Rolf D. Vogt

I'm a professor in environmental chemistry and
the leader of the research group of Analytical chemistry and Environment
at the Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo.

I work together with Professor Hans Martin Seip, Prof. Egil Gjessing, Dr. Thorjørn Larssen, and Ph.D. Xie Ruikai, as well as several masterstudents.


My main research interests evolve around environmental problems related to airborne pollutants (e.g. acid rain, heavy metals) in developing countries (e.g. China, Kirgistan, Ukraine and Poland) and the physiochemical properties  and role of dissolved natural organic matter in the environment (DNOM). 

Most of my papers and other publications can be found here.

I lecture in: 
- Basic (KJM3700/4700) and advanced environmental chemistry (KJM5700), were I hold lectures in Soil chemistry, Aquatic chemistry and Marine chemistry
- Experimental methods (KJM-MEF4010) module 19
- Courses within the Nature and Enviroment Bachlor program (i.e. NAM1000 Environmental science, at the Inst. of Geosciences, NAM1010 Bio-geological processes, at the Institute of Biology, and NAM1020 Themes in environmental science, at the Institute of Geosciences). 
- Previously I have lectured in applied Analytical chemistry (KJ243) as well as lab course in Inorganic- and Organic chemistry (KJ101) . 

Research activities:

Integrated Monitoring Program on Acidification of Chinese Terrestrial systems (IMPACTS)Logo to the IMPACTS project

- A Sino-Norwegian collaborative project

This project was a cooperation project between our group at The University of Oslo, NLH, NIVA, NINA, NILU, NISK, NIJOS and NUPI in Norway and several institutes under the China National Environmental Protection Agency and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Important goals are to improve the basis of research and monitoring of acid deposition and related effects, including upgrade the monitoring program for determining the extent, severity and trends of acid deposition. Further to improve knowledge of processes determining impacts and relate this to experience from other countries. Results may be used for improve models used for predictions of future effects (e.g. RAINS-Asia) and forward obtained knowledge to decision makers in order to make cost-effective countermeasures.

My responsibility in the project is soil damage assessment, where we evaluate the damage to the soil caused by air pollutants. I have a lot of pictures and some important documents available at http://www.uio.no/~rvogt/Impacts/. 

Natural Organic Matter in the Nordic Countries (NOMiNiC)

The vier at Birkenes

This project was a cooperation between several Institutes in the Nordic countries
(i.e. METLA, SLU, MH, HiA, NISK, NLH).
The project was financed by NORTEST, and has the main goal:

To study the physico-chemical properties and characteristics of NOM.

In this part of the project we compare the relative amounts of NOM fractions and their neutralisation and complex formation titration curves in throughfall, soil and surface water from sites that differ in S-loading and climate.

The strategy is to reveal co-variations in the determined operationally defined conditional constants (i.e. pKa and pKex values) by comparison of the main NOM fractions (total, HPO and HPI acids) and the amount of LMW NOM - relative to climate and anthropogenic loading gradients, inorganic water chemistry, as well as soil or catchment characteristics.

 

Studies of soils at environmental monitoring sites in Kirgistan

This project is conducted in cooperation with NIJOS. Here we study the physicochemical properties of the soils and their levels of heavy metals at three monitoring sites. We have also conducted several preliminary environmentla audits at highly contaminated industrial sites. The project in Kirgisdistan is related to erosion of contaminated soil, drough stress and desertification. The effects of land-use, local and long-range transported air pollutants and climate change are central issues in this study.

 

 

 

Acidification in small catchment in south-western China

In this project we study the processes of acidification in the soil. Soil processes is a main issue dealing with acidification, and the soil properties are of major importance for the possible effects of the acid deposition. These soil properties are very different in China than what has commonly been studied in Europe and North America.

The approaches we use are:

Catchment monitoring

Laboratory experiment with soils

Modelling of soil chemistry

Impact of acid deposition on mobilisation of heavy metals

In Katowice in south western Poland emissions of acid gaseous oxides and alkaline particles have been reduced considerably the last few years. The problem now is that the emission of alkaline dust has been reduced to a greater extent than the acid gaseous oxides. Therefore, despite the reduction in deposition of sulphur and nitrate compounds the pH in precipitation is not increasing, instead a decrease is expected. This may cause a mobilisation of heavy metals deposited on the forest floor during the last decades. These heavy metals were immobilised due to rather high pH in precipitation due to the high fallout of alkaline dust in the area. In this project we study the soilwater at 3 depths at several locations in this area.

Soil and soilwater chemistry in sites with heavy loading of long range transported pollutants

In boarder mountain between Poland and the Czech republic large forested areas are now dead. This area receives large amounts of long range transported gaseous oxides. In this project we study the soilwater at genetic soil horizons at many locations in this area.

Addresses

·         E-mail:

Rolf.Vogt at kjemi.uio.no

  • Office: Room V118, Department of Chemistry

Phone: (+47) 22 85 56 96

Fax : (+47) 22 85 54 41

  • Address:

University of Oslo, Department of Chemistry

P.O.BOX 1033 Blindern

N-0315 OSLO

NORWAY

Some Environment related links:

Last updated January 2006 by: rolf.vogt at kjemi.uio.no