Halka Bilinski

Scientific Advisor,
Department of Physical Chemistry,
Institute "Rudjer Boskovic",
POB 180, HR-10001 Zagreb,
Croatia.
E-mail: bilinski@rudjer.irb.hr

Education:

Bachelor: 1961, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia, Chemistry – physical chemistry
M.Sc. 1963, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia, Chemistry
Ph.D. 1964, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia, Chemistry

Employment:

Employed from June 15-th, 1965 till present time at the Institute "Rudjer Boškovic", as Assistant, Senior Assistant, Scientific Associate, Senior Scientific Associate, Scientific Advisor (October 23-rd, 1986), re-elected Scientific Advisor (September 14-th, 1998).
Principal investigator of several billateral projects (IAEA, USGS, HR-SLO-MZT).

1964/65 Postdoctor in KTH, Stockholm, Sweden, 6 months.
1965/66 Postdoctor in KTH, Stockholm, Sweden, 8 months.
1967/68 Postdoctor in Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA, 1 year.
1968/69 Docent at College William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA, 1 year.
1970-73 Scientific Associate at ETH Dübendorf, EAWAG, Switzerland, 2.5 years.

Membership:

Croatian Chemical Society.
Society of engineers and technologists.
Board for Geochemistry of Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
European movement, and a number of social organizations and bilateral frendship societies.

Current Project : “Multidiscipilnary Sedimentology Investigations”

Principle Investigator : Dr. Halka Bilinski

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The key conception is that fundamental principles of physical chemistry apply both in the laboratory and in the nature. Model systems, in which equilibrium and adsorption constants are determined, can contribute to understanding of natural processes. The objective of the project is to carry out multidisciplinary basic research (chemical, physical, mineralogical and geological) in sedimentology. An assumption is that only group of specialists of different profiles, which can understand each other and have an interest for such collaboration, can invent a new method substituting classical granulometry; can have knowledge of yet unknown processes of rock weathering, during which CO2 can be consumed or released; can better understand geochemical cycling of many trace elements, especially of the mechanism of methylmercury formation, which is not yet solved anywhere in the world.

It can be expected that the method of morphological granulometric analysis of sediments will be shorter than classical one; in addition that from siliceous and carbonate sediments weathering reactions with CO2 consumption or release can be identified, what is related to climatic stability.
It can be expected that measurements of trace elements in sediments and in tufa from different geographic localities can contribute to better understanding of their removal process.

Proposed project can also contribute to better understanding of geochemical cycles of some toxic metals, especially of methylated mercury. Based on new information, it is possible to suggest either protection or detoxification of threatened sediments.

KEYWORDS:
weathering of rocks, sediments, morphological granulometry, tufa, cycling of CO2, cycling of toxic metals, aluminosilicates, organic complexes, adsorption, redox processes.

RESEARCH STAFF:

Stanislav Franciškovic-Bilinski, M.Sc., assistant
Laszlo Horvath, Ph.D., scientific associate
Darko Tibljaš, Ph.D., professor

COLLABORATORS FROM ABROAD:

Darko Hanžel, Ph.D., scientific associate, Institute “Jožef Stefan”, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Yoganand Balagurunathan, Ph.D., senior assistant, Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University, USA
Edward Russel Dougherty, Ph.D., professor, Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University, USA
Daoxian Yuan, Ph.D., academician, professor, Inistute for karst Geology, Guilin, China
Akira Usui, Ph.D., professor, Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukubi, Ibaraka, Japan
Staffan Sjöberg, Ph.D., professor, Umeå University, Sweden

Publications Related to the Current Project:

Granulometric Surface Characteristis of Sediments from Ore Estuary (Northern Sweden)- J. of Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science (accepted), Authors: S.Franciškovic Bilinski, H. Bilinski, N. Vdovic, Y. Balagurunathan & E.R. Dougherty.

Morphological Granulometric Analysis of Sediment Images - Image Analysis and Stereology Journal, vol. 20(2), pp 87-99, June 2001, Authors: Y.Balagurunathan, E.R. Dougherty, S. Franciškovic Bilinski, H. Bilinski, N. Vdovic.