Dr. Boyd research is in the broad areas of environmental chemistry and microbiology. He studies the movement of organics in soil; microbial and catalytic degradation; sorption and degradation of organic contaminants, pesticides and metals in soils and sediments; and the remediation of contaminated soils, subsoils, and sediments. Dr. Boyd's research programs include the design, synthesis, and characterization of chemically modified clays for sorption and/or catalytic degradation of organic contaminants and heavy metals. He also examines the mechanistic interactions of organic toxicants with natural and anthropogenic organic phases in soils, and with natural and modified clays. One goal is the development of in-situ soil modification technologies to prevent migration of organic contaminants in surface and subsurface environments. He looks at the biodegradation of xenobiotics, especially reductive dechlorination reactions of PCBs in anaerobic habitats; and the bioavailability of soil- and sediment-bound organic contaminants to pollutant degrading bacteria. His work allows him to examine the effects of contaminant biodegradation on toxicity.