Brian Fryer

Professor
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

Peacock Medal 2010 from the Mineralogical Assocation of Canada

Phone: 519-253-3000 x3750
Office: GLIER Rm 232
email:  Brian Fryer

EXPERTISE

• Analytical geochemistry
• Microanalysis
• LA-ICP-MS
• Otolith chemistry
• Metal bioavailability
• Metal cycling in the environment
• Radiogenic isotope geochemistry

EDUCATION

Ph.D. 1971, Geochemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
B.Sc. 1968, Geology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

PAST ACADEMIC POSITIONS

• Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada, 1993-present
• Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada, 2005-2008
• Director, GLIER, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada, 2005-2009
• Acting Director, GLIER, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada, 2001, 2003-2004
• Executive Dean, Engineering and Science, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada, 1997-1999
• Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada, 1993-1997
• Head, Earth Sciences, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada, 1987-1993
• Professor, Earth Sciences, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada, 1982-1993
• Associate Professor, Earth Science, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada, 1979-1982
• Assistant Professor, Earth Science, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada, 1977-1979
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Geology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, 1974-1977
• Visiting Professor, Earth Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 1973-1974
• Visiting Lecturer, Geology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, 1971-1973

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Our team is developing new analytical methods, primarily using solution and laser ablation ICP-MS/OES, for elemental isotopic and organometallic analyses of natural systems. The team is applying the methods to environmental and geological processes.

RECENT AND SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

(Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows underlined)

Ordonez-Calderon J.C., Polat, A., Fryer, B.J., Gagnon, J.E. (in press).  Field and geochemical characteristics of Mesoarchean to Neoarchean volcanic rocks in the storo greenstone belt SW Greenland:  Evidence for accretion of intra-oceanic volcanic arcs.  Precambrian Research.  DOI:  10.1016/J. PRECAMRES.2010.10.003

A.E. Williams-Jones, I.M. Samson, K.M. Ault, J.E. Gagnon and B.J. Fryer (in press).  The Genesis of Distal Zinc Skarns; Evidence from the Mochito deposit, Honduras.  Economic Geology.

Yang, Z., Fryer, B.J., Longerich, H.P., Gagnon, J.E. and Samson, I.M. (2011).  785 nm femtosecond laser ablation for improved precision and reduction of interferences in Sr isotope analyses using MC-ICP-MS.  Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry.  DOI:  10.1039/C0JA00131G

Michael R. Lowe, Dennis R. DeVries, Russell A. Wright, Stuart A. Ludsin, and Brian J. Fryer (in press).  Otolith Microchemistry Reveals Substantial Use of Freshwater by Southern Flounder in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.  Estuaries and Coasts.  DOI  10.1007/s12237-010-9335-9

N.O. Campos-Alvarez, I.M. Samson, B.J. Fryer, D.E. Ames (2010).  Fluid sources and Hydrothermal Architecture of the Sudbury Structure:  constraints from femtosecond LA-MC-ICP-MS Sr Isotopic Analysis of Hydrothermal Epidote and Carbonate.  Chemical Geology, 278, pp. 131-150

Lowe M.R., DeVries D.R., Wright R.A., Ludsin S.A. and Fryer, B.J. (in press) Otolith microchemistry reveals substantial use of freshwater by southern flounder in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Estuaries and Coasts.

Polat A., Appel P.W.U., Fryer, B., Windley B., Frei R., Samson I.M. and Huang H. (in press). Trace element systematic of the Neoarchean Fiskenaesset anortjhsite complex and associated meta-volcanic rocks, SW Greenland: Evidence for a magmatic arc origin. Precambrian Research.

Pangle K.L., Ludsin S.A. and Bryer, B.J. (2010). Otolith microchemistry as a stock identification tool for freshwater fishes: testing its limits in Lake Erie. CJFAS, 67,pp. 1475-1489

Greenough J.D., Fryer B.J. and Mallory L.M. (2010). The trace element geochemistry of Nova Scotia (Canada) maple syrup. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 47, pp. 1093-1110.

Abd El-Rahman Y., Polat A., Fryer B.J., Dilek Y., El-Sharkawy M. and Shawki S. (2010). The provenance and tectonic setting of the Neoproterozoic Um Hassa Greywacke Member, Wadi Hammamat area, Egypt: Evidence from petrography and geochemistry. J. of African Earth Sciences, 58, pp. 185-196. 

Shaheen M. and Fryer F.J. (2010) Improving the analytical capabilities of femtosecond laser ablation multicollector ICP-MS for high precision Pb isotopic analysis: the role of hydrogen and nitrogen. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 25, pp. 1006-1013.

Smeaton C.M.,Fryer B.J. and  Weisener C.G. (2009). Intracellular precipitation of Pb by Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 during the reductive dissolution of Pb-jarosite. Environmental Science and Technology. 43(21) pp. 8086-8091.

Melancon S., Fryer B.J. and Markham J. (2009). Chemical analysis of the endolymph and the growing otolith: fractionation of metals in freshwater species. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 28, pp. 1279-1287.

Reichert J.M., Brian J. Fryer, Kevin J. Pangle, Timothy B. Johnson, Jeff T. Tyson, Alison B. Drelich and Stuart A. Ludsin.  (2010) River plume use during the pelagic larval stage benefits recruitment of a lentic fish. Can. J. Fish. and Aquat. Sci., 67, pp.987-1004

Babechuk MG., Weisener C.G., Fryer B.J., Paktunc D. and Maunders C. (2009) Microbial reduction of ferrous arsenate: Biogeochemical implications for arsenic mobilization. Applied Geochemistry, 24, pp. 2332-2341.

Lowe M.R., DeVries D.R., Wright, R.A., Ludsin S.A. and Fryer B.J. (2009). Coastal largemouth bass (micropterus salmoides) movement in response to changing salinity. Can. J. Fish. and Aquat. Sci., 66, pp. 2174-2188.

Abd El-Rahman Y., Polat A., Dilek Y., Fryer, B., El-Sharkawy M. and Sakran S. (2009). Geochemistry and tectonic evolution of the Neoproterozoic incipient arc-forearc crust in the Fawakhir area, Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. Precambrian Research, 175, pp.116-134.

Polat A., Appel P.W.U., Fryer B., Windley B., Frei R., Samson I.M. and Huang H. (2009). Trace element systematics of the Neoarchean Fiskenaesset anorthosite complex and associated meta-volcanic rocks, SW Greenland: Evidence for a magmaticarc arc origin. Precambrian Research, 175, pp.87-115.

Polat A., Frei R., Fryer B. and Appel P.W.U. (2009). The origin of geochemical trends and Eoarchean (ca.3700 Ma) zircons in Mesoarchean (ca.3075 Ma) ocelli-hosting pillow basalts, Ivisaartoq greenstone belt, SW Greenland: Evidence for crustal contamination versus crustal recycling. Chemical Geology, 268, pp. 248-271.

Abd El-Rahman Y., Polat A., Dilek Y., Fryer, B., El-Sharkawy M. and Sakran S. (2009). Geochemistry and tectonic evolution of the Neoproterozoic Wadi Ghadir ophiolite, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Lithos, 113, pp.158-178.

Ordonez-Calderon J.C., Polat A..,Fryer B.J., Appel P.W.U., van Gool J.A.M., Dilek Y. and Gagnon J. (2009). Geochemistry and geodynamic origin of the Mesoarchean Ujarassuit and Ivisaartoq greenstone belts, SW Greenland. Lithos, 113, pp.133-157.

Samson I.M., Williams-Jones A.E., Ault K.M., Gagnon, J.E. and Fryer B.J. (2008). The source of fluids forming distal An-Pb-Ag skarns: evidence from LA-ICP-MS analysis of fluid inclusions from El Mochito. Honduras. Geology, 36, pp. 947-950.

Weisener C.G., Babechuk M.G., Fryer B.J. and Maunder C. (2008). Microbial dissolution of silver Jarosite: Examining its trace metal behaviour in reduced environments. Journal of Geomicrobiology. DOI:10.1080/0149050802403073.

Smeaton C.M., Weisener C.G.,Burns P.C., Fryer B.J. and  Fowle D.A.. (2008) Bacterial enhanced dissolution of meta-autunite. American Mineralogist. 93, 1112

Shaheen M., Gagnon J. E., Yang Z and Fryer B.J. (2008) Evaluation of the analytical performance of Femtosecond Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry at 785 nm with glass reference materials. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. 23, pp. 1610-1621.

Gagnon J.E., Fryer B.J, Samson I.M. and Williams-Jones A.E. (2008). Quantitative analysis of silicate standard reference materials by LA-ICP-MS with and without internal standard. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. 23, pp. 1529-1537.

Hand C. P., Ludsin S. A., Fryer B. J., and Marsden J. E. (2008). Development of statolith microchemistry as a technique for discriminating among sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) spawning tributaries in the Great Lakes. Can. J. Fish. and Aquat. Sci., 65, pp. 1153-1164. GLFC

Fryer B.J., Jackson S.E. and Longerich H.P. (1995) The design, operation and role of the laser ablation microprobe coupled with an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (LAM-ICP-MS) in the earth sciences. Canadian Mineralogist, 33, pp. 303-312. Citations 126

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes
• The use of otolith (fish ear bone) microchemistry to monitor aquatic environments
• Novel applications of heavy metal isotopes in the environment
• In-situ measurements of elemental mobility in geological and environmental systems

CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS