Kathleen M Smits
Biographic Data
| ID | 6717996 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kathleen M Smits |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kathleen M |
| FAMILY NAME | Smits |
| SIGNATURE | SMITS K M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Southern Methodist University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8319-0940 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 10 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 10 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Impacts of mixed hydrocarbon compositions on the probability of detection of belowground pipeline leaks using mobile survey methods
Although natural gas (NG) is predominantly composed of methane (CH4), the ratio of other hydrocarbon gases (e.g., ethane, propane, butane) varies substantially between production basins and sections of the supply chain. In the event of a belowground pipeline leak, NG composition impacts its transport in the belowground, surface expression, and emission into the atmosphere, complicating leak detection. Mobile survey methods do not currently accoun…
Perspectives on plant-based mercury-free gold recovery in Colombian artisanal and small-scale gold mining
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities face challenges in adopting mercury-free processing techniques due to limitations in design, awareness, and engagement. Oftentimes, cleaner/safer processing alternatives require significant resources, training, and development, further limiting adoption. This study examines an ancestral mercury-free gold recovery method using plant-based extracts (mucilage) employed by miners in Antioquia, …
Quantifying mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining for the Minamata Convention on Mercury's national action plans
Establishing quantitative baseline estimates of mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining is necessary to meet the requirements of the Minamata Convention on Mercury which aims to reduce and, where possible, eliminate mercury emissions. As part of this obligation, countries use baseline estimates to measure progress in reducing mercury emissions and releases. However, mercury baseline estimation methods vary widely resulting in high le…
Pollution, obligation, and care
People making a living in rural Antioquia, Colombia, find themselves in a double bind: they require a healthy environment to farm and grow food, but many turn to artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) to supplement their incomes. The significant environmental harms associated with ASGM – from mercury and other heavy-metal contamination to deforestation and habitat loss – have led to both academic and popular discourse treating ASGM as an en…
Estimating methane emissions from underground natural gas pipelines using an atmospheric dispersion-based method
Methane (CH4) leakage from natural gas (NG) pipelines poses an environmental, safety, and economic threat to the public. While previous leak detection and quantification studies focus on the aboveground infrastructure, the analysis of underground NG pipeline leak scenarios is scarce. Furthermore, no data from controlled release experiments have been published on the accuracy of methods used to (1) quantify emissions from an area source and (2) us…
A closer look at underground natural gas pipeline leaks across the United States
Underground natural gas (NG) pipeline leakage can result in methane (CH4) buildup and migration through the soil. What is not well understood in such scenarios is how the soil conditions affect the gas migration behavior, particularly in regard to the relative contributions of specific soil properties such as soil moisture content. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soil properties on CH4 concentration and migration fro…
A review of the environmental and health implications of recycling mine tailings for construction purposes in artisanal and small-scale mining communities
Study of methane migration in the shallow subsurface from a gas pipe leak
With the increased use of natural gas, safety and environmental concerns from underground leaking natural gas pipelines are becoming more widespread. What is not well understood in leakage incidents is how the soil conditions affect gas migration behavior, making it difficult to estimate the gas distribution. To shed light on these concerns, an increased understanding of subsurface methane migration after gas release is required to support effici…
Incorporating positive deviance into comprehensive remediation projects
Voces Mineras
“Using a creative capacity building (CCB) framework, co-design workshops among artisanal and small-scale gold miners, government officials, NGO representatives, and academics can provide an effective mechanism to identify pressing needs and desires of miners and operators towards formalization. As recently implemented in Peru, one of these workshops identified the need for a single forum (association) to allow artisanal and small-scale miners to …
Voces Mineras
“Using a creative capacity building (CCB) framework, co-design workshops among artisanal and small-scale gold miners, government officials, NGO representatives, and academics can provide an effective mechanism to identify pressing needs and desires of miners and operators towards formalization. As recently implemented in Peru, one of these workshops identified the need for a single forum (association) to allow artisanal and small-scale miners to …
Quantifying mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining for the Minamata Convention on Mercury's national action plans
Establishing quantitative baseline estimates of mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining is necessary to meet the requirements of the Minamata Convention on Mercury which aims to reduce and, where possible, eliminate mercury emissions. As part of this obligation, countries use baseline estimates to measure progress in reducing mercury emissions and releases. However, mercury baseline estimation methods vary widely resulting in high le…
Pollution, obligation, and care
People making a living in rural Antioquia, Colombia, find themselves in a double bind: they require a healthy environment to farm and grow food, but many turn to artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) to supplement their incomes. The significant environmental harms associated with ASGM – from mercury and other heavy-metal contamination to deforestation and habitat loss – have led to both academic and popular discourse treating ASGM as an en…
Incorporating positive deviance into comprehensive remediation projects
Voces Mineras
“Using a creative capacity building (CCB) framework, co-design workshops among artisanal and small-scale gold miners, government officials, NGO representatives, and academics can provide an effective mechanism to identify pressing needs and desires of miners and operators towards formalization. As recently implemented in Peru, one of these workshops identified the need for a single forum (association) to allow artisanal and small-scale miners to …
Study of methane migration in the shallow subsurface from a gas pipe leak
With the increased use of natural gas, safety and environmental concerns from underground leaking natural gas pipelines are becoming more widespread. What is not well understood in leakage incidents is how the soil conditions affect gas migration behavior, making it difficult to estimate the gas distribution. To shed light on these concerns, an increased understanding of subsurface methane migration after gas release is required to support effici…
Incorporating positive deviance into comprehensive remediation projects
Estimating methane emissions from underground natural gas pipelines using an atmospheric dispersion-based method
Methane (CH4) leakage from natural gas (NG) pipelines poses an environmental, safety, and economic threat to the public. While previous leak detection and quantification studies focus on the aboveground infrastructure, the analysis of underground NG pipeline leak scenarios is scarce. Furthermore, no data from controlled release experiments have been published on the accuracy of methods used to (1) quantify emissions from an area source and (2) us…
A closer look at underground natural gas pipeline leaks across the United States
Underground natural gas (NG) pipeline leakage can result in methane (CH4) buildup and migration through the soil. What is not well understood in such scenarios is how the soil conditions affect the gas migration behavior, particularly in regard to the relative contributions of specific soil properties such as soil moisture content. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soil properties on CH4 concentration and migration fro…
A review of the environmental and health implications of recycling mine tailings for construction purposes in artisanal and small-scale mining communities
Quantifying mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining for the Minamata Convention on Mercury's national action plans
Establishing quantitative baseline estimates of mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining is necessary to meet the requirements of the Minamata Convention on Mercury which aims to reduce and, where possible, eliminate mercury emissions. As part of this obligation, countries use baseline estimates to measure progress in reducing mercury emissions and releases. However, mercury baseline estimation methods vary widely resulting in high le…
Pollution, obligation, and care
People making a living in rural Antioquia, Colombia, find themselves in a double bind: they require a healthy environment to farm and grow food, but many turn to artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) to supplement their incomes. The significant environmental harms associated with ASGM – from mercury and other heavy-metal contamination to deforestation and habitat loss – have led to both academic and popular discourse treating ASGM as an en…
Impacts of mixed hydrocarbon compositions on the probability of detection of belowground pipeline leaks using mobile survey methods
Although natural gas (NG) is predominantly composed of methane (CH4), the ratio of other hydrocarbon gases (e.g., ethane, propane, butane) varies substantially between production basins and sections of the supply chain. In the event of a belowground pipeline leak, NG composition impacts its transport in the belowground, surface expression, and emission into the atmosphere, complicating leak detection. Mobile survey methods do not currently accoun…
Perspectives on plant-based mercury-free gold recovery in Colombian artisanal and small-scale gold mining
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities face challenges in adopting mercury-free processing techniques due to limitations in design, awareness, and engagement. Oftentimes, cleaner/safer processing alternatives require significant resources, training, and development, further limiting adoption. This study examines an ancestral mercury-free gold recovery method using plant-based extracts (mucilage) employed by miners in Antioquia, …
Environmental Science (6 works) · Mining and Resource Management (6 works) · Geography (5 works) · Political science (5 works) · Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics (4 works) · Business (4 works) · Chemistry (4 works) · Gold mining (4 works) · Methane (4 works) · CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions (3 works)