Personal Statement
The research interests of van den Berg are generally in the biogeochemistry of natural waters. More specifically, he has been involved in establishing interactions between biota, metals and specific organic compounds. Examples are complexation of metals with organic ligands occurring in seawater or lakes, and the release of such ligands by marine microorganisms.

Secondly he is interested in electroanalytical chemistry of metals, contaminants and organic compounds of environmental importance to fathom their distribution and reactions. He has developed methods for the determination of copper, iron, chromium, arsenic, nitrite, ammonium, thiols (glutathione, cysteine) and other compounds in seawater. Recently his in-situ metal sensor has been monitoring copper in Liverpool Bay.