Dr Ian Bull
B.Sc. (Bristol), Ph.D.(Bristol)
Expertise
Current positions
Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry
School of Chemistry
Contact
Press and media
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Biography
I obtained a BSc in Chemistry in 1993 from the University of Bristol. I then undertook a PhD within the Organic Geochemistry Unit (OGU) gaining my doctorate in 1998.
I have remained in Bristol first as a PDRA then, from 2007, as a University Research Fellow. In January I became an Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry. I am Head of the National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF) - Bristol laboratory.
I am also an editor for Frontiers in Geochemistry, Organic Geochemistry and the European Journal of Soil Science.
I have remained in Bristol first as a PDRA then, from 2007, as a University Research Fellow. In January I became an Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry. I am Head of the National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF) - Bristol laboratory.
I am also an editor for Frontiers in Geochemistry, Organic Geochemistry and the European Journal of Soil Science.
Research interests
My research concerns organic compounds in soil and other related environments. Specific areas of interest include:
- the molecular fate of organic matter in soil,
- use of volatile compounds (VOCs) as proxies for soil function and health,
- chemical/microbiological consequences and fate of plastics in the soil,
- ancient/contemporary sewage pollution in soils, sediments and freshwater,
- the effect that soil fauna have on the decomposition of soil organic matter,
- decomposition and detection of human and animal remains in soils,
- development of organic and light isotope mass spectrometric analytical methodologies,
- ultra complex mixture analysis of environmental samples.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
Recommissioning of National Environmental Isotope Facility (OAFI)
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of ChemistryDates
01/04/2024 to 31/03/2031
Discovering the molecular basis for carbon storage in soil for food security and climate change mitigation
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of ChemistryDates
01/09/2023 to 31/08/2026
Discovering the molecular basis for carbon storage in soil for food security and climate change mitigation
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of ChemistryDates
01/09/2023 to 26/08/2026
Why did we start Fermenting cereals? A molecular dissection of Ancient Bread and Beer making (FABB)
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of ChemistryDates
01/06/2023 to 31/05/2026
Quantifying the combined nutrient enrichment, pathogenic, and ecotoxicological impacts of livestock farming on UK rivers
Principal Investigator
Role
Co-Investigator
Description
Livestock farming is the dominant farming type and source of organic matter pollution in UK freshwaters, with over 9.65M
cattle and 32.7M sheep on 10M hectares of grassland, representing 57% of…Managing organisational unit
School of ChemistryDates
01/11/2022 to 16/04/2026
Thesis supervisions
Lipidomic characterisation and profiling of soil for forensic investigations
Supervisors
Improving ∆14CO2 measurements to estimate anthropogenic CO2 emissions in the UK
Supervisors
Cobalt-catalysed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling
Supervisors
Investigating the Influence of Marine Protein Consumption on Multiple Stable Isotopic Proxies from Bone and Soft Tissues
Supervisors
Publications
Recent publications
26/03/2024The cuticular wax composition and crystal coverage of leaves and petals differ in a consistent manner between plant species
Open Biology
Lipids in Archaeology
Handbook of Archaeological Sciences
Increasing concentration of pure micro- and macro-LDPE and PP plastic negatively affect crop biomass, nutrient cycling, and microbial biomass
Journal of Hazardous Materials
Indoor exchange rates and penetration from outdoors in an instrumented terraced house using gas tracers
Indoor air
Sequential biomolecular, macrofossil, and microfossil extraction from coprolites for reconstructing past behavior and environments
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Thesis
New molecular methods for tracing natural and anthropogenic inputs to soils and sediments.
Supervisors
Award date
01/01/1997
Teaching
I teach at all levels within the School of Chemistry. My teaching focusses on analytical and environmental chemistry. Units within which I currently deliver teaching are:
CHEM10012 - Life Chemistry: Life through the chemical lens
CHEM20004/20006/20010 - Intermediate Practical and Analytical Chemistry
CHEM20012 - Environmental Life Chemistry (Unit Director)
CHEM30026 - The Art of Chemistry: Advanced Analytical Chemistry
I deliver tutorials at Levels 1 and 2 plus I supervise 3 to 4 final year undergraduate projects each year.
CHEM10012 - Life Chemistry: Life through the chemical lens
CHEM20004/20006/20010 - Intermediate Practical and Analytical Chemistry
CHEM20012 - Environmental Life Chemistry (Unit Director)
CHEM30026 - The Art of Chemistry: Advanced Analytical Chemistry
I deliver tutorials at Levels 1 and 2 plus I supervise 3 to 4 final year undergraduate projects each year.
Related people
Dr Lucy Cramp
Associate Professor in Archaeology
Department of Anthropology and Archaeology
Dr Helen Whelton
Senior Research Associate
School of Chemistry
Professor Richard Evershed
Professor
School of Chemistry
Dr Timothy Knowles
Senior Research Fellow
School of Chemistry
Dr Julie Dunne
Visiting Senior Research Associate
School of Chemistry