Education

• PhD University of Baja California, Mexico 2001
• MS University of Baja California, Mexico 1994
• BS University National Autonomous of Mexico, Mexico 1989

Courses

CHEM - 102 Chemistry of Everyday Phenomena
CHEM - 205 Quantitative Analysis Lecture
CHEM - 206 Quantitative Analysis Lab
CHEM - 100 Our Chemical Environment
CHEM - 105 General Chemistry I Lab
CHEM - 106 General Chemistry II Lecture
CHEM - 106 General Chemistry II Lab
CHEM - 300 Chemistry of Natural Waters
CHEM - 300 Chemistry of Natural Waters Lab
CHEM - 375 Instrumental Analysis Lecture
CHEM - 376 Instrumental Analysis Lab
CHEM - 481 Special Topics
CHEM - 491 Senior Research
CHEM - 497 Senior Seminar in Chemistry
FYS-107 First Year Seminar-Science/Lab. NCIS: Forensic Sciences

Role as Faculty

Teaching brings me a profound satisfaction and experience. My goal is to help students have a basis for solving complex problems in chemistry, and to teach critical thinking. In chemistry courses, laboratories are essentials; however, many students feel afraid to experiment. In my lab courses I always encourage students to learn from their mistakes and feel confident experimenting.

Research Interests

Environmental chemistry pollution. Emerging micropollutant as synthetic microplastics debris in the oceans and the Great Lakes environments. My research includes extraction, identification, and quantification of persistent organic pollutants, POPs, in sediments, tissues, water and plastic debris. I found several POPs adsorbed on plastic debris such as PCBs, PAHs, and organochlorinated pesticides that may have negative effect on hormones of the organisms that are ingesting these plastic particles. To understand this effect, I am studying estrogen receptors using computer models and the Quantum Chemical Theory to calculate the interaction between POPs and the hormone receptors. Currently, I am working on the analysis of microplastics collected from the Great Lakes.

Research Opportunities for Students

• Microplastic debris pollution in freshwaters and oceans
• Phthalates in water from plastic bottles
• Caffeine in Lake Superior waters
• Environmental chemistry pollution in freshwater system (The Great Lakes).
• Plastic debris in the Great Lakes, specifically its role in accumulating and transporting POPs to aquatic organisms.
• Analysis of plastic fibers in air and plastic pellets from different countries.
• Environmental contamination in seawater by Persistent Organic Pollutants (polychlorinated biphenyls, PBCs; polybrominated biphenyls and polybromated Diphenyl ethers, PBBs & PBDEs; organochlorine pesticides, DDT, BHC, aldrin, etc), in sediments, tissues, and plastic samples.
• Environmental contamination in oceanic sediments by trace metal.
• Emerging contaminants in the Lake Superior water.

Publications

1. Stephanie Avery-Gomm,Michelle Vallliant, Carley R. Schacter, Katherine F. Robbins, Max Liboiron, Pierre-Yves Daoust, Lorena M Rios, Ian l Jones. 2016. A study of wrecked Dovekies (Alle alle) in the western North Atlantic highlights the importance of using standardized methods to quatify plastic ingestion. Accepted to Marine Pollution Bulletin.
2. Lorena M. Rios Mendoza and Patrick R. Jones. 2015. Characterization of microplastic and toxic chemicals extracted from microplastic samples from the North Pacific Gyre. Environmental chemistry. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/EN14236.
3. Chelsea M. Rochman, Mark Anthony Browne, Benjamin S. Halpern, Brian T. Hentschel, Eunha Hoh, Hrissi K. Karapanagioti, LorenaM. Rios, Hideshige Takada, Swee Teh, Richard C. Thompson. 2013. Classify plastic debris as hazardous. Nature Vol 494,169 – 171.
4. Lorena M. Rios, Patrick R. Jones Charles Moore, and Urja V. Narayan. 2010. Quantitation of Persistent Organic Pollutants Adsorbed on Plastic Debris from the Northern Pacific Gyre’s “eastern garbage Patch.” J. Environ. Monit. 12, 226-2236 .
5. Macías-Zamora, J. Vinicio., Sánchez-Osorio J. Luis, Ramírez-Alvarez, Nancy, and Ríos-Mendoza Lorena. 2008. PCBs and DDTs at the South of the Southern California Bight. Distribution and origin. Organohalogen Compounds 70:2372-2376
6. Macías-Zamora, J. V., Sánchez-Osorio J. L., Ríos-Mendoza L.M., Ramírez-Alvarez, N., Huerta-Díaz M.A., and López-Sánchez, D. 2008. Trace Metals in Sediments and Zostera marina of San Ignacio and Ojo de Liebre Lagoons in Central Pacific Coast of Baja California, Mexico. Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. In Archives of Environment Contamination and Toxicology. 55(2):218-228.
7. Rios, Lorena M., Moore, Charles. Jones, Patrick R. 2007. Persistent organic pollutants carried by synthetic polymers in the ocean environment. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 54,1230-1237.
8. Rios-Mendoza Lorena M., J. Vinicio Macias-Zamora, Alberto, R. Zirino. 2003. Una opción para medir el potencial redoxCiencias Marinas, 29(4):509-520.
9. Gutierrez-Galindo, E.A., Rios-Mendoza, L.M., Villaescusa-Celaya, J. 1998. Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Marine Sediments of The Baja California (México)-California (USA) Border Zone. Mar. Poll. Bull., 36[1]:27-31.
10. Holm-Hansen O., Hewes, D. Ch., Maturana, J., Rios-Mendoza, L.M., Gónzales-Rodas, G. 1997. AMLR program: Phytoplankton Distribution and its Relationship to Different Water Zones Characterized by Physical Oceanographic Parameters, January-February 1997. Antartic Journal of the United States.
11. Lorena M. Rios, Mary Balcer, and Patrick Jones.2014. Microplastic Pollution in the Great Lakes. Lake Superior Angler Magazine.

Presentations