Staff Profile

Mr Martin D. West, BSc, MSc(Eng), AMIChemE, MIScT
Contact Mr Martin D. West (email at m.d.west@durham.ac.uk)
Biography
I have over 20 years of experience working in various technical roles in industry and academia. Prior to joining the university as a research technician in 2005, I was the principle chemist and senior chemist in two local UKAS/MCERTS accredited contract laboratories where I was responsible for supervising a small team of analysts.
Joining the university allowed me to get more directly involved with analytical research and development, a part of the job that I most enjoy. In 2010 I was promoted to grade 7 senior research technician with direct responsibility for the day-to-day running of the chemical analysis laboratories within the department.
Responsibilities within department
- Management of the Analytical Laboratory.
- Management of the Gamma Spectroscopy Laboratory.
- Management of the Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) facilties.
- Provide advice, training and supervision for the uses of the laboratory facilities.
- Method/Instrument development and validation.
- Instrument maintenance and repair.
Expertise/Specialisations:
- GC-IRMS, EA-IRMS.
- GC/MS (including pyrolysis-GC/MS, CI-GC/MS).
- LC-MS/MS.
- Gamma Spectroscopy/Gamma dating.
- ICP-MS.
- UV-vis Spectrometry.
Other Analytical Techniques
- Elemental Analysis (CHNSO) by combustion.
- TOC/DOC/TN (in waters by combustion).
- IC and IC/MS.
- GC-FID.
- GC-TOF
- ICP-OES.
- AAS (HG-AAS).
- Bomb Calorimetry.
- XRF.
- Various extractions/titrations/colorimetric procedures and associated instruments.
Selected Publications
- 1: Morley, Peter, Jump, Alistair, West, Martin David & Donoghue, Daniel (2020). Spectral response of chlorophyll content during leaf senescence in European beech trees. Environmental Research Communications
- 2: Wang, J., Howarth, J.D., McClymont, E.L., Densmore, A.L., Fitzsimons, S.J., Croissant, T., Groecke, D.R., West, M.D., Harvey, E., Frith, N.V., Garnett, M.H. & Hilton, R.G. (2020). Long-term patterns of hillslope erosion by earthquake-induced landslides shape mountain landscapes. Science Advances 6(23): eaaz6446.
- 3: Johnson, K.L., McCann, C.M., Wilkinson, J.L., Jones, M., Tebo, B.M., West, M., Elgy, C., Clarke, C.E., Gowdy, C. & Hudson-Edwards, K.A. (2018). Dissolved Mn(III) in Water Treatment Works: Prevalence and Significance. Water Research 140: 181-190.