World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
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Environmental Sciences
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Environmental Sciences

D-Index
119
Citations
57542
World Ranking
131
National Ranking
60

Chemistry

D-Index
118
Citations
54166
World Ranking
537
National Ranking
229

Donald L. Sparks publication distribution in Environmental Sciences in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Environmental Sciences in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Donald L. Sparks sits on this spectrum.

41–50 publications: 21 scientists 51–60 publications: 62 scientists 61–70 publications: 133 scientists 71–80 publications: 257 scientists 81–90 publications: 361 scientists 91–100 publications: 440 scientists 101–110 publications: 492 scientists 111–120 publications: 541 scientists 121–130 publications: 617 scientists 131–140 publications: 544 scientists 141–150 publications: 541 scientists 151–160 publications: 539 scientists 161–170 publications: 444 scientists 171–180 publications: 444 scientists 181–190 publications: 400 scientists 191–200 publications: 377 scientists 201–210 publications: 318 scientists 211–220 publications: 283 scientists 221–230 publications: 263 scientists 231–240 publications: 220 scientists 241–250 publications: 217 scientists 251–260 publications: 180 scientists 261–270 publications: 181 scientists 271–280 publications: 155 scientists 281–290 publications: 130 scientists 291–300 publications: 127 scientists 301–310 publications: 130 scientists 311–320 publications: 85 scientists 321–330 publications: 106 scientists 331–340 publications: 80 scientists 341–350 publications: 83 scientists 351–360 publications: 75 scientists 361–370 publications: 69 scientists 371–380 publications: 52 scientists 381–390 publications: 54 scientists 391–400 publications: 56 scientists 401–410 publications: 44 scientists 411–420 publications: 40 scientists 421–430 publications: 36 scientists 431–440 publications: 25 scientists 441–450 publications: 25 scientists 451–460 publications: 32 scientists 461–470 publications: 29 scientists 471–480 publications: 21 scientists 481–490 publications: 26 scientists 491–500 publications: 25 scientists 501–510 publications: 17 scientists 511–520 publications: 18 scientists 521–530 publications: 15 scientists 531–540 publications: 22 scientists 541–550 publications: 12 scientists 551–560 publications: 15 scientists 561–570 publications: 11 scientists 571–580 publications: 19 scientists 581–590 publications: 9 scientists 591–600 publications: 9 scientists 601–610 publications: 7 scientists 611–620 publications: 11 scientists 621–630 publications: 5 scientists 631–640 publications: 5 scientists 641–650 publications: 6 scientists 651–660 publications: 3 scientists 661–670 publications: 3 scientists 671–680 publications: 4 scientists 681–686 publications: 3 scientists 687+ publications: 100 scientists
41 publications 687+

This scientist: 466 publications — 96th percentile

96% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 687 publications or more.

Donald L. Sparks D-index placement in Environmental Sciences in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Environmental Sciences scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Donald L. Sparks sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 12 scientists 31 D-Index: 26 scientists 32 D-Index: 51 scientists 33 D-Index: 88 scientists 34 D-Index: 123 scientists 35 D-Index: 163 scientists 36 D-Index: 206 scientists 37 D-Index: 267 scientists 38 D-Index: 265 scientists 39 D-Index: 275 scientists 40 D-Index: 321 scientists 41 D-Index: 343 scientists 42 D-Index: 305 scientists 43 D-Index: 336 scientists 44 D-Index: 330 scientists 45 D-Index: 348 scientists 46 D-Index: 291 scientists 47 D-Index: 275 scientists 48 D-Index: 272 scientists 49 D-Index: 273 scientists 50 D-Index: 263 scientists 51 D-Index: 232 scientists 52 D-Index: 266 scientists 53 D-Index: 217 scientists 54 D-Index: 199 scientists 55 D-Index: 177 scientists 56 D-Index: 202 scientists 57 D-Index: 204 scientists 58 D-Index: 166 scientists 59 D-Index: 177 scientists 60 D-Index: 166 scientists 61 D-Index: 152 scientists 62 D-Index: 143 scientists 63 D-Index: 150 scientists 64 D-Index: 124 scientists 65 D-Index: 119 scientists 66 D-Index: 120 scientists 67 D-Index: 118 scientists 68 D-Index: 82 scientists 69 D-Index: 98 scientists 70 D-Index: 94 scientists 71 D-Index: 105 scientists 72 D-Index: 74 scientists 73 D-Index: 84 scientists 74 D-Index: 70 scientists 75 D-Index: 67 scientists 76 D-Index: 78 scientists 77 D-Index: 60 scientists 78 D-Index: 59 scientists 79 D-Index: 52 scientists 80 D-Index: 47 scientists 81 D-Index: 38 scientists 82 D-Index: 48 scientists 83 D-Index: 42 scientists 84 D-Index: 42 scientists 85 D-Index: 43 scientists 86 D-Index: 29 scientists 87 D-Index: 37 scientists 88 D-Index: 29 scientists 89 D-Index: 30 scientists 90 D-Index: 34 scientists 91 D-Index: 20 scientists 92 D-Index: 22 scientists 93 D-Index: 17 scientists 94 D-Index: 19 scientists 95 D-Index: 24 scientists 96 D-Index: 21 scientists 97 D-Index: 20 scientists 98 D-Index: 24 scientists 99 D-Index: 17 scientists 100 D-Index: 17 scientists 101 D-Index: 21 scientists 102 D-Index: 25 scientists 103 D-Index: 18 scientists 104 D-Index: 26 scientists 105 D-Index: 19 scientists 106 D-Index: 15 scientists 107 D-Index: 10 scientists 108 D-Index: 13 scientists 109 D-Index: 15 scientists 110 D-Index: 12 scientists 111 D-Index: 8 scientists 112 D-Index: 7 scientists 113 D-Index: 9 scientists 114 D-Index: 6 scientists 115 D-Index: 12 scientists 116 D-Index: 7 scientists 117 D-Index: 8 scientists 118 D-Index: 3 scientists 119 D-Index: 5 scientists 120 D-Index: 7 scientists 121 D-Index: 2 scientists 122 D-Index: 4 scientists 123 D-Index: 8 scientists 124 D-Index: 7 scientists 125+ D-Index: 99 scientists
30 D-Index 125+

This scientist: 119 D-Index — 99th percentile

99% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 125 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Environmental Sciences in United States Leader Award
  • 1997 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

Donald L. Sparks is affiliated with the University of Delaware in the United States. Their work primarily spans the fields of Environmental Science and Earth and Planetary Sciences. Within these broad disciplines, they have concentrated on subfields including Environmental Chemistry, Pollution, Geochemistry and Petrology, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, and Plant Science.

The scientist's research topics encompass a range of environmental and geochemical issues. These include:

  • Heavy metals in environment
  • Arsenic contamination and mitigation
  • Iron oxide chemistry and applications
  • Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
  • Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
  • Radioactive element chemistry and processing
  • Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry

Recent papers include the following:

  • Metal contamination and bioremediation of agricultural soils for food safety and sustainability, 2020, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment
  • Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of geochemical controls on carbon cycling in a tidal salt marsh, 2020, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
  • Cadmium speciation and release kinetics in a paddy soil as affected by soil amendments and flooding-draining cycle, 2020, Environmental Pollution
  • Mechanistic insights into iodine enrichment in groundwater during the transformation of iron minerals in aquifer sediments, 2020, The Science of The Total Environment
  • Spatially Resolved Organomineral Interactions across a Permafrost Chronosequence, 2020, Environmental Science & Technology

Sparks frequently collaborates with several researchers, including:

  • Matthew G. Siebecker
  • Matthew Fischel
  • Balwant Singh
  • Ryan Tappero
  • Matheus Sampaio Carneiro Barreto

Their work is regularly published in journals such as:

  • Environmental Science & Technology
  • The Science of The Total Environment
  • Journal of Hazardous Materials
  • Environmental Pollution
  • SSRN Electronic Journal

In 1997, Donald L. Sparks was recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Best Publications

  • Methods of soil analysis. Part 3 - chemical methods.

    D. L. Sparks;A. L. Page;P. A. Helmke;R. H. Loeppert

  • Soil and human security in the 21st century

    Ronald Amundson;Asmeret Asefaw Berhe;Jan W. Hopmans;Carolyn Olson

  • Arsenate and Chromate Retention Mechanisms on Goethite. 1. Surface Structure

    Scott Fendorf;Matthew J. Eick;Paul Grossl;Donald L. Sparks

  • Nanominerals, Mineral Nanoparticles, and Earth Systems

    Michael F. Hochella;Steven K. Lower;Patricia A. Maurice;R. Lee Penn

  • Kinetics of Soil Chemical Processes

    Donald L. Sparks

  • Metal contamination and bioremediation of agricultural soils for food safety and sustainability

    Deyi Hou;David O’Connor;Avanthi D. Igalavithana;Daniel S. Alessi

  • 1 – Environmental Soil Chemistry: An Overview

    Donald L. Sparks

  • Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, and Cesium

    P. A. Helmke;D. L. Sparks

  • ATR-FTIR Spectroscopic Investigation on Phosphate Adsorption Mechanisms at the Ferrihydrite-Water Interface

    Yuji Arai;D.L. Sparks

  • Physical chemistry of soil potassium

    D.L. Sparks;P.M. Huang

  • Properties of Fe-Organic Matter Associations via Coprecipitation versus Adsorption

    Chunmei Chen;James J. Dynes;Jian Wang;Donald L. Sparks

  • An in Situ ATR-FTIR Investigation of Sulfate Bonding Mechanisms on Goethite.

    Derek Peak;Robert G Ford;Donald L Sparks

  • Potassium Dynamics in Soils

    Donald L. Sparks

  • Soil Physical Chemistry

    Donald L. Sparks

  • Arsenate and Chromate Retention Mechanisms on Goethite. 2. Kinetic Evaluation Using a Pressure-Jump Relaxation Technique

    Paul R. Grossl;Matthew Eick;Donald L. Sparks;Sabine Goldberg

  • X-ray absorption spectroscopic investigation of arsenite and arsenate adsorption at the aluminum oxide-water interface

    Yuji Arai;Evert J. Elzinga;Donald L. Sparks

  • Phosphate adsorption onto hematite: An in situ ATR-FTIR investigation of the effects of pH and loading level on the mode of phosphate surface complexation

    Evert J. Elzinga;Donald L. Sparks

  • Effects of soil organic matter on the kinetics and mechanisms of Pb(II) sorption and desorption in soil

    Daniel G. Strawn;Donald L. Sparks

  • Phosphate Reaction Dynamics in Soils and Soil Components: A Multiscale Approach

    Yuji Arai;D.L. Sparks

  • ATR-FTIR spectroscopic studies of boric acid adsorption on hydrous ferric oxide

    Derek Peak;George W Luther;Donald L Sparks

  • Residence time effects on arsenate adsorption/desorption mechanisms on goethite

    S.E. O'Reilly;D.G. Strawn;D.L. Sparks

  • Toxic Metals in the Environment: The Role of Surfaces

    Donald L. Sparks

  • Nanominerals, mineral nanoparticles, and Earth systems

    M. F. Hochella;S. K. Lower;P. A. Maurice;R. L. Penn

Frequent Co-Authors

Mengqiang Zhu
Mengqiang Zhu University of Maryland, College Park
Scott Fendorf
Scott Fendorf Stanford University
Rufus L. Chaney
Rufus L. Chaney US Department of Agriculture
Andreas C. Scheinost
Andreas C. Scheinost Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
Xionghan Feng
Xionghan Feng Huazhong Agricultural University
James D. Kubicki
James D. Kubicki The University of Texas at El Paso
Nanthi Bolan
Nanthi Bolan University of Western Australia
Kirk G. Scheckel
Kirk G. Scheckel Environmental Protection Agency
Sanjai J. Parikh
Sanjai J. Parikh University of California, Davis
César Plaza
César Plaza Spanish National Research Council

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