2026 Donald L. Sparks: Environmental Sciences Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Chemistry	118	537	477	230	188	437	54166
Environmental Sciences	119	131	123	60	54	466	57542

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

Best Publications

Methods of soil analysis. Part 3 - chemical methods.

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

5013
Citations
Soil and human security in the 21st century

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

1519
Citations
Arsenate and Chromate Retention Mechanisms on Goethite. 1. Surface Structure

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

1317
Citations
Nanominerals, Mineral Nanoparticles, and Earth Systems

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

1060
Citations
Kinetics of Soil Chemical Processes

Donald L. Sparks

1050
Citations
Metal contamination and bioremediation of agricultural soils for food safety and sustainability

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

1022
Citations
1 – Environmental Soil Chemistry: An Overview

Donald L. Sparks

956
Citations
Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, and Cesium

P. A. Helmke;D. L. Sparks

904
Citations
ATR-FTIR Spectroscopic Investigation on Phosphate Adsorption Mechanisms at the Ferrihydrite-Water Interface

Yuji Arai;D.L. Sparks

876
Citations
Physical chemistry of soil potassium

D.L. Sparks;P.M. Huang

692
Citations
Properties of Fe-Organic Matter Associations via Coprecipitation versus Adsorption

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

624
Citations
An in Situ ATR-FTIR Investigation of Sulfate Bonding Mechanisms on Goethite.

Derek Peak;Robert G Ford;Donald L Sparks

624
Citations
Potassium Dynamics in Soils

Donald L. Sparks

612
Citations
Soil Physical Chemistry

Donald L. Sparks

545
Citations
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

517
Citations
X-ray absorption spectroscopic investigation of arsenite and arsenate adsorption at the aluminum oxide-water interface

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

510
Citations
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

471
Citations
Effects of soil organic matter on the kinetics and mechanisms of Pb(II) sorption and desorption in soil

Daniel G. Strawn;Donald L. Sparks

466
Citations
Phosphate Reaction Dynamics in Soils and Soil Components: A Multiscale Approach

Yuji Arai;D.L. Sparks

429
Citations
ATR-FTIR spectroscopic studies of boric acid adsorption on hydrous ferric oxide

Derek Peak;George W Luther;Donald L Sparks

428
Citations
Residence time effects on arsenate adsorption/desorption mechanisms on goethite

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

380
Citations
Toxic Metals in the Environment: The Role of Surfaces

Donald L. Sparks

376
Citations
Nanominerals, mineral nanoparticles, and Earth systems

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

1
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Mengqiang Zhu University of Maryland, College Park

Scott Fendorf Stanford University

Rufus L. Chaney US Department of Agriculture

Andreas C. Scheinost Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Xionghan Feng Huazhong Agricultural University

James D. Kubicki The University of Texas at El Paso

Nanthi Bolan University of Western Australia

Kirk G. Scheckel Environmental Protection Agency

Sanjai J. Parikh University of California, Davis

César Plaza Spanish National Research Council

External Links

Personal website of Donald L. Sparks

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