Professional summary

Darren joined UKCEH  in 1992 as a technician in the Stable Isotope Facility. After completing his degree and relocating the isotope lab to Lancaster in 2003 he took on the role of Quality Assurance manager for the wider analytical chemistry facility, gaining ISO17025 accreditation for a number of their methods in 2005. From 2007 until 2014 Darren worked in both nutrients and metals analysis, while implementing a new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

Since 2014 he has specialised in organic analysis, specifically liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) analysis of pesticides, PFAs and other polar compounds in a variety of matrices. In 2023 Darren returned to the stable isotope laboratory as its manager.

Selected publications

Woodcock Ben A. et al. , (2022), Citizen science monitoring reveals links between honeybee health, pesticide exposure and seasonal availability of floral resources. Scientific Reports, 12, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18672-0

Woodcock Ben A. et al. , (2021), Neonicotinoid use on cereals and sugar beet is linked to continued low exposure risk in honeybees. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 308, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2020.107205

Woodcock Ben A. et al. , (2018), Neonicotinoid residues in UK honey despite European Union moratorium. PLoS ONE, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189681

Whitlock Sophia E. et al. , (2019), Detecting fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in wild bird tissues and feathers. Environment International, 126, 193-201, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.01.083

Robinson Alex et al. , (2021), Chemicals with increasingly complex modes of action result in greater variation in sensitivity between earthworm species. Environmental Pollution, 272, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115914

Harris Angela et al. , (2015), Constitutive changes in pigment concentrations: implications for estimating isoprene emissions using the photochemical reflectance index (PRI). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ppl.12361/abstract

Neal, Colin et al. , (2012), Lowland river water quality: a new UK data resource for process and environmental management analysis. Hydrological Processes, 26, 949-960, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.8344/abstract