Senior Scientists

Dr. Tuit is an environmental chemist with over 12 years of experience in evaluating the source, fate, and bioavailability of chemicals in the environment.  She is experienced in designing cost-effective sampling plans, interpreting environmental data and evaluating data quality, as well as researching historical chemical manufacturing processes.  Dr. Tuit's scientific analyses have identified and determined the magnitude of contaminant sources and provided a scientific basis for cost allocations.  At Gradient, Dr. Tuit provides technical support for environmental forensic and risk assessment projects.  She has been involved with projects dealing with PCBs, PAHs, dioxin/furans, and trace metals.  Before joining Gradient, she was a Hess Postdoctoral Fellow at Princeton University, where she studied trace-metal bioavailability and toxicity in denitrifying bacteria.  Prior to that, she received her Ph.D. in Oceanography from the MIT/WHOI Joint Program, where she authored a thesis on the marine biogeochemistry of molybdenum. 

Byproduct Dioxin Generation: Evaluated the potential for dioxin release during the historical manufacture of herbicides and pesticides and estimated the potential contributions to a nearby estuary.

Oil Company: Identified the source of a chlorinated solvent (Freon) and BTEX groundwater plume adjacent to a former refinery site during an environmental forensic investigation of historical and compound specific stable isotope analyses 

PCB Sediment Forensics: Used principal component analysis and alternating least squares receptor modeling to estimate the source and relative contribution of different PCB Aroclors to estuary sediments.

PCB Cost Recovery: Performed a PCB fingerprinting analysis, a critical review of historical site data, and review of Aroclor production figures in support of a cost allocation at a transportation facility.

Discharge Permitting: Directed a trace metal sampling and analysis program for water and fish tissue in support of permit renewal negotiations for a NPDES waste water discharge.

Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Chemistry: Evaluated the potential chemical reactions during hydro-fracturing between fluid ingredients and source rocks at in situ temperatures and pressures.

Barite Mining Risks: Developed a sampling and analysis plan to evaluate human health risks due to exposure to lead via drinking water ingestion.