As a boy, you could find Patrick Freeze joyfully immersed in the red, clay soils in Hamilton, Texas. One of seven children of hardworking, blue-collar parents, he learned the art of the outdoors early on working on their small farm.
Patrick kneeling with his host faculty member Saengdao Khaokaew (left) and a rice farmer alongside an acidic rice paddy affected by acid sulfate soils. The soils in this region are heavily affected by acidic parent materials that produces a lot of acidity when it’s exposed to the atmosphere. The researchers at Kasetsart, his host institution, are working with Thai farmers to curb the negative effects on agricultural crops sourced from acidic soils.
Patrick visiting children in a community in northern Thailand (Loei) affected by heavy metal pollution in their water sourced from a local mine. They were working as part of a workshop investigating human health impacts stemming from heavy metal contamination in water sourced from a mine in Loei. The mine and its effects on the local community are very famous in Thailand, and they met many community members experiencing severe health impacts. They worked with the community members for two days collecting health and site information.
People are also reading…
Patrick in Thailand with group.
Patrick Freeze, Soil Health Scientist, Ward Labs
