Benjamin Peterson

Dr. Benjamin Peterson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Sciences, specializing in microbial biogeochemistry and contaminant transformations. His research focuses on mercury cycling, microbial-contaminant interactions, and organic contaminant degradation across diverse ecosystems like lakes, reservoirs, and coastal peatlands. He collaborates extensively with federal/state labs and private partners to study contaminant dynamics in the Great Lakes and their watersheds.

• Education: PhD in Environmental Chemistry (UW Madison, 2021); BSc in Biochemistry (SUNY Geneseo, 2012)
• Key Research Themes: Microbial mercury methylation, climate change impacts on freshwater systems, and contaminant biogeochemical cycles

His work integrates field studies with lab-based analyses, particularly using culture-based methods to identify microbial mechanisms driving contaminant transformations. Recent studies highlight how environmental variables like sulfate reduction, nitrate availability, and sea level rise influence methylmercury production. His interdisciplinary approach bridges microbial ecology, environmental chemistry, and ecosystem modeling.

Dr. Peterson is affiliated with the Great Lakes Research Facility and has published extensively on freshwater contaminant dynamics, with notable contributions to understanding mercury cycling in eutrophic lakes and hydroelectric reservoirs.