Overview

My long-term interests focus on understanding the behavior of contaminants at the soil-water interface in the environment, with particular emphasis on the phytotoxic and zootoxic trace and heavy metals. In order to understand adsorption and degradation processes mechanistically, I use numerous methods such as spectroscopy to investigate speciation and bonding of metal ions and organic molecules at surfaces and in soil solution. I have interest in the issue of soil health, as it is impacted by the contamination of soils by various waste materials, commercial fertilizers and manures.

Research Focus

The focus of my research at present is the elusive concept of bioavailability of toxic and trace metals in soils, considering all of the properties of soils that modify this bioavailability. Ultimately, this research has several goals, protecting food crops from toxic metal contaminants, minimizing trace element deficiencies, and developing methods for testing and remediating contaminated soils.

Outreach and Extension Focus

As part of my outreach activities as Director of the Cornell Waste Management Institute, I am involved in working with extension staff at Cornell in developing guidelines and publications on the management of waste products (composts, sewage products, fly ash, etc.) used in farms and gardens. Improved methods of testing contaminated soils for toxic metals such as lead, zinc, cadmium and copper, and interpreting these tests, is also a focus of my outreach effort.

Instruction Focus

I teach an undergraduate course in Environmental Chemistry, which covers important environmental topics in soils, the atmosphere, and the hydrosphere. This course uses case studies of pollution in the biosphere and considers the potential effects on soil, plant, animal and human health. Because new environmental issues are emerging every year as more is learned, lectures evolve in response to this dynamic situation. I also teach an advanced soil chemistry course, intended primarily for graduate students with a strong background in physical chemistry. This course covers the basic chemistry of clay mineralogy, soil organic matter, soil acidity, cation exchange, chemisorption of metal cations and oxyanions, redox processes and soil salinity.

Additional Links

• Cornell Waste Management Institute
• Link to CALS Research portal
• Link to CALS Impact statements

Selected Publications

• McBride, M.B. 2007. Trace metals and sulfur in soils and forage of a chronic wasting disease locus. Environmental Chemistry 4, 134-139.
• Barrett, K.A. and M.B. McBride. 2007. Dissolution of zinc-cadmium sulfide solid solutions in aerated aqueous suspensions. Soil Science Society of America Journal 71, 322-328.
• Barrett, K.A. and M.B. McBride. 2007. Phosphate and glyphosate mobility in soil columns amended with Roundup. Soil Science, 172, 17-26.
• McBride, M.B. 2007. Attenuation of Metal Toxicity in Soils by Biological Processes. Pp. 113-136. In R. Hamon, M. McLaughlin and E. Lombi (eds.) "Natural Attenuation of Trace Element Availability in Soils ". CRC Press, Boca Raton.
• McBride, M.B. 2006. Attenuation of Metal Toxicity in Soils by Biological Processes. Pp. 113-136. In R. Hamon, M. McLaughlin and E. Lombi (eds.) "Natural Attenuation of Trace Element Availability in Soils ". CRC Press, Boca Raton.
• Barrett, K.A. and M.B. McBride. 2006. Trace element mobilization in soils by glyphosate Soil Science Society of America Journal. 70, 1882-1888.
• Brock, E.H., Q.M. Ketterings and M. McBride. 2006. Copper and zinc accumulation in poultry and dairy manure-amended fields. Soil Science 171, 388-399.
• Kim, B. and M.B. McBride. 2006. A test of sequential extractions for determining metal speciation in sewage sludge-amended soils. Environmental Pollution 144 ,475-482.
• Barrett, K.A. and M.B. McBride. 2005. Oxidative degradation of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonate by manganese oxide. Environ. Sci. Technol., 39, 9223-9228.
• McBride, M.B. 2005. Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Environment. Pp. 31-50. In (J.D. Ackerman and W. Chesworth, eds.) "Health and the Planet ". Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph.

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