Who I Am:

Currently, I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Geochemistry at the University of South Florida. My primary advisor is Dr. Thomas Pichler.

My research will be focused on the evaluation of a combined wetland/filtration process as a prospective pre-treatment option for the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) process and a potential remedy for elevated arsenic.
The wetland/filter basin system is located at the Hines Energy Complex, Polk County, Florida, where it is used to treat wastewater. The treated water is generally oxygen depleted should not cause the dissolution of pyrite, which in turn would make it the perfect choice for water to be injected during ASR operation.

This research will be funded by the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR) and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and will be done in collaboration with Peter J. Schreuder from Schreuder, Inc.

My area of scientific interest includes environmental geochemistry, aqueous geochemistry and hydrogeology.

I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Geology, in 2001 and Advanced Degree (“Specialist”) in Geology and Environmental Geology in 2002 from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.

I earned my Master’s Degree in Environmental Geochemistry, in fall 2004 with Dr. Thomas Pichler at the University of South Florida. I focused on detailed geochemical and mineralogical analyses of the naturally occurring arsenic throughout the phosphorite-rich Hawthorn Group, Southwestern Florida. This research was funded by the SWFWMD.

Contact Me:
Olesya Lazareva
Department of Geology
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Ave., SCA 513
Tampa, FL 33620
813-974-8358(ph)
olazarev@mail.usf.edu