Education

• B.S., Old Dominion University
• M.S., College of William and Mary

Research Interests

Sources, effects, fate and analysis of contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) including: brominated flame-retardants (e.g. PBDEs), personal care products (e.g. nonylphenols (NPs) and triclosan) and pharmaceuticals (e.g. synthetic and natural estrogens) associated with the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Current Projects

• PCBs, PAHs and chlorinated pesticides in biota and sediments of Virginia's tributaries, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

  • 1993-2008 fish tissue analysis data
  • DEQ fish consumption advisories

• Identification, persistence and mobility of anthropogenic contaminants associated with wastewater treatment effluent receiving streams and sludge (biosolids) used in agriculture

• Environmental degradation products of anthropogenic contaminants (e.g. PBDEs and NPs)

• Developing analytical methodologies for the detection of CECs in diverse matrixes by gas and liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy

• Spectra Library - ECNI PBDEs

Selected Publications

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. Harvey; D. Chen 2011.  Comment on "Identification of monochloro-nonabromodiphenyl ethers in the air and soil from South China".  Environ. Sci. Technol. (in press).

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. Harvey; D. Chen 2010.  Flame-retardants and other organohalogens detected in sewage sludge by electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry.  Environ. Sci. Technol. 44 (12): 4658 - 4664.

• Chen, D.; R. C. Hale; B. D. Watts; M. J. La Guardia; E. Harvey; E. K. Mojica 2010.  Species-specific accumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants in birds of prey from the Chesapeake Bay region, USA.  Environ Pollution, 158 (5): 1883 - 1889.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. Harvey; E. O. Bush; S. Ciparis 2010.  Emerging Concern: Nonylphenol compounds could be problematic for land-application programs.  Industrial Wastewater, 9 (3): 7 -13.

• Potter K. E.; B. D. Watts; M. J. La Guardia; E. P. Harvey; R. C. Hale 2009.  Polybrominated diphenyl ether flame-retardants in Chesapeake Bay region, USA, Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) eggs: urban/rural trends Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 28 (5): 973-981.

• Chen D.; M. J. La Guardia; E. Harvey; M.Amaral; K. Wohlfort; R. C. Hale 2008.  Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) eggs from the Northeastern U.S. Environ. Sci. Technol. 42 (20): 7594-7600.

• La Guardia M. J. 2008. Use of electron capture negative ion mass spectra to establish the identities of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame-retardant and their degradation products. Spectroscopy (Special issue, May 2008), pp.10-17.
  

• Hale, R. C.; S. L. Kim; E. Harvey; M. J. La Guardia; T. M. Mainor; E. O. Bush; E. M. Jacobs 2008. Antarctic research bases: Local sources of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants Environ. Sci. Technol. 42: 1452-1457.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. Harvey 2007. Evidence of Environmental Debromination of Decabromodiphenyl Ether (BDE-209) in a Wastewater Receiving Stream. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41: 6663 - 6670.

• Nerissa Wu.; T. Herrmann; O. Paepke; J. Tickner; R. Hale; E. Harvey; M. J. La Guardia; M. D. McClean; T. F. Webster 2007. Human Exposure to PBDEs: Associations of PBDE Body Burdens with Food Consumption and House Dust Concentrations. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41: 1584 - 1589.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. Harvey 2006.Detailed polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congener composition of the widely used penta-, octa- and deca-PBDE technical flame-retardant mixture. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40: 6247 – 6254.

• Hale, R. C.; M. J. La Guardia; E. Harvey; M. O. Gaylor; T. M. Mainor2006. Brominated flame retardant concentrations and treads in abiotic media. Chemosphere 64: 181 – 186.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. P. Harvey; E. O. Bush; T. M. Mainor; M. O. Gaylor2004. Organic contaminants of emerging concern in land-applied sewage sludge (biosolids).J. Residuals Sci. Technol. 1(2): 111 – 122.

• Hale, R. C.; M. J. La Guardia; E. Harvey; T. M. Mainor 2002. The potential role of fire retardant-treated polyurethane foam as a source of brominated diphenyl ethers to the US environment.Chemosphere 46: 729 – 735.

• Hale, R. C. and M. J. La Guardia 2002.Emerging contaminants of concern in costal and estuarine environments.Chapter 3, Risk Assessment in Costal and Estuarine Environments. ed. M. C. Newman, M. H. Roberts Jr. and R. C. Hale. CRC Press Inc. pp. 41 – 72.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. P. Harvey; T. M. Mainor2001.Alkylphenol ethoxylate degradation products in land-applied sewage sludge (biosolids).Environ. Sci. Technol. 35(24): 4798 – 4804.

• Hale, R. C.; M. J. La Guardia; E. P. Harvey; T. M. Mainor; W. H. Duff; M. O. Gaylor2001.Brominated diphenyl ether fire retardant burdens in Virginia freshwater fish (USA). Environ. Sci. Technol. 35(23): 4585 – 4591.

• Hale, R. C.; M. J. La Guardia2001. Directions in science: Synthetic organic pollutants in land-applied sewage sludges.The Scientific World 1, 10 –13.

• Hale, R. C.; M. J. La Guardia; E. P. Harvey; M. O. Gaylor, T. M. Mainor; W. H. Duff2001. Persistent pollutants in land-applied sludges. Nature. 412: 140 – 141.

• Hale, R. C.; C. L. Smith; P. O. de Fur; E. Harvey; E. O. Bush; M. J. La Guardia; G. G. Vadas2000.Nonylphenols in sediments and effluents associated with diverse Virginia (USA) wastewater outfalls.Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 19:946 – 952.

Presentations (past five years)

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale 2010.  Bioaccumulation of PBDEs, their replacement products (TBB, TBPH, BTBPE) and HBCD in freshwater mollusks from the Yadkin River (North Carolina, USA).  Abst. CSETAC Annual Meeting, Boone, NC.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. P. Harvey; T. M. Mainor 2010.  Bioaccumulation of PBDEs and their replacement products (TBB, TBPH, BTBPE) in freshwater mollusks.  Abst. SETAC 31nd Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. Harvey; T. M. Mainor; S. Ciparis 2009.  PBDEs and their replacement products (TBB, TBPH and BTBPE) detected in textile effluent and associated sediments.  Abst. SETAC 30th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. Harvey; E. O. Bush; S. Ciparis 2009. Persistence and migration of alkylphenol ethoxylate degradation products associated with land-applied biosolids. WEF, Microconstituents and Industrial Water Quality 2009, Baltimore, MD.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. Harvey; T. M. Mainor; D. Chen 2008. Concentrations, trends and concerns of brominated flame-retardants in land-applied sewage sludge (biosolids) Abst. SETAC 29^th Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. P. Harvey; T. M. Mainor 2007. Evidence of Metabolic Debromination of Decabromodiphenyl Ether (BDE-209) Occurring in the Aquatic Environment. Abst. SETAC 28nd Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. P. Harvey; T. M. Mainor; P. D. Gerdes 2007. Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) - Residual Trends in Sewage Sludge. WEF Compounds of Emerging Concern, Symposium 2007, Providence, RI.

• La Guardia, M. J. 2007. Compounds of emerging concern – An overview. VWEA LPC/VA-AWWA Good Laboratory Practice Conference. Charlottesville, Va.

• La Guardia, M. J. 2006. Fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in wastewaters. Endocrine Disruptors – What we know and what we don’t. Mid-Atlantic Region Water Program, Fredrick, MD.

• La Guardia, M. J. and R. C. Hale. 2006. Environmental monitoring for emerging contaminants – (polybrominated diphenyl ethers). Virginia Water Monitoring Council 2006 Conference, Henrico, Va.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. P. Harvey 2005. Congener specific determination of PBDEs in four flame-retardant mixtures; DE-71, Bromkal 70-5DE, DE-79 and Bromkal 79-8DE. The Seventh annual workshop on brominated flame-retardants (BFRs) in the environment. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. P. Harvey 2005. Congener specific determination of PBDEs in four flame-retardant mixtures; DE-71, Bromkal 70-5DE, DE-79 and Bromkal 79-8DE. Abst. SETAC 25nd Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. P. Harvey 2004. Bioaccumulation and debromination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) under environmental conditions. Abst. SETAC 25nd Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. P. Harvey 2004. Environmental debromination of decabrominated diphenyl ether. Proc. The Third International Workshop on Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR2004), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Seminars / Workshops

• La Guardia, M. J. 2007. PBDEs, Persistent Organic Pollutants: Global and Regional Concerns. Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences Department Seminar. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
• La Guardia, M. J. 2006. Impact of CEC’s on wastewater treatment – An overview. Compounds of emerging concern (CECs) in wastewater treatment (Present Status & Future Challenges). Water Environment Federation (WEF), Webcast Series. October 4, 2006.
• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; D. Luellen; E. Harvey; T. M. Mainor; E. O. Bush 2006. Aquatic exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in stream subjected to municipal wastewater effluent. EAAH Department Seminar. VIMS, Gloucester, VA.
• La Guardia, M. J. 2005. Laboratory calculations. VWEA LPC/VA-AWWA Good Laboratory Practice Conference. Charlottesville, VA.
• La Guardia, M. J. 2004. Laboratory calculations. VWEA LPC/VA-AWWA Good Laboratory Practice Conference. Charlottesville, VA.
• La Guardia, M. J. 2003. Laboratory calculations. VWEA LPC/VA-AWWA Good Laboratory Practice Conference. Charlottesville, VA.
• La Guardia, M. J.; R. C. Hale; E. Harvey; T. M. Mainor; E. O. Bush; M. O. Gaylor; S. Ciparis; M. Jacobs 2002. Fate of nonylphenol ethoxylate degradation products associated with agricultural application of sewage sludge. EAAH Department Seminar. VIMS, Gloucester, VA.

Professional Memberships

• American Chemical Society (Environmental Chemistry Division)

• Water Environmental Federation (Committees: Compounds of Emerging Concern Community of Practice and Virginia Laboratory Practices Committee)

Supervisor

Dr. Robert Hale