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Avner Vengosh

Nicholas Distinguished Professor of Environmental Quality
Earth and Climate Sciences
Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708-0230
308 Research Drive, A-207 LSRC, Durham, NC 27708

Awards & Honors


Paper “Large-scale Uranium Contamination of Groundwater Resources in India” was selected as one of the best papers for 2018

International Editors of Environmental Science & Technology Letters · 2019 More about this award

Leadership award by the Water-Rock Interaction (WRI) Working Group,

International International Association of Geochemistry · 2019

Paper “The geochemistry of naturally occurring methane and saline groundwater in an area of unconventional shale gas development” was selected to be the winner of the 2018 Dalway Swaine Award

International Society for Organic Petrology · 2018 More about this award

Geological Society of America (GSA) Fellow

National Geological Society of America · 2015

In the News


Published November 25, 2024
What Are the Effects of Lithium Mining on Water Quality?
Published May 30, 2024
Scientists Reveal High Levels of Toxic Metals in Global Phosphate Fertilizers
Published October 4, 2023
How Bolivia Drives Our Electric Car Production
Published September 30, 2022
North Carolina Lake Sediments Show Decades of Coal Ash Contamination
Published September 21, 2022
Rooftop Solar Cells Can Be a Boon for Water Conservation Too
Published November 17, 2021
New Tests Track Sources of Lead Contamination in Urban Soils and Assess Its Risks
Published July 26, 2021
New Tests Can Detect Tiny but Toxic Particles of Coal Ash in Soil
Published June 28, 2021
Duke Awards 22 Distinguished Professorships
Published March 17, 2021
High Levels of Toxic Metals Found in Coal Ash from Dominican Republic Power Plant
Published February 7, 2020
What's in North Carolina Drinking Water?
Published November 12, 2019
Half of Piedmont Drinking Wells May Exceed NC’s Standards for Cancer-Causing Chemical
Published October 22, 2019
New Tool to Track Toxic Coal Dust Can Help Protect Communities at Risk
Published October 22, 2019
To Save Billions of Gallons of Water, Replace Coal with Gas or Renewables
Published September 30, 2019
Duke Study: EPA’s Proposed Coal Ash Amendments Will Boost Risk of Toxic Contamination
Published June 3, 2019
Duke Researchers Find Evidence of Multiple Unmonitored Coal Ash Spills in N.C. Lake
Published January 10, 2019
To Track Coal Ash Contamination, Look for Fish Bones
Published September 24, 2018
After Florence: Duke Faculty Contribution to Relief Planning
Published August 15, 2018
Fracking's Water Footprint: Water Use Increases By Up to 770 Percent in Five Years
Published June 7, 2018
Widespread Uranium Contamination Found in India's Groundwater
Published April 24, 2018
Avner Vengosh to Testify at April 25 Congressional Briefing on EPA Coal Ash Amendments
Published November 9, 2017
Some Coal Ash from China Too Radioactive for Reuse
Published November 1, 2017
High Molybdenum in Wisconsin Wells Not from Coal Ash
Published April 24, 2017
West Virginia Groundwater Not Affected by Fracking, but Surface Water Is
Published January 17, 2017
Nicholas Research Explores Impacts of Using Oilfield Wastewater for Irrigation
Published October 26, 2016
Hexavalent Chromium is Widespread in N.C. Wells but Not Linked to Coal Ash
Published October 25, 2016
Study: Coal ash not culprit for cancer-causing contaminant
Published June 13, 2016
Duke University tests find leaching from ash sites, including two in Va.
Published June 10, 2016
Coal Ash Ponds Found to Leak Toxic Chemicals
Published May 11, 2016
Duke study finds a ‘legacy of radioactivity,’ contamination from fracking wastewater spills
Published April 28, 2016
Scientists say oilfield wastewater spills release toxin
Published April 27, 2016
Contamination in North Dakota Linked to Fracking Spills
Published October 20, 2015
Duke Kunshan Workshop Explores Water Impacts Of Unconventional Energy Production In China
Published October 13, 2015
Two-Day Workshop To Focus On Water Impacts Of Energy Production In China
Published September 16, 2015
Study: Water demand from fracking less than 1 percent of U.S. total
Published September 15, 2015
How Much Water Does U.S. Fracking Really Use?
Published September 10, 2015
Radioactive Coal Ash; Pub in West Union: The Week at Duke {in 60 Seconds}
Published September 3, 2015
Radioactive Contaminants Found In Coal Ash
Published September 3, 2015
Scientists discovered high levels of radioactivity in a common form of waste
Published September 3, 2015
Coal ash contains radioactive contaminants, Duke University researchers say
Published September 2, 2015
Q-and-A with Avner Vengosh on hydraulic fracturing and water quality
Published April 6, 2015
Avner Vengosh comments: In California, farmers rely on oil wastewater to weather drought
Published March 3, 2015
Gas industry's solution to toxic wastewater: Spray it on roads
Published January 14, 2015
Study: High levels of pollutants from drilling waste found in Pa. rivers
Published January 14, 2015
New Contaminants Found In Oil And Gas Wastewater
Published December 22, 2014
Avner Vengosh comments: EPA sets rules on coal ash for first time