Manuel Montaño

Manuel Montaño is an Associate Professor at Western Washington University's Department of Environmental Sciences. His work focuses on nanogeochemical processes, environmental nanotechnology, and contaminant fate/transport. He holds a PhD and BSc in Applied Chemistry and Chemistry from the Colorado School of Mines. His research explores nanoparticle behavior in environmental matrices, including nanopesticides, engineered nanomaterials, and natural colloids.

Education:

• PhD in Applied Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines
• BSc in Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines

Research Interests:

• Nanotoxicity and environmental nanomaterial interactions
• Single-particle ICP-MS method development
• Natural nanogeochemical systems
• Plastic additive leaching from nanocomposites
• Phytoremediation of mining contaminants

Key Contributions: Pioneered advanced analytical techniques for nanoparticle characterization in environmental systems. Work emphasizes bridging nanotechnology applications with environmental stewardship through rigorous method development and field-scale studies.

Labs/Teams: Leading initiatives at Western Washington University to integrate colloid science and geochemistry into environmental problem-solving. Collaborates internationally on instrumentation advancements like ICP-TOF-MS systems.