Professor Helen P. Jarvie

MA (Oxford), PhD (Reading)

Principal Scientist, Hydrochemistry

Adjunct Professor, University of Arkansas, USA

Research Emphasis

• Helen’s research examines the transmission of macronutrient (phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon) fluxes from field to catchment scales, and the processes controlling cascades and spirals of macronutrients along a continuum from headwater streams to the river basin scale. 
• Her research contributions centre on fluvial (river/stream) processes: the sources and biogeochemical cycling of macronutrients in rivers, and the impacts of nutrient enrichment and mitigation on the ecological integrity of river systems, in relation to changing agricultural practice, rural and urban land use, and climate variability.
• In recent years, through her interests in the role of aquatic nanoparticles (tiny particles, typically a ten-thousandth of a millimetre in size) in nutrient transport, Helen has forged new cross-disciplinary research with physical chemists and life scientists, in the emerging field of Environmental Nanoscience.  She pioneered novel application of Small-Angle Neutron Scattering to examine the fate and behaviour of both natural aquatic nanoparticles (vectors for phosphorus transport and cycling) and manufactured nanoparticles in river water and during wastewater treatment.
• In 2011, Helen was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and an OECD fellowship to undertake a 12-month secondment at the University of Arkansas, USA.
• As of April 2013, Helen has published over 90 papers in international peer-reviewed journals, which have received over 2500 citations.  Helen’s h-index citation score is currently 32.

Selected publications

See also the NERC Open Research Archive.

Jarvie H.P., Sharpley A.N., Withers P.J.A., Scott J.T., Haggard B.E. and Neal C. 2013. Phosphorus mitigation to control river eutrophication: murky waters, inconvenient truths and ‘Post-Normal’ science. Journal of Environmental Quality, 42, 295–304.

 Jarvie H.P., Sharpley A.N., Scott J.T., Haggard B.E., Bowes M.J. and Massey L.B., 2012. Within-river phosphorus retention: Accounting for a missing piece in the watershed phosphorus puzzle. Environmental Science & Technology, 46, 13284-13292.

Jarvie H.P., Neal C., Rowland A.P. Neal, M, Morris, P.N., Lead, J.R., Lawlor, A.J., Woods, C., Vincent, C., Guyatt, H. and Hockenhull, K. 2012. Role of riverine colloids in macronutrient and metal partitioning and transport, along an upland-lowland land-use continuum, under low-flow conditions. Science of the Total Environment, 434, 171-185.

Jarvie, H.P., Jickells, T.D., Skeffington, R.A. and Withers, P.J.A. 2012. Climate change and coupling of macronutrient cycles along the atmospheric, terrestrial, freshwater and estuarine continuum. Science of the Total Environment, 434, 252-258.

King, S.M. and Jarvie, H.P. 2012.  Exploring how organic matter controls structural transformations in natural aquatic nanocolloidal dispersions. Environmental Science & Technology, 46, 6959-6967  

Jarvie, H.P., Neal, C., Withers, P.J.A., Baker, D.B., Richards, R.P., Sharpley, A.N., 2011. Quantifying phosphorus retention and release in rivers and watersheds using Extended End-Member Mixing Analysis (E-EMMA). Journal of Environmental Quality, 40, 492-504.

Jarvie, H.P., Withers, P.J.A., Bowes, M.J., Palmer-Felgate E.J., Harper, D., Wasiak K., Wasiak, P., Hodgkinson R.A., Bates, A., Stoate, C., Neal, M., Wickham, H.D., Harman, S.A. and Armstrong, L.K. 2010. Streamwater nutrients and their sources across a gradient in rural-agricultural land use intensity.  Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 135, 238–252.

Jarvie, H.P., King, S.M. 2010. Just scratching the surface? New techniques show how surface functionality of nanoparticles influences their environmental fate. Nano Today 248-250.

Jarvie, H.P., Al-Obaidi, H., King, S.M., Bowes, M.J., Lawrence, M.J., Drake, A.F., Green, M.A. and Dobson, P.J.  2009.  Fate of silica nanoparticles in simulated primary wastewater treatment.Environmental Science & Technology, 43, 8622–8628.

Jarvie H.P., Withers P.J.A., Hodgkinson R., Bates A., Neal M., Wickham H.D., Harman S.A. and Armstrong L., 2008. Influence of rural land use on streamwater nutrients and their ecological significance. Journal of Hydrology 350, 166-186.

Jarvie H.P., Mortimer R.J.G., Palmer-Felgate E. J., St Quinton K., Harman S.A. and Carbo P., 2008. Measurement of Soluble Reactive Phosphorus concentration profiles and fluxes in river-bed sediments using DET gel probes. Journal of Hydrology 350, 261-273.

Jarvie H.P., Haygarth P.M., Neal C., Butler P., Smith B., Naden P.S., Joynes A., Neal M., WickhamH., Hill L., Harman S. and Palmer-Felgate E.J. 2008. Stream water chemistry and quality along an upland-lowland rural land-use continuum, South West England. Journal of Hydrology 350, 215-231.

Withers, P.J.A. and Jarvie H.P. 2008. Delivery and cycling of phosphorus in rivers: A review. Science of the Total Environment 400, 379-395.

Jarvie H.P. and King S.M. 2007. Small-angle neutron scattering study of natural aquatic nanocolloids. Environmental Science and Technology, 41, 8, 2868-2873.

Jarvie H.P., Neal C., Jürgens M.D., Sutton E.J., Neal M., Wickham H.D., Hill L.K., Harman S.A., Davies J.J.L., Warwick A., BarrettC., Griffiths J., Binley A., Swannack N. and McIntyre N. 2006. Within-river nutrient processing in Chalk streams: the Pang and Lambourn, UK. Journal of Hydrology 330, 101-125.

Jarvie H.P., Neal C. and Withers P.J.A. 2006. Sewage effluent phosphorus: a greater risk to river eutrophication than agricultural phosphorus? Science of the Total Environment 360, 246-253.

Jarvie H.P., Neal C., Withers P.J.A., Wescott C. and Acornley R.A., 2005.  Nutrient hydrochemistry for a groundwater-dominated catchment: The Hampshire Avon, UK.  Science of the Total Environment, 344, 143-158.  

Jarvie H.P., Jürgens M.D., Williams R.J., Neal C., Davies J.J.L., Barrett C. and White J. 2005.  Role of river bed sediments as sources and sinks of phosphorus across two major eutrophic UK river basins: the Hampshire Avon and Herefordshire Wye. Journal of Hydrology, 304, 51-74.