Prof. Dr. Adrien Mestrot

Unit Leader Soil Science

Soil Science

Phone: +41 31 684 59 10
E-Mail: adrien.mestrot@unibe.ch
Office: 203b
Postal Address: University of Bern
Institute of Geography
Soil Science
Hallerstrasse 12
CH-3012 Bern

Research

Research interests

The Soil Science Group studies the biogeochemistry of soils under global change to improve environmental health and food production. We use advanced analytical approaches to understand soil pollution and soil organic matter dynamics in response to land management and climate change. We investigate matter fluxes between soils and atmosphere, biota, ground and surface water from nano to field scale.

Awards, Grants and External Funding

2023: Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, OESG expert to prepare the effectiveness evaluation of the Minamata Convention: 46’368 CHF
2021: Swiss National Science Foundation, R’equip Grant for a HPLC-ICP-QQQ-MS: 203’820 CHF
2021: Media Lab of the GIUB (mLab), funding for an art-research residency: 6000 CHF
2020: Federal Office for Agriculture, Black Goes Green, Einfluss von Pflanzenkohle auf den Bodenwasserhaushalt und die chemische Bodenqualität (Co-PI): 350'000 CHF
2020: Swiss National Science Foundation, Project Funding, Release, biomethylation and biovolatilisation of antimony in soils: 711’354 CHF
2020: SELFRAG AG, Antimony characterization in incinerator bottom ash - Part 2: 25’069 CHF
2020: Leading House Latin American Region — Seed Money Grant (SERI), Assessing geogenic arsenic and other potentially toxic trace elements in groundwater resources of the Bolivian Amazon: 22’403 CHF
2019: SELFRAG AG, Antimony characterization in incinerator bottom ash – Part 1: 29’844 CHF
2019: Federal Office for the Environment, Funding for a new mercury analyzer: 40’417 CHF
2019: Swiss National Science Foundation, SNSF Professorship (extension), Biomethylation and biovolatilisation of arsenic, antimony and mercury: 115’092 CHF
2018: Federal Office for the Environment, Enrichment of mercury in food chains: 240’000 CHF
2018: Federal Office for the Environment, Mobility of antimony in shooting ranges soils: 24’858 CHF
2017: UNIBE Interfaculty Cooperation Grant (IFC), One Health: Cascading and microbiome-dependent effects on multitrophic health (Co-PI): 5’999’023 CHF. Sub project: “Arsenic speciation, microbiome interactions and health impact”: 411’357 CHF with Dr. Bigalke
2017:Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs, Microbial transformation of arsenic from rice in the gut (Co-PI): 35’520 CHF
2016: Environmental Protection Agency of the Canton Valais, Tracing nickel sources using heavy stable isotopes and measuring methylmercury in the Grossgrund Canal: 27’520 CHF
2016: Swiss National Science Fundation, SNF Professorship: Biomethylation and biovolatilisation of arsenic, antimony and mercury. Local environmental issues, novel analytical approaches and global implications: 1’579’894 CHF
2015: Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, Biomethylation of mercury in a contaminated floodplain: 20’000 CHF
2014: Swiss Federal Office for the Environment/armasuisse, Biomethylation and biovolatilisation of antimony in shooting range soils: 15’000 CHF
2014: UniBern Initiator Grant, Biomethylation of mercury and antimony in Swiss soils: 20’000 CHF
2013: UniBern Forschungsstiftung, Project LICHAS, arsenic biovolatilisation by lichens: 4‘000 CHF
2013-2015: EU Marie Curie IEF Fellowship, University of Bern CH, FP7-PEOPLE-2012-326736: “BIOMETA”: 220’000CHF
2009 "Early Career Researcher Award" of the International Association of Geoanalysts (IAG), Goldschmidt Conference, Davos, 21-26 June 2009.

Research in the news

Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts blog, Royal Society of Chemistry, October 2019 – Interview of Mestrot linked his article published in the “Emerging Investigator Series” of the Journal: https://blogs.rsc.org/em/2019/10/25/emerging-investigator-series-adrien-mestrot/?doing_wp_cron=1576507627.7375609874725341796875
Horizons, The Swiss Research Magazine, December 2018 – article about the sampling campaign conducted in China in Summer 2018 by Mestrot and his PhD students. “Tracking antimony in Chinese rice fields”: https://www.horizons-mag.ch/2018/12/06/shes-tracking-antimony-in-chinese-rice-fields
EVISA website, September 2016 – online article about Mestrot’s publication on trimethylantimony uptake by plants “Plant uptake of trimethylantimony from contaminated soils”: http://www.speciation.net/News/Plant-uptake-of-trimethylantimony-from-contaminated-soils-;~/2016/09/16/8130.html
Horizon Magazine, November 2015 - online article about the applicant's research and his EU Marie-Curie BIOMETA fellowship: "Is there arsenic in our rice?".
Chemical & Engineering News, February 2011 – online article “Arsenic in the air”: http://cen.acs.org/articles/89/web/2011/02/Arsenic-Air.html.
International Innovation magazine, June 2010 – article on the EU RTN Marie Curie AquaTRAIN: “Groundswell of Research”, Mestrot’s research featured in “Arsenic cycling” paragraph, pp 88-90.
Separation NOW, November 2009 – online article “Arsines trap for soil emissions”.
Environmental Science & Technology, Environmental News, October 2009 – Mestrot's research featured in the news article: “Arsenic in rice, a recipe for nutrient loss”, 43(21), p 8004.
Elements Magazine, August 2009 –article dedicated to Mestrot as the IAG Award winner at the 2009 Goldschmidt Conference, p 251.

Curriculum vitae

	Role
01/2022 - present	Associate Professor for Soil Science, GIUB, University of Bern, CH
01/2019 - 01/2022	Assistant Prof. Tenure-Track for Soil Science, GIUB, University of Bern, CH
06/2016 - 05/2020	SNSF Professor, TrES Group, GIUB, University of Bern, CH
06/2013 - 01/2016	EU Marie Curie IEF Fellow, Soil Science, GIUB, University of Bern, CH

CV Adrien Mestrot (PDF, 380KB)

ORCID account Adrien Mestrot

Research Gate account Adrien Mestrot

Professional Activities and Services

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	Memberships in panels, boards and individual scientific reviewing activities
10/2022 - present	Commission member - Bernese Award for Environmental Research. Representative for the Faculty of Sciences.
06/2022 - present	Member (nominated by the FOEN) of the Open-Ended Scientific Group (OESG) of the UN Minamata Convention. Leader of the “Small Group Other Matrices” (Soils, Sediments, Water).
06/2022 - present	Member of the International Panel on Chemical Pollution (IPCP). An international network of researchers aiming to provide leadership in identifying priority topics of concern and bridging the gap between science, policy and the public.
04/2022 - present	Member of the UN FAO International Network on Soil Pollution (INSOP). Its mission is to support and facilitate joint efforts towards reducing the risks of soil pollution and effectively remediate already polluted areas.
09/2020 - present	Member of the COST Action 19116 PLANTMETALS. Host lab for STSMs.
12/2019 - present	RaToGeo Working group "Earth Surface"
07/2018 - present	Associate Editor, Biogeochemical Dynamics, Frontiers in Environmental Sciences
10/2017 - present	Work Package Leader (arsenic cluster) IRC One Health
01/2014 - 12/2019	Outreach & Training Committee Member, European Association of Geochemistry

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	Outreach activities
2022	Elusive Exposures, Science-Art residency and exhibition at GIUB, Bern, Switzerland
09/2014 & 09/2017	Participation to the "Researchers Night" organised by the University of Bern
12/2014 - present	Member of the Matura Project organised by SCNAT, 1-2 Maturaarbeit per year
11/2004 - 11/2007	Creation of a non-profit Association on Environmental Issues Awarenes, Pau, FR

Memberships in Scientific Societies

Swiss Soil Science Society
German Soil Science Society
American Chemical Society
Geochemical Society
International Association of Geochemistry
International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry
International Society of Trace Element Biogeochemistry

Reviewer for

Nature Geoscience
Environmental Science & Technology
Environmental Science & Technology Letters
Science of the Total Environment
Geoderma
Environmental Pollution
Analytical Chemistry
Environmental Research
Plant and Soil

See Publons for details

Publications

Publication	Year	Type

Publications prior to 2013

Publications in international peer-reviewed scientific journals

Norton G.J., Deacon C.M., Mestrot A., Feldmann J., Jenkins P., Baskaran C. & Meharg A.A. Arsenic speciation and localization in horticultural produce grown in a historically impacted mining region. (2013). Environmental Science & Technology, 47(12), pp. 6164–6172

Petursdottir A., Gunnlaugsdottir H., Jorundsdottir H., Mestrot A., Krupp E. & Feldmann J. HPLC-HG-ICP-MS a sensitive and selective method for inorganic arsenic in seafood (2012). Analytical & Bionalytical Chemistry, 404(8) pp.2185-2191

Hossain M.S., Williams P.N., Mestrot A., Norton G.J., Deacon C.M. & Meharg A.A. Spatial heterogeneity and kinetic regulation of arsenic dynamics in mangrove sediments: the Sundarbans, Bangladesh. (2012). Environmental Science & Technology, 46, pp. 8645-8652.

Mestrot A., Merle J.K., Broglia A., Feldmann J. & Krupp E.M. Atmospheric stability of Arsine and Methylarsines. (2011). Environmental Science & Technology, 45(9), pp. 4010-4015.

Mestrot A., Feldmann J., Krupp E.M., Hossain M., Roman-Ross G. & Meharg A.A. Field Fluxes and Speciation of Arsines Emanating from Soils. (2011). Environmental Science & Technology, 45(5), pp. 1798-1804.

Tabouret H., Bareille G., Mestrot A., Caill-Milly N., Budzinski H., Peluhet L., Prouzet P. & Donard O.F.X. Heavy metals and organochlorinated compounds in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from the Adour estuary and associated wetlands (France). (2011). Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 13(5), pp. 1446-1456.

Mestrot A., Plantevin T., Uroic M.K., Islam R., Krupp E.M., Feldmann J. & Meharg A.A. Quantitative and Qualitative Trapping of Arsines Deployed to Assess Loss of Volatile Arsenic from Paddy Soil. (2009). Environmental Science and Technology, 43(21) pp. 8270-8275.

Krupp E.M., Mestrot A., Wielgus J., Meharg A.A. & Feldmann J. The molecular form of mercury in biota: Identification of novel mercury peptide complexes in plants. (2009). Chemical Communications, 28, pp. 4257-4259.

Krupp E.M., Milne B.F., Mestrot A., Meharg A.A. & Feldmann J. Investigation into mercury bound to biothiols: Structural identification using ESI-ion-trap MS and introduction of a method for their HPLC separation with simultaneous detection by ICP-MS and ESI-MS. (2008). Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 390(7), pp. 1753-1764.

Other publications

Mestrot A., Uroic M.K., Krupp E.M., Meharg A.A. & Feldmann J. Speciation of gaseous arsines using chemotrapping followed by HPLC-ICP-MS. (2012). Handbook of Hyphenated ICP-MS Applications, Agilent Technologies Inc., 2nd Edition, pp. 11-12.

Krupp E.M., Mestrot A. & Feldmann J. Mercury speciation in rice – More than methylmercury using HPLC-ICP-MS/ Electrospray Ionization (ESI) MS. (2012). Handbook of Hyphenated ICP-MS Applications, Agilent Technologies Inc., 2nd Edition, pp. 93-94.

Norton G., Mestrot A. & Meharg A.A. Arsenic speciation in fruit and vegetables grown in the UK. (2012). UK FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY FINAL REPORT, FS241003.

Norton G., Mestrot A. & Meharg A.A. Total cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in fruit and vegetables grown in the UK. (2012). UK FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY FINAL REPORT, FS241003.

XIE W., Mestrot A., LI G., SUN G. & ZHU Y.G. Arsenic sample contamination through the use of glass autosampler vials. (2012). Environmental Chemistry (Chinese journal), 31(6), pp. 902-908.

Institute of Geography