2026 William D. Robertson: Earth Science Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Earth Science	47	3967	3639	183	165	78	9317

Overview

William D. Robertson is affiliated with the University of Waterloo in Canada. Their research spans the field of Environmental Science, with a focus on topics related to water treatment, wastewater management, and nutrient dynamics in aquatic systems.

The scientist's main fields of study include Environmental Science, with specific emphasis on subfields such as Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis; Pollution; Environmental Chemistry; Water Science and Technology; and Geochemistry and Petrology.

Their research addresses a variety of main topics, including:

Water Treatment and Disinfection
Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
Water Quality Monitoring Technologies
Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry
Groundwater flow and contamination studies

William D. Robertson has published frequently in several scientific venues, notably:

Ground Water (2 publications)
Water Research (1 publication)
Journal of Great Lakes Research (1 publication)

Their recent publications include the following papers:

"Variable persistence of artificial sweeteners during wastewater treatment: Implications for future use as tracers," published in 2020 in Water Research
"Nitrogen Attenuation in Septic System Plumes," published in 2020 in Ground Water
"The role of groundwater in loading of nutrients to a restricted bay in a Precambrian Shield lake. Part 1. - Conceptual model and field observations," published in 2021 in Journal of Great Lakes Research
"Nitrogen and Phosphorus Treatment Can Be Sustainable During on-Site Wastewater Disposal," published in 2023 in Ground Water

Collaborations have been an important aspect of their work. Frequently co-authored researchers include:

Dale R. Van Stempvoort (4 co-authored works)
Susan Brown (2 co-authored works)
Sherry L. Schiff (2 co-authored works)
John Spoelstra (1 co-authored work)
Dorothy L. Garda (1 co-authored work)

Best Publications

The Mussel Watch

Edward D. Goldberg;Vaughan T. Bowen;John W. Farrington;George Harvey

1144
Citations
Use of Multiple Isotope Tracers to Evaluate Denitrification in Ground Water: Study of Nitrate from a Large-Flux Septic System Plume

Ramon Aravena;William D. Robertson

708
Citations
Denitrifying bioreactors - an approach for reducing nitrate loads to receiving waters.

Louis A. Schipper;Will D. Robertson;Arthur J. Gold;Dan B. Jaynes

704
Citations
Ground‐Water Contamination from Two Small Septic Systems on Sand Aquifers

W. D. Robertson;J. A. Cherry;E. A. Sudicky

443
Citations
In Situ Denitrification of Septic‐System Nitrate Using Reactive Porous Media Barriers: Field Trials

W. D. Robertson;J. A. Cherry

371
Citations
Long‐Term Performance of In Situ Reactive Barriers for Nitrate Remediation

W.D. Robertson;D.W. Blowes;C.J. Ptacek;J.A. Cherry

369
Citations
Nitrate removal rates in woodchip media of varying age.

W.D. Robertson

312
Citations
Fate of pharmaceutical and trace organic compounds in three septic system plumes, Ontario, Canada.

Cherilyn Carrara;Carol J Ptacek;William D Robertson;David W Blowes

254
Citations
Removal of agricultural nitrate from tile-drainage effluent water using in-line bioreactors

D.W. Blowes;W.D. Robertson;C.J. Ptacek;C. Merkley

244
Citations
The hydrogeochemistry of the Nickel Rim mine tailings impoundment, Sudbury, Ontario

R.H Johnson;D.W Blowes;W.D Robertson;J.L Jambor

242
Citations
Impacts on a Sand Aquifer from an Old Septic System: Nitrate and Phosphate

J. Harman;W. D. Robertson;J. A. Cherry;L. Zanini

212
Citations
In-stream bioreactor for agricultural nitrate treatment.

W. D. Robertson;L. C. Merkley

199
Citations
Review of Phosphate Mobility and Persistence in 10 Septic System Plumes

W.D. Robertson;S.L. Schiff;C.J. Ptacek

197
Citations
Nitrate Removal Rates in a 15‐Year‐Old Permeable Reactive Barrier Treating Septic System Nitrate

Unknown

186
Citations
Attenuation of nitrate in aquitard sediments of southern Ontario

W.D. Robertson;B.M. Russell;J.A. Cherry

177
Citations
Nitrate removal and greenhouse gas production in a stream-bed denitrifying bioreactor.

Z. Elgood;W.D. Robertson;S.L. Schiff;R. Elgood

172
Citations
DENITRIFICATION OF AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE USING WOOD-BASED REACTORS

P. W. van Driel;W. D. Robertson;L. C. Merkley

171
Citations
Phosphorus characterization in sediments impacted by septic effluent at four sites in central Canada

L Zanini;W.D Robertson;C.J Ptacek;S.L Schiff

169
Citations
The solid-phase controls on the mobility of heavy metals at the Copper Cliff tailings area, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

R.G McGregor;D.W Blowes;J.L Jambor;W.D Robertson

166
Citations
Tritium as an indicator of recharge and dispersion in a groundwater system in central Ontario

W. D. Robertson;J. A. Cherry

159
Citations
Modelling of sulfide oxidation with reactive transport at a mine drainage site

J.G Bain;D.W Blowes;W.D Robertson;E.O Frind

126
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Sherry L. Schiff University of Waterloo

David W. Blowes University of Waterloo

Carol J. Ptacek University of Waterloo

John A. Cherry University of Guelph

Ramon Aravena University of Waterloo

Edward A. Sudicky University of Waterloo

Ian D. Clark University of Ottawa

Kerry T.B. MacQuarrie University of New Brunswick

Marco Petitta Sapienza University of Rome

Josh D. Neufeld University of Waterloo

External Links

Personal website of William D. Robertson

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