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Education

• Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of California, Davis
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno

Biography

Patrick L. Tomco is a Professor of Chemistry at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ and Director of the ASET Laboratory, where he leads interdisciplinary research at the interface of environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, and environmental toxicology. His work focuses on the transformation, persistence, and biological effects of contaminants in high-latitude systems, with particular emphasis on emerging pollutants such as tire-derived chemicals, persistent herbicides, petroleum hydrocarbons, harmful algal blooms, and microplastics. Dr. Tomco has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and has served as principal investigator on major federal and international research programs funded by agencies including NSF, NIH, NOAA, USDA, DHS, BOEM, and DFO Canada. He is also an active educator and mentor, teaching organic chemistry, molecular spectroscopy, and ecotoxicology, and supervising undergraduate researchers in advanced mass spectrometry, NMR, metabolomics, and environmental monitoring.

Teaching Responsibilities

• CHEM A321: Organic Chemistry I
• CHEM A322: Organic Chemistry II
• CHEM A474: Ecotoxicology
• CHEM A480: Molecular Spectroscopy
• (Others as needed by the department)

Publications

Kalinski, J.C.; Brandao da Costa, B.R. … Tomco, P.L … [44 authors omitted for brevity] Simon, C.; Hawkes, J.; Petras, D. Comparability of Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analysis of dissolved Organic Matter Across Laboratories. In Press ES&T, February 2026.

Croghan, D., Pedron, S., Redman, Z., Kopec, B., Klein, E., Hubbard, A., Tomco, P., Feldman, G., Czimczik, C., and Welker, J., Western Greenland ice-land-ocean interactions: near-shore dissolved organic carbon, 14C ages, and composition in eastern Baffin Bay. JGR Biogeosciences. 2025.

Umanzor, S., Jung, J.W., Dittrich, M., Kim, J., Tomco, P., Redman, Z., and Brandhuber, M. Divergent patterns of metabolite expression in red seaweeds (Devaleraea mollis and Palmaria hecatensis) following nitrate and ammonium supplementation. Life. 2025

DiMento, B., Hillestad, I., Sommer, J., Pavia, A., Smith, N., Tomco, P., & Redman, Z. Temperature and hydroxyl radical abundance limit the photochemical degradation kinetics and photoproducts of fluridone in high-latitude aquatic systems. ACS ES&T Water. 2025.

Harsha, M., Salas-Ortiz, Y., Cypher, A., Osborn, E., Turcios Valle, E., Gregg, J., Hershberger, P., Kurerov, Y., King, S., Goranov, A., Hatcher, P., Konefal, A., Cox, T.E., Greer, J., Meador, J., Tarr, M., Tomco, P., and Podgorski, D., Toxicity of crude oil-derived polar unresolved complex mixtures to Pacific herring embryos: Insights beyond polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Science of the Total Environment. 2024. Vol. 957, 177477.

Harsha, M., Verna, D., Salas-Ortiz, Y., Osborn, E., Valle, E., Goranov, A., Hatcher, P., Aguilar-Islas, A., Tomco, P., and Podgorski, D., Examining the effectiveness of oiled ballast water treatment processes: Insights into hydrocarbon oxidation product formation and environmental implications. RSC Environmental Science: Advances. 2024.

Redman, Z, Robine, S, Burkhead, J, and Tomco, P. Non-target analysis of crude oil photooxidation products at high latitudes and their biological effects. Chemosphere. 2024. Vol. 356, 141794.

Harmston, N., Tomco, P., Welker, J., and Fernandez, D., Strontium Isotope Analysis, the Neonatal Line, and Archaeological Caribou Herd Identity in Northwest Alaska. Arctic. 2023. 76(3), 311-335.

Redman, Z., Begley, J., Hillestad, I., Dimento, B., Stanton, R., Aguaa, A., Pirrung, M., and Tomco, P., Reactive oxygen species and chromophoric dissolved organic matter drive the aquatic photochemical pathways and photoproducts of 6PPD-Quinone under simulated high-latitude conditions. Environmental Science and Technology. 2023. 57, 49, 20813-20821.

Counihan, K., McKenna, A., Tomco, P., Hebert, D., and Zito, P., Photo-enhanced toxicity of oil to alcid immune function. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 2023. 42(12), 2701-2711.