toxic elements and/or reduce transportation of contaminated soils by air and water
- Understanding complex redox transformations of potentially toxic trace elements and interactions between molecular level and macro-scale biotic and abiotic processes on the health of our soil/geo environments and water bodies
