Sue Richardson

Susan’s research has focused on identifying new disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water, determining formation mechanisms, and integrating toxicological characterization with chemical characterization approaches. From 2002 to 2013, her work has focused on the toxicity-based identification of new DBPs, the toxicological and chemical evaluation of alternative disinfectant treatment scenarios, the occurrence of iodinated DBPs in chloraminated drinking waters, and mechanisms of formation for toxicologically significant halonitromethane and iodinated DBPs. More recent work involves the formation of highly genotoxic and cytotoxic iodo-acids and iodo-trihalomethanes from iodinated X-ray contrast media (ICM) used for medical imaging. ICM are used in high quantities and are found in source waters for drinking water (up to ppb levels). Chlorine or chloramine can react with them to produce these highly toxic iodo-DBPs.

Susan worked for 24 years as a research chemist at the U.S. EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory, and is now at the University of South Carolina’s Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry as a Professor, and Arthur Sease Williams Professor of Chemistry.

She is a previous recipient of the American Chemical Society Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology (2008), as well as an honorary doctorate from Cape Breton University (Canada) (2006). She currently serves as Associate Editor of Water Research and serves on the Editorial Advisory board for Environmental Science & Technology, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, and Environmental Science & Pollution Research. She writes two ongoing invited biennial reviews for the journal, Analytical Chemistry on Water Analysis and Environmental Mass Spectrometry, which both focus on emerging environmental contaminants. Susan has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Emory University and a B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics from Georgia College and State University.

Contact Information: ; 803-777-6932