In 1999, Blum accepted a faculty position at the University of Michigan as the John D. MacArthur Professor.
[6] Blum's research group studies geochemical controls on the structure and function of ecosystems, as well as trace elements and isotope geochemistry across the field of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Blum's recent research has focused on understanding the chemistry of mercury in aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric systems.
Blum and his research group have developed methods for utilizing mercury stable isotopes in ecology and environmental geochemistry.
[2] Other areas of scientific inquiry that Blum has studied include the petrogenesis of igneous rocks, mineral weathering and its effect on global climate, arsenic and lead in groundwater and soils, and the effects of acid deposition and atmospheric dust on nutrient cycling in forests.