Ralph J. Portier, Ph.D.,
Distinguished Louisiana Professor of Environmental Sciences
Director, Aquatic/Industrial Toxicology Laboratory
Adjunct Professor, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Department of Food Science
Education:
- B.S., (Science /Math Education) Nicholls State University (1974)
- M.S., (Marine Sciences) Marine) Louisiana State University (1979)
Major: Marine Microbiology, Minor: Food Science/Technology
- Ph.D. (Marine Sciences) Louisiana State University (1982)
Major: Marine Microbiology, Minor: Marine Toxicology/Food Science
Research Interests:
- Fate and effect of carcinogens in fresh water and marine environments
- Detoxification of contaminated soils and sediments by microorganisms
- Wastewater treatment in the seafood industry
- Genetic engineering of marine microorganisms
- Closure of CERCLA "Superfund" sites in Louisiana
- Design of immobilized microbe bioreactors
Field of specialization and areas of interest:
- Microbiology/microbial physiology of extreme marine environments;
- Environmental toxicology of impacted coastal wetland microenvironments; remediation approaches for contaminated water and soils/sediments; risk assessment and risk-based remediation of xenobiotics in soils/sediments.
- Research has focused on aleviating the problems associated with industrial activity in coastal estuarine and riverine environments.
Current research areas include evaluation of fate and effect of potential carcinogens in aquatic and marine environments, the evaluation of microorganisms for detoxification of contaminated soils and sediments and the development of new technologies for the continuous detoxification/biomineralization of trace contaminants in typical industrial effluents.
Dr Portier has published to date 46 refereed articles in professional journals, 14 chapters in refereed professional annual review books, 18 contributed chapters to 12 books and holds 8 U.S. patents. Additionally, he has published 26 refereed abstracts and 51 technical reports on research conducted for federal agencies and private industry.He is also on the editorial board of Remediation and the International Journal of Phytoremediation.
Dr Portier is the 1988 recipient of the George W. Goethals Gold Medal by the Society of American Military Engineers (Highest technical merit award to an engineer or scientist in memory of the builder of the Panama Canal) and the 1992 recipient of the Innovator of the Year Award by the Louisiana Partnership for Technology and Innovation.
He was a 1992 Finalist for the Construction Man Of The Year Award by Engineering News Record for development of a wood recycling facility for creosote and other treated wood products.
Recently his laboratory at LSU and Rayonier Corporation won the 1996 American Forest & Paper Association Environmental and Energy Achievement Award for development and operation of a bioremediation system to treat contaminated groundwater and soil at a closed wood treatment facility in Florida.
Recent Patent:
U.S. Patent # 5,240,598 "A microbubble generator for the transfer of oxygen to microbial inocula and microbubble generator immobilized cell reactor. " R.J. Portier and M Huazhong. Awarded July 7, 1996.
U.S. Patent # 7109300 “Extraction of collagen from calcified tissues” J. Losso, M. Ogawa, R. Portier , and M. Schexnayder . Awarded September 19, 2006. A method is disclosed for extracting collagen from calcified tissue without a prior decalcification step. The method may be used with calcified tissues such as fish skin with scales, alligator skeletons, and crustacean exoskeletons. It does not require the use of EDTA. When fish skin is used that contains substantial quantities of scales, it is not necessary first to remove scales from the skin before conducting the extraction of collagen
Recent Publications:
J.A. McDonald and R.J. Portier, 2003. “Feasibility studies on in situ biological treatment of drilling muds at an abandoned site in Sicily.” J. Chem Technol. Biotechnol., Vol 78, Issue 6, pp709-716.
Bansode, R.R., Losso, J.N., Marshall, W.E., Rao, R.M. Portier, R.J. 2003. Adsorption of metal ions by pecan shell-based granular activated carbons. Bioresource Technology, (89): 2, 115-119.
R.R. Bansode, J.N. Losso, W.E. Marshall, R.M. Rao and R.J. Portier, 2003. Adsorption of volatile organic compounds by pecan shell- and almond shell-based granular activated carbons. Bioresource Technology 90 (200) 175-184.
Portier, R.J. 2003. Trends in Soil Science , Technology and Legislation in the USA. J. Soils &Sediments 3(4) 257(2003)
Ogawa M, Moody MW, Portier RJ, Bell J, Schexnayder MA, Losso JN. 2003 Biochemical Properties of Black Drum and Sheepshead Seabream Skin Collagen.J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Dec 31;51(27):8088-8092.
Goktepe, I. And R.J. Portier, 2004. Ecological risk assessment of Neem-based pesticides. J. Environmental Science & Health. Vol B29, No. 2, pp311-320.
Milward,R.N., Carman, K.R., Fleeger,J.W., Gambrell,R.P., Portier, R.J., 2004. Mixtures of metals and hydrocarbons elicit complex responses by a benthic invertebrate community. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol.310, pp 115-130
J.W. Fleeger, G. Tita, K.R. Carman, R.N. Millward, E.B. Moser , R.J. Portier,and R.P. Gambrell 2006 . “Does bioturbation by a benthic fish modify the effects of sediment contamination on salt marsh benthic microalgae and meiofauna?” J. Exp. Marine Biol. Ecol. Vol. 330, pp 180-194
E.G. Ngwenya, M. Walsh, C.A. Metosh-Dickey and R.J. Portier, 2006. Remediation of acid mine drainage leachate by a physicochemical and biological treatment-train approach. Remediation (Wiley ) Volume 16, Number 2, pages 79-90.
R.M. Conger and R.J. Portier, 2007. Before-after control-impact paired modeling of groundwater bentazon treatment at a phytoremediation site. Remediation(Wiley) Volume 17, Number 1, pages 81-96.
Igbal, J.I., Metosh-Dickey, C.M., and R.J. Portier, 2007 Temperature effects on bioremediation of PAHs and PCP contaminated South Louisiana soils: A laboratory mesocosm study. J. Soils Sediments(Ecomed), 01, 2007, pages 1-6
For more information please email: rportie@lsu.edu
