Dr. Kassidy Troxell is a Research Assistant Professor at Florida International University’s Institute of Environment. She earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry from FIU, where her research focused on identifying nutrient sources and organic contaminants in aquatic systems using advanced analytical techniques.
Her research centers on water quality characterization, contaminant source apportionment, and the transport and fate of pollutants in urban and coastal environments, with a particular focus on Biscayne Bay and South Florida watersheds. She integrates field-based monitoring, high-resolution chemical analysis, and data-driven approaches to identify pollution sources, evaluate watershed inputs, and assess environmental impacts. Dr. Troxell’s expertise includes high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (Orbitrap HRMS) and triple quadrupole systems (TSQ) for both targeted and non-targeted analysis. Her work emphasizes the use of chemical tracers, nutrients, and emerging contaminants (e.g., wastewater indicators and tire-derived compounds) to understand loading dynamics, source contributions, and environmental drivers influencing water quality. She leads and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects that support water quality management and restoration efforts by translating complex environmental data into actionable insights for agencies and stakeholders.
research interests
Water quality characterization and contaminant source apportionment in urban and coastal aquatic systems; nutrient dynamics and nitrogen/phosphorus source fingerprinting; fate, transport, and loading of organic contaminants and emerging pollutants (e.g., wastewater tracers, tire-derived compounds such as 6PPD-Q); application of targeted and non-targeted mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS, Orbitrap HRMS) for environmental analysis; integration of field monitoring, high-frequency sensor data, and statistical modeling to identify pollution sources and drivers; watershed-to-coastal linkages and impacts on ecosystem health in South Florida systems, including Biscayne Bay and Tampa Bay.
