Heileen Hsu-Kim

Journal Article Environmental Research: Health · September 1, 2024 AbstractArtisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the largest global anthropogenic mercury (Hg) source and is widespread in the Peruvian Amazon. Consuming Hg-laden foods exposes people to this potent n ... Full text Cite

Biomolecular condensates regulate cellular electrochemical equilibria.

Journal Article Cell · September 2024 Control of the electrochemical environment in living cells is typically attributed to ion channels. Here, we show that the formation of biomolecular condensates can modulate the electrochemical environment in bacterial cells, which affects cellular process ... Full text Cite

Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Acid Mine Drainage with Supported Liquid Membranes: Impacts of Feedstock Composition for Extraction Performance.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · February 2024 Acid mine drainage (AMD) from inactive coal mines can be enriched in rare earth elements (REEs) and has gained much attention as an alternative source for these technology-critical metals. However, AMD is a relatively low-grade REE resource in which the ab ... Full text Cite

Distribution and Homogenization of Multiple Mercury Species Inputs to Freshwater Wetland Mesocosms.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · January 2024 Mercury (Hg)-impaired aquatic ecosystems often receive multiple inputs of different Hg species with varying potentials for transformation and bioaccumulation. Over time, these distinct input pools of Hg homogenize in their relative distributions and bioacc ... Full text Cite

Rare Earth Elements in Coal Fly Ash and their Potential Recovery

Chapter · January 1, 2024 Coal fly ash is a potential resource of valuable elements, such as rare earth elements (REEs), which are retained and concentrated upon combustion. Understanding REE occurrence within fly ash is vital to developing recovery methods. Some of the highest REE ... Full text Cite

Increased cytotoxicity of Pb²⁺ with co-exposures to a mitochondrial uncoupler and mitochondrial calcium uniporter inhibitor.

Journal Article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · November 2023 Lead (Pb2+) is an important developmental toxicant. The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) imports calcium ions using the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and also appears to mediate the influx of Pb2+ into the mitochondria. ... Full text Cite

<i>In Utero</i> Exposure to Metals and Birth Outcomes in an Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Birth Cohort in Madre de Dios, Peru.

Journal Article Environmental health perspectives · September 2023 BackgroundFew birth cohorts in South America evaluate the joint effect of minerals and toxic metals on neonatal health. In Madre de Dios, Peru, mercury exposure is prevalent owing to artisanal gold mining, yet its effect on neonatal health is unkn ... Full text Cite

Separation of Rare-Earth Elements by Supported Liquid Membranes: Impacts of Soluble Iron, Aluminum, and pH in Low-Grade Feedstocks

Journal Article ACS ES and T Engineering · August 11, 2023 Low-grade residuals such as mine wastes and combustion ash are potential sources of critical metals such as rare-earth elements (REEs). Major challenges in the efficient recovery of REEs are the matrix interferences in the waste extracts that impede subseq ... Full text Cite

Dissolution Potential of Elemental Mercury in the Presence of Bisulfide and Implications for Mobilization.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · August 2023 Liquid elemental mercury (Hg0L) pollution can remain in soils for decades and, over time, will undergo corrosion, a process in which the droplet surface oxidizes soil constituents to form more reactive phases, such as mercury oxide (H ... Full text Cite

Nanoscale heterogeneity of arsenic and selenium species in coal fly ash particles: analysis using enhanced spectroscopic imaging and speciation techniques.

Journal Article Environmental science. Nano · July 2023 Coal combustion byproducts are known to be enriched in arsenic (As) and selenium (Se). This enrichment is a concern during the handling, disposal, and reuse of the ash as both elements can be harmful to wildlife and humans if mobilized into water and soils ... Full text Cite

Functional Predictor Variables for the Leaching Potential of Arsenic and Selenium from Coal Fly Ash

Journal Article ACS ES and T Water · April 14, 2023 The release of leachates from intact coal ash impoundments is a concern due to the enrichment and mobilization of toxic elements such as arsenic (As) and selenium (Se). This study aims to explore the intrinsic properties of coal fly ash that correlate with ... Full text Cite

Crystal lattice defects in nanocrystalline metacinnabar in contaminated streambank soils suggest a role for biogenic sulfides in the formation of mercury sulfide phases.

Journal Article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · March 2023 At mercury (Hg)-contaminated sites, streambank erosion can act as a main mobilizer of Hg into nearby waterbodies. Once deposited into the waters, mercury from these soils can be transformed to MeHg by microorganisms. It is therefore important to understand ... Full text Cite

Coal Feed-Dependent Variation in Fly Ash Chemistry in a Single Pulverized-Combustion Unit

Journal Article Minerals · September 1, 2022 Four suites of fly ash, all generated at the same power plant, were selected for the study of the distribution of rare earth elements (REE). The fly ashes represented two runs of single-seam/single-mine coals and two runs of run-of-mine coals representing ... Full text Cite

Risk of lead exposure from wild game consumption from cross-sectional studies in Madre de Dios, Peru.

Journal Article Lancet regional health. Americas · August 2022 BackgroundStudies have shown elevated blood lead levels (BLL) in residents of remote communities in the Amazon, yet sources of lead exposure are not fully understood, such as lead ammunition consumed in wild game.MethodsData was collected ... Full text Cite

Separation of rare earth elements from mixed-metal feedstocks by micelle enhanced ultrafiltration with sodium dodecyl sulfate.

Journal Article Environmental technology · March 2022 Micelle enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) is a surfactant-based membrane separation process that may be used to separate target ions from mixed metal aqueous solutions, such as leachates of coal ash and other geological wastewaters. The ability of MEUF to se ... Full text Cite

Unraveling Changes to PbS Nanocrystal Surfaces Induced by Thiols

Journal Article Chemistry of Materials · February 22, 2022 Ligand exchange reactions are commonly employed to modify the surfaces of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), yet multiple reaction pathways induced by the introduction of thiols to NCs have been proposed in the literature to occur independently of ... Full text Cite

Utility of Diffusive Gradient in Thin-Film Passive Samplers for Predicting Mercury Methylation Potential and Bioaccumulation in Freshwater Wetlands.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · February 2022 Mercury is a risk in aquatic ecosystems when the metal is converted to methylmercury (MeHg) and subsequently bioaccumulates in aquatic food webs. This risk can be difficult to manage because of the complexity of biogeochemical processes for mercury and the ... Full text Cite

In Vivo Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Development, Behavior, and Mitochondrial Function are Altered by Genetic Defects in Mitochondrial Dynamics.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · January 2022 Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are extensively used in consumer products and biomedical applications, thus guaranteeing both environmental and human exposures. Despite extensive research addressing AgNP safety, there are still major knowledge gaps regarding ... Full text Cite

Amazon forests capture high levels of atmospheric mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining.

Journal Article Nature communications · January 2022 Mercury emissions from artisanal and small-scale gold mining throughout the Global South exceed coal combustion as the largest global source of mercury. We examined mercury deposition and storage in an area of the Peruvian Amazon heavily impacted by artisa ... Full text Cite

Efficacy of Hair Total Mercury Content as a Biomarker of Methylmercury Exposure to Communities in the Area of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Madre de Dios, Peru.

Journal Article International journal of environmental research and public health · December 2021 Total mercury content (THg) in hair is an accepted biomarker for chronic dietary methylmercury (MeHg) exposure. In artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities, the validity of this biomarker is questioned because of the potential for contamina ... Full text Cite

Signatures of rare earth element distributions in fly ash derived from the combustion of Central Appalachian, Illinois, and Powder River basin coals

Journal Article Fuel · October 1, 2021 The distribution of Rare Earth elements (REE) in coal-derived fly ashes can have distinctive patterns when fly ashes are produced from different coals within or between basins, such as the Pennsylvanian Class F fly ashes from the Illinois and Central Appal ... Full text Cite

Lack of Detectable Direct Effects of Silver and Silver Nanoparticles on Mitochondria in Mouse Hepatocytes.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · August 2021 Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are well-proven antimicrobial nanomaterials, yet little is elucidated regarding the mechanism underlying cytotoxicity induced by these nanoparticles. Here, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondria are primary intracellular ta ... Full text Cite

Microbial vesicle-mediated communication: convergence to understand interactions within and between domains of life.

Journal Article Environ Sci Process Impacts · May 26, 2021 All cells produce extracellular vesicles (EVs). These biological packages contain complex mixtures of molecular cargo and have a variety of functions, including interkingdom communication. Recent discoveries highlight the roles microbial EVs may play in th ... Full text Link to item Cite

Microbe-Encapsulated Silica Gel Biosorbents for Selective Extraction of Scandium from Coal Byproducts.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · May 2021 Scandium (Sc) has great potential for use in aerospace and clean energy applications, but its supply is currently limited by a lack of commercially viable deposits and the environmental burden of its production. In this work, a biosorption-based flow-throu ... Full text Cite

Distribution of rare earth elements in fly ash derived from the combustion of Illinois Basin coals

Journal Article Fuel · April 1, 2021 This study examined rare earth element (REE) trends for Illinois Basin coal-sourced fly ashes, with the goal of understanding the elemental composition and resource potential for various fly ash fractions. Illinois Basin coals have a high volatile C throug ... Full text Cite

A population-based mercury exposure assessment near an artisanal and small-scale gold mining site in the Peruvian Amazon.

Journal Article Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · February 2021 Human exposure to mercury is a leading public health problem. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a major source of global mercury emissions. Although occupational mercury exposure to miners (via mercury vapor inhalation) is known, chronic merc ... Full text Cite

CoNaMad-Cohorte de Nacimiento de Madre de Dios/Madre de Dios Birth Cohort to Study Effects of in-utero Trace Metals Exposure in the Southern Peruvian Amazon.

Journal Article Ann Glob Health · 2021 BACKGROUND: In-utero exposure to mercury and other trace metals pose a significant threat to child health and development, but exposures and health impacts in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) environments are poorly defined. OBJECTIVES: We desc ... Full text Link to item Cite

Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Assessments for Sustainable Rare Earth Recovery from Coal Byproducts using Biosorption

Journal Article ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering · December 14, 2020 Coal byproducts could be a promising feedstock to alleviate the supply risk of critical rare earth elements (REEs) due to their abundance and REE content. Herein, we investigated the economic and environmental potential of producing REEs from coal fly ash ... Full text Cite

Novel Membrane and Electrodeposition-Based Separation and Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Coal Combustion Residues (Final Report)

Report · August 19, 2020 Full text Cite

Mercury and selenium loading in mountaintop mining impacted alkaline streams and riparian food webs

Journal Article Biogeochemistry. · August 2020 Coal is naturally enriched in trace elements, including mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se). Alkaline mine drainage from mountaintop mining valley fill (MTM-VF)—the dominant form of surface coal mining in Appalachia, USA—releases large quantities of Se into str ... Full text Cite

Evaluation of Peruvian Government Interventions to Reduce Childhood Anemia.

Journal Article Annals of global health · August 2020 BackgroundIn Peru, anemia has been a persistent health problem that is known to lead to irreversible cognitive and developmental deficits in children. The Peruvian government has recently made anemia a primary health concern by passing legislation ... Full text Cite

Major element composition controls rare earth element solubility during leaching of coal fly ash and coal by-products

Journal Article International Journal of Coal Geology · July 1, 2020 Coal combustion ash and pre-combustion coal refuse are currently under consideration as potential sources of rare earth elements. One of the early steps in recovering REEs from coal by-products is often acid leaching, which can result in low pH leachates w ... Full text Cite

A biosorption-based approach for selective extraction of rare earth elements from coal byproducts

Journal Article Separation and Purification Technology · June 15, 2020 Coal byproducts represent an abundant and untapped potential source of critical rare earth elements (REEs). In this study, we tested the efficacy of a biosorption-based approach to recover REEs from leachate solutions derived from North Dakota lignite coal ... Full text Cite

Plastic pellets trigger feeding responses in sea anemones.

Journal Article Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · May 2020 Multiple mechanisms for plastic consumption by marine animals have been proposed based on the feeding cues and behavior of the animal studied. We investigated plastic consumption in sea anemones. We found that anemones readily consumed pristine National In ... Full text Cite

Elevated Hair Mercury Levels Are Associated With Neurodevelopmental Deficits in Children Living Near Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Peru.

Journal Article GeoHealth · May 2020 Children living near artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) are at risk of exposure to mercury, a neurotoxicant. It is not certain whether such exposures are harming development, as they occur in underresourced contexts entwined with other stressors, ... Full text Cite

Population-based dietary exposure to mercury through fish consumption in the Southern Peruvian Amazon.

Journal Article Environmental research · April 2020 BackgroundMercury exposure related to artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has raised environmental and public health concerns globally. Exposure to mercury, a potent neurotoxin that bioaccumulates in fish, is especially of concern to wome ... Full text Cite

Distinction of strontium isotope ratios between water-soluble and bulk coal fly ash from the United States

Journal Article International Journal of Coal Geology · April 1, 2020 Coal ash is one of the largest industrial waste streams in the United States and contains elevated concentrations of hazardous elements that could pose environmental and human health risks. Due to the relatively high strontium concentrations in coal ash an ... Full text Cite

Differential Reactivity of Copper- and Gold-Based Nanomaterials Controls Their Seasonal Biogeochemical Cycling and Fate in a Freshwater Wetland Mesocosm.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · February 2020 Reliable predictions of the environmental fate and risk of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) require a better understanding of ENM reactivity in complex, biologically active systems for chronic low-concentration exposure scenarios. Here, simulated freshwater ... Full text Cite

Caveats to the use of MTT, neutral red, Hoechst and Resazurin to measure silver nanoparticle cytotoxicity.

Journal Article Chemico-biological interactions · January 2020 The extensive use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in manufactured products will inevitably increase environmental exposure, highlighting the importance of accurate toxicity assessments. A frequent strategy to estimate AgNP cytotoxicity is to use absorbance ... Full text Cite

Deforestation Due to Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Exacerbates Soil and Mercury Mobilization in Madre de Dios, Peru.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · January 2020 Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a significant contributor of mercury (Hg) contamination and deforestation across the globe. In the Colorado River watershed in Madre de Dios, Peru, mining and deforestation have increased exponentially since ... Full text Cite

Embryonic Fundulus heteroclitus responses to sediment extracts from differentially contaminated sites in the Elizabeth River, VA.

Journal Article Ecotoxicology (London, England) · November 2019 Sites along the Elizabeth River are contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from historical creosote production and other industrial processes. Previous studies have demonstrated that Atlantic killifish collected from sites throughout the ... Full text Cite

A new framework for approaching precision bioremediation of PAH contaminated soils.

Journal Article Journal of hazardous materials · October 2019 Bioremediation is a sustainable treatment strategy which remains challenging to implement especially in heterogeneous environments such as soil and sediment. Herein, we present a novel precision bioremediation framework that integrates amplicon based metag ... Full text Cite

Relative Reactivity and Bioavailability of Mercury Sorbed to or Coprecipitated with Aged Iron Sulfides.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · July 2019 The potential for inorganic mercury (Hg) to be converted to methylmercury depends, in part, on the chemical form of Hg and its bioavailability to anaerobic microorganisms that can methylate Hg. In anaerobic settings, Hg can be associated with sulfide phase ... Full text Cite

Selective Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Coal Fly Ash Leachates Using Liquid Membrane Processes.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · April 2019 Coal combustion residues and other geological waste materials have been proposed as a resource for rare earth elements (REEs, herein defined as the 14 stable lanthanides, yttrium, and scandium). The extraction of REEs from residues often generate acidified ... Full text Cite

Nano-scale rare earth distribution in fly ash derived from the combustion of the fire clay coal, kentucky

Journal Article Minerals · April 1, 2019 Fly ash from the combustion of eastern Kentucky Fire Clay coal in a southeastern United States pulverized-coal power plant was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SA ... Full text Cite

Mobilization, methylation and exposure of mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Madre de Dios, Peru

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · March 31, 2019 Link to item Cite

Predictors of mitochondrial DNA copy number and damage in a mercury-exposed rural Peruvian population near artisanal and small-scale gold mining: An exploratory study.

Journal Article Environmental and molecular mutagenesis · March 2019 Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number (CN) and damage in circulating white blood cells have been proposed as effect biomarkers for pollutant exposures. Studies have shown that mercury accumulates in mitochondria and affects mitochondrial function and integ ... Full text Cite

Mercury Exposure and Poor Nutritional Status Reduce Response to Six Expanded Program on Immunization Vaccines in Children: An Observational Cohort Study of Communities Affected by Gold Mining in the Peruvian Amazon.

Journal Article Int J Environ Res Public Health · February 21, 2019 Background: Poor nutritional status combined with mercury exposure can generate adverse child health outcomes. Diet is a mediator of mercury exposure and evidence suggests that nutritional status modifies aspects of mercury toxicity. However, health impact ... Full text Link to item Cite

In situ remediation of subsurface contamination: Opportunities and challenges for nanotechnology and advanced materials

Journal Article Environmental Science: Nano · January 1, 2019 Complex subsurface contamination domains and limited efficacy of existing treatment approaches pose significant challenges to site remediation and underscore the need for technological innovation to develop cost-effective remedies. Here, we discuss opportu ... Full text Cite

Recovery of rare earth elements from coal fly ash leachates by supported liquid membranes

Conference 36th Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference: Clean Coal-Based Energy/Fuels and the Environment, PCC 2019 · January 1, 2019 • Extraction from coal ash: Produces a highly heterogeneous liquid feedstock (impurities of Al, Si, Fe, Ca) • REE separations via supported liquid membranes: o 103- to 105-fold selectivity for REEs o preference for heavy REEs • Product purity depends on Fe ... Cite

Application of nanofiltration for Rare Earth Elements recovery from coal fly ash leachate: Performance and cost evaluation

Journal Article Chemical Engineering Journal · October 1, 2018 This work evaluated nanofiltration (NF) as a potential step in the recovery process of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) from leachates of coal combustion fly ashes. A pre-treatment step, by pH adjustment and microfiltration (MF), has been studied to separate REE ... Full text Cite

Differences in bulk and microscale yttrium speciation in coal combustion fly ash.

Journal Article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · October 2018 Coal combustion ash is a promising alternative source of rare earth elements (REE; herein defined as the 14 stable lanthanides, yttrium, and scandium). Efforts to extract REE from coal ash will depend heavily on the location and speciation of these element ... Full text Cite

Size-Based Differential Transport, Uptake, and Mass Distribution of Ceria (CeO₂) Nanoparticles in Wetland Mesocosms.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · September 2018 Trace metals associated with nanoparticles are known to possess reactivities that are different from their larger-size counterparts. However, the relative importance of small relative to large particles for the overall distribution and biouptake of these m ... Full text Cite

A Critical Time for Mercury Science to Inform Global Policy.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · September 2018 Mercury is a global pollutant released into the biosphere by varied human activities including coal combustion, mining, artisanal gold mining, cement production, and chemical production. Once released to air, land and water, the addition of carbon atoms to ... Full text Cite

Recovery of rare earth elements from coal combustion residuals

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · August 19, 2018 Link to item Cite

Quantification of Mercury Bioavailability for Methylation Using Diffusive Gradient in Thin-Film Samplers.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · August 2018 Mercury-contaminated sediment and water contain various Hg species, with a small fraction available for microbial conversion to the bioaccumulative neurotoxin monomethylmercury (MeHg). Quantification of this available Hg pool is needed to prioritize sites ... Full text Cite

Effects of roasting additives and leaching parameters on the extraction of rare earth elements from coal fly ash

Journal Article International Journal of Coal Geology · August 1, 2018 Coal fly ash is a promising alternative source for rare earth elements (REE), which are critical materials in many technologies. REEs are entrained in the aluminosilicate glass of the fly ash particles, hindering their ability to solubilize during acid lea ... Full text Cite

Ranking Coal Ash Materials for Their Potential to Leach Arsenic and Selenium: Relative Importance of Ash Chemistry and Site Biogeochemistry.

Journal Article Environmental engineering science · July 2018 The chemical composition of coal ash is highly heterogeneous and dependent on the origin of the source coal, combustion parameters, and type and configuration of air pollution control devices. This heterogeneity results in uncertainty in the evaluation of ... Full text Cite

Aqueous acid and alkaline extraction of rare earth elements from coal combustion ash

Journal Article International Journal of Coal Geology · July 1, 2018 The recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from coal combustion fly ash has recently gained attention as a possible beneficial reuse application that could provide an alternative, low-grade source of REEs in an unstable global supply market. To economicall ... Full text Cite

Novel Membrane and Electrodeposition-Based Separation and Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Coal Combustion Residues (Final Report)

Report · June 19, 2018 Full text Cite

Modern science of a legacy problem: mercury biogeochemical research after the Minamata Convention.

Journal Article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · April 2018 Full text Cite

Quantification of mercury biomethylation potential in sediments

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · March 18, 2018 Link to item Cite

Comparison of liquid membranes for selectivity of rare earth elements from coal ash leachates

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · March 18, 2018 Link to item Cite

Rare earth element associations in the Kentucky State University stoker ash

Journal Article International Journal of Coal Geology · March 15, 2018 The Kentucky State University heating plant stoker ash, with over 1000 μg/g Rare earth elements + yttrium (REY), was previously shown to be more resistant to acid-extraction than pulverized-coal fly ashes of similar bulk composition. In this study, the pet ... Full text Cite

Challenges and opportunities for managing aquatic mercury pollution in altered landscapes.

Journal Article Ambio · March 2018 The environmental cycling of mercury (Hg) can be affected by natural and anthropogenic perturbations. Of particular concern is how these disruptions increase mobilization of Hg from sites and alter the formation of monomethylmercury (MeHg), a bioaccumulati ... Full text Cite

Speciation of Mercury in Selected Areas of the Petroleum Value Chain.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · February 2018 Petroleum, natural gas, and natural gas condensate can contain low levels of mercury (Hg). The speciation of Hg can affect its behavior during processing, transport, and storage so efficient and safe management of Hg requires an understanding of its chemic ... Full text Cite

Biochar and activated carbon act as promising amendments for promoting the microbial debromination of tetrabromobisphenol A.

Journal Article Water research · January 2018 The increasing occurrence of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in the environment is raising questions about its potential environmental health impacts as it has been shown to cause various deleterious effects in humans. The fact that the highest concentration ... Full text Cite

Senegalese artisanal gold mining leads to elevated total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in soils, sediments, and rivers

Journal Article Elementa · January 1, 2018 The largest source of global mercury (Hg) anthropogenic inputs to the environment is derived from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) activities in developing countries. While our understanding of global Hg emissions from ASGM is growing, there is ... Full text Cite

Hair Mercury Level is Associated with Anemia and Micronutrient Status in Children Living Near Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Peruvian Amazon.

Journal Article The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · December 2017 Anemia has been widely studied in global health contexts because of severe nutritional deficiency, and more recently, inflammatory status, but chemical exposures are rarely considered. Until recently, "anemia" was used synonymously with "iron deficiency an ... Full text Cite

Spatial, Temporal, and Dietary Variables Associated with Elevated Mercury Exposure in Peruvian Riverine Communities Upstream and Downstream of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining.

Journal Article International journal of environmental research and public health · December 2017 Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a primary contributor to global mercury and its rapid expansion raises concern for human exposure. Non-occupational exposure risks are presumed to be strongly tied to environmental contamination; however, the ... Full text Cite

Nanoscale metal-organic matter interactions

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · April 2, 2017 Link to item Cite

Reactivity and bioavailability of mercury sorbed to or coprecipitated with iron sulfides

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · April 2, 2017 Link to item Cite

Relative Contributions of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles and Dissolved Copper to Cu Uptake Kinetics of Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis) Embryos.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · February 2017 Featured Publication The toxicity of soluble metal-based nanomaterials may be due to the uptake of metals in both dissolved and nanoparticulate forms, but the relative contributions of these different forms to overall metal uptake rates under environmental conditions are not q ... Full text Cite

Chemistry and petrology of paired feed coal and combustion ash from anthracite-burning stoker boilers

Journal Article Fuel · January 1, 2017 The feed coal and corresponding ash from a series of stoker boilers burning Pennsylvania anthracite were investigated for their petrographic and chemical characteristics. The coals have low-S and moderate-ash contents with similar major oxide and minor ele ... Full text Cite

Rare Earth Element Distribution in Fly Ash Derived from the Fire Clay Coal, Kentucky

Journal Article Coal Combustion and Gasification Products · 2017 Full text Cite

Impacts of coal ash on methylmercury production and the methylating microbial community in anaerobic sediment slurries.

Journal Article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · November 2016 Featured Publication Mercury (Hg) associated with coal ash is an environmental concern, particularly if the release of coal ash to the environment is associated with the conversion of inorganic Hg to methylmercury (MeHg), a bioaccumulative form of Hg that is produced by anaero ... Full text Cite

Intracellular trafficking pathways in silver nanoparticle uptake and toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Journal Article Nanotoxicology · September 2016 We used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to study the roles of endocytosis and lysosomal function in uptake and subsequent toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in vivo. To focus on AgNP uptake and effects rather than silver ion (AgNO3) effects, we us ... Full text Cite

Effects of activated carbon amendments on the bioavailability and methylation of different forms of inorganic mercury

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · August 20, 2016 Link to item Cite

Residential metal contamination and potential health risks of exposure in adobe brick houses in Potosí, Bolivia.

Journal Article Sci Total Environ · August 15, 2016 Potosí, Bolivia, is the site of centuries of historic and present-day mining of the Cerro Rico, a mountain known for its rich polymetallic deposits, and was the site of large-scale Colonial era silver refining operations. In this study, the concentrations ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Silver toxicity across salinity gradients: the role of dissolved silver chloride species (AgCl x ) in Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) and medaka (Oryzias latipes) early life-stage toxicity.

Journal Article Ecotoxicology (London, England) · August 2016 The influence of salinity on Ag toxicity was investigated in Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) early life-stages. Embryo mortality was significantly reduced as salinity increased and Ag(+) was converted to AgCl(solid). However, as salinity continu ... Full text Open Access Cite

Trends in the Rare Earth Element Content of U.S.-Based Coal Combustion Fly Ashes.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · June 2016 Featured Publication Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical and strategic materials in the defense, energy, electronics, and automotive industries. The reclamation of REEs from coal combustion fly ash has been proposed as a way to supplement REE mining. However, the typical R ... Full text Cite

Leaching potential and redox transformations of arsenic and selenium in sediment microcosms with fly ash

Journal Article Applied Geochemistry · April 1, 2016 Featured Publication The unintended release of coal ash to the environment is a concern due to the enrichment of contaminants such as arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) in this solid waste material. Current risk assessments of coal ash disposal focus on pH as the primary driver of ... Full text Cite

Mobility of Four Common Mercury Species in Model and Natural Unsaturated Soils.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · April 2016 Mercury (Hg) occurs as a myriad of species in environmental media, each with different physicochemical properties. The influence of Hg speciation on its transport in unsaturated soils is not well studied. Transport of four Hg species (dissolved inorganic H ... Full text Cite

Nanoscale mercury sulfide-organic matter interactions: Practical applications for environmental risk assessment

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · March 13, 2016 Link to item Cite

Sorption of mercury to aged iron sulfides and the implications for Hg bioavailability

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · March 13, 2016 Link to item Cite

Recovery of rare earth elements from coal fly ash: Identification of candidate feedstock materials

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · March 13, 2016 Link to item Cite

Antagonistic Growth Effects of Mercury and Selenium in Caenorhabditis elegans Are Chemical-Species-Dependent and Do Not Depend on Internal Hg/Se Ratios.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · March 2016 The relationship between mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) toxicity is complex, with coexposure reported to reduce, increase, and have no effect on toxicity. Different interactions may be related to chemical compound, but this has not been systematically exam ... Full text Open Access Cite

Legacy impacts of coal combusion residues in freshwater ecosystems in North Carolina

Journal Article Water Resources Research Institute News of the University of North Carolina · March 1, 2016 Coal combustion residuals (CCRs) released by permitted effluent streams partition to sediments and sediment pore waters where they accumulate to enriched levels in organisms at the base of the food chain. The objectives of this study were (1) to measure CC ... Cite

Biogeochemical transformations of mercury in solid waste landfills and pathways for release.

Journal Article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · February 2016 Mercury (Hg) is present in a variety of solid wastes including industrial wastes, household products, consumer electronics, and medical wastes, some of which can be disposed in conventional landfills. The presence of this neurotoxic metal in landfills is a ... Full text Cite

Observations and Assessment of Fly Ashes from High-Sulfur Bituminous Coals and Blends of High-Sulfur Bituminous and Subbituminous Coals: Environmental Processes Recorded at the Macro- and Nanometer Scale

Journal Article Energy and Fuels · November 19, 2015 Fly ash was investigated with a variety of chemical, mineralogical, petrographic, and microbeam techniques from three coal-fired units at two Kentucky power plants. Two units burn high-sulfur Illinois Basin high volatile bituminous (hvb) coal, and the thir ... Full text Cite

Legacy source of mercury in an urban stream-wetland ecosystem in central North Carolina, USA.

Journal Article Chemosphere · November 2015 In the United States, aquatic mercury contamination originates from point and non-point sources to watersheds. Here, we studied the contribution of mercury in urban runoff derived from historically contaminated soils and the subsequent production of methyl ... Full text Open Access Cite

Influence of Sulfide Nanoparticles on Dissolved Mercury and Zinc Quantification by Diffusive Gradient in Thin-Film Passive Samplers.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · November 2015 Diffusive gradient in thin-film (DGT) passive samplers are frequently used to monitor the concentrations of metals such as mercury and zinc in sediments and other aquatic environments. The application of these samplers generally presumes that they quantify ... Full text Cite

Effects of Natural Organic Matter Properties on the Dissolution Kinetics of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles.

Conference Environmental science & technology · October 2015 The dissolution of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) is a key step of controlling their environmental fate, bioavailability, and toxicity. Rates of dissolution often depend upon factors such as interactions of NPs with natural organic matter (NOM). We e ... Full text Cite

Relative contributions of mercury bioavailability and microbial growth rate on net methylmercury production by anaerobic mixed cultures.

Journal Article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · September 2015 Monomethylmercury (MeHg) is produced in many aquatic environments by anaerobic microorganisms that take up and methylate inorganic forms of Hg(II). Net methylation of Hg(II) appears to be correlated with factors that affect the activity of the anaerobic mi ... Full text Cite

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Coals and Coal Combustion Residuals in the United States.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · September 2015 The distribution and enrichment of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in coal combustion residuals (CCRs) from different coal source basins have not been fully characterized in the United States. Here we provide a systematic analysis of the o ... Full text Cite

Assessment of US-based coal fly ashes as an alternative resource for rare earth elements

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · August 16, 2015 Link to item Cite

Thiol-Based Selective Extraction Assay to Comparatively Assess Bioavailable Mercury in Sediments.

Journal Article Environmental engineering science · July 2015 Bioaccumulation of methylmercury in the aquatic food web is governed in part by the methylation of inorganic divalent mercury (Hg(II)) by anaerobic microorganisms. In sulfidic settings, a small fraction of total Hg(II) is typically bioavailable to methylat ... Full text Cite

Mercury hair levels and factors that influence exposure for residents of Huancavelica, Peru.

Journal Article Environ Geochem Health · June 2015 Between 1564 and 1810, nearly 17,000 metric tons of mercury (Hg) vapor was released to the environment during cinnabar refining in the small town of Huancavelica, Peru. The present study characterizes individual exposure to mercury using total and speciate ... Full text Link to item Cite

Speciation and bioaccessibility of mercury in adobe bricks and dirt floors in Huancavelica, Peru.

Journal Article Environmental geochemistry and health · April 2015 Huancavelica, Peru, a historic cinnabar refining site, is one of the most mercury (Hg)-contaminated urban areas in the world. Exposure is amplified because residents build their adobe brick homes from contaminated soil. The objectives of this study were to ... Full text Cite

Diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT) passive samplers for monitoring metals in contaminated sediments: Contribution of metal sulfide nanoparticles

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · March 22, 2015 Link to item Cite

River transport of mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining and risks for dietary mercury exposure in Madre de Dios, Peru.

Journal Article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · February 2015 Featured Publication Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a major contributor to deforestation and the largest anthropogenic source of atmospheric mercury worldwide. Despite significant information on the direct health impacts of mercury to ASGM miners, the impact o ... Full text Cite

Lithium Isotope Fingerprints in Coal and Coal Combustion Residuals from the United States

Conference Procedia Earth and Planetary Science · 2015 Full text Cite

Boron and strontium isotopic characterization of coal combustion residuals: validation of new environmental tracers.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · December 2014 In the U.S., coal fired power plants produce over 136 million tons of coal combustion residuals (CCRs) annually. CCRs are enriched in toxic elements, and their leachates can have significant impacts on water quality. Here we report the boron and strontium ... Full text Open Access Cite

Direct in situ measurement of dissolved zinc in the presence of zinc oxide nanoparticles using anodic stripping voltammetry.

Journal Article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · November 2014 The wide use of metal-based nanomaterials such as zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) has generated concerns regarding their environmental and health risks. For ZnO NPs, their toxicity in aquatic systems often depends on the release of dissolved zinc spec ... Full text Cite

Trace element toxins in coal ash: New considerations for identifying environmental risks

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · August 10, 2014 Link to item Cite

Net methylation of mercury in estuarine sediment microcosms amended with dissolved, nanoparticulate, and microparticulate mercuric sulfides.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · August 2014 The production of methylmercury (MeHg) by anaerobic microorganisms depends in part on the speciation and bioavailability of inorganic mercury to these organisms. Our previous work with pure cultures of methylating bacteria has demonstrated that the methyla ... Full text Cite

Bioaccumulation and speciation of selenium in fish and insects collected from a mountaintop removal coal mining-impacted stream in West Virginia.

Journal Article Ecotoxicology (London, England) · July 2014 A major contaminant of concern for mountaintop removal/valley fill (MTR/VF) coal mining is selenium (Se), an essential micronutrient that can be toxic to fish. Creek chubs (Semotilus atromaculatus), green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), and composite insect s ... Full text Cite

Precipitation of nanoscale mercuric sulfides in the presence of natural organic matter: Structural properties, aggregation, and biotransformation

Journal Article Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · May 15, 2014 Mercuric sulfide species are likely the predominant forms of mercury (Hg) in anoxic environments where the bioavailability of Hg is a key factor for the production of methylmercury (MeHg) by microorganisms. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is known to affect ... Full text Cite

Silver nanoparticle behavior, uptake, and toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans: effects of natural organic matter.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · March 2014 Significant progress has been made in understanding the toxicity of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. Natural organic matter (NOM) is omnipresent in complex environmental systems, where it may alter the behavio ... Full text Cite

A robust framework to predict mercury speciation in combustion flue gases.

Journal Article Journal of hazardous materials · January 2014 Mercury emissions from coal combustion have become a global concern as growing energy demands have increased the consumption of coal. The effective implementation of treatment technologies requires knowledge of mercury speciation in the flue gas, namely co ... Full text Cite

Selenium speciation in coal ash spilled at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston site.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · December 2013 Selenium (Se) in coal ash spills poses a threat to adjacent ecosystems because of its potential to mobilize and bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms. Given that the mobility and bioavailability of Se is controlled by its valence states, we aimed to define Se ... Full text Cite

Impact of coal combustion residues on water quality

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · April 7, 2013 Link to item Cite

Nanogeochemistry of a neurotoxin: Reactivity and microbial methylation potential of nanoscale mercury sulfides

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · April 7, 2013 Link to item Cite

Mechanisms regulating mercury bioavailability for methylating microorganisms in the aquatic environment: a critical review.

Journal Article Environ Sci Technol · March 19, 2013 Featured Publication Mercury is a potent neurotoxin for humans, particularly if the metal is in the form of methylmercury. Mercury is widely distributed in aquatic ecosystems as a result of anthropogenic activities and natural earth processes. A first step toward bioaccumulati ... Full text Link to item Cite

Environmental impacts of the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston coal ash spill. 2. Effect of coal ash on methylmercury in historically contaminated river sediments.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · February 2013 The Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston coal ash spill in December 2008 deposited approximately 4.1 million m(3) of fly ash and bottom ash into the Emory and Clinch River system (Harriman, Tennessee, U.S.A.). The objective of this study was to investigate ... Full text Cite

Environmental impacts of the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston coal ash spill. 1. Source apportionment using mercury stable isotopes.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · February 2013 Mercury stable isotope abundances were used to trace transport of Hg-impacted river sediment near a coal ash spill at Harriman, Tennessee, USA. δ(202)Hg values for Kingston coal ash released into the Emory River in 2008 are significantly negative (-1.78 ± ... Full text Cite

Residential mercury contamination in adobe brick homes in Huancavelica, Peru.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2013 This is the first study of adobe brick contamination anywhere in the world. Huancavelica, Peru is the site of historic cinnabar refining and one of the most mercury (Hg) contaminated urban areas in the world. Over 80% of homes in Huancavelica are construct ... Full text Link to item Cite

Estimations of historical atmospheric mercury concentrations from mercury refining and present-day soil concentrations of total mercury in Huancavelica, Peru.

Journal Article Sci Total Environ · June 1, 2012 Detailed Spanish records of cinnabar mining and mercury production during the colonial period in Huancavelica, Peru were examined to estimate historical health risks to the community from exposure to elemental mercury (Hg) vapor resulting from cinnabar ref ... Full text Link to item Cite

Long-Term Transformation and Fate of Manufactured Ag Nanoparticles in a Simulated Large Scale Freshwater Emergent Wetland.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · April 2012 Transformations and long-term fate of engineered nanomaterials must be measured in realistic complex natural systems to accurately assess the risks that they may pose. Here, we determine the long-term behavior of poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-coated silver nanopa ... Full text Open Access Cite

Production of methylmercury by sulfate-reducing bacteria exposed to mercuric sulfide nanoparticles

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · March 25, 2012 Link to item Cite

Surface modification of metallic silver nanoparticles by low molecular weight thiols: Implications for solubility, aggregation, and bioavailability

Conference ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY · March 25, 2012 Link to item Cite

The impact of coal combustion residue effluent on water resources: a North Carolina example

Journal Article Environmental Science & Technology · 2012 Full text Cite

Methylation of mercury by bacteria exposed to dissolved, nanoparticulate, and microparticulate mercuric sulfides

Journal Article Environmental Science & Technology · 2012 Full text Link to item Cite

Early-stage precipitation kinetics of cysteine-capped zinc sulfide nanoclusters

Journal Article Chemical Geology · 2012 Full text Link to item Cite

Cysteine-induced modifications of zero-valent silver nanomaterials: Implications for particle surface chemistry, aggregation, dissolution, and silver speciation

Journal Article Environmental Science \& Technology · 2012 Full text Link to item Cite

Nanoscale metal-organic matter interactions.

Journal Article Environmental science & technology · April 2011 Full text Cite

Estimating historical atmospheric mercury concentrations from silver mining and their legacies in present-day surface soil in Potosí, Bolivia

Journal Article Atmospheric Environment · January 1, 2011 Detailed Spanish records of mercury use and silver production during the colonial period in Potosí, Bolivia were evaluated to estimate atmospheric emissions of mercury from silver smelting. Mercury was used in the silver production process in Potosí and ne ... Full text Cite

Solving the problem at the source: controlling Mn release at the sediment-water interface via hypolimnetic oxygenation

Journal Article Water Research · 2011 Full text Link to item Cite

Effects of humic substances on precipitation and aggregation of zinc sulfide nanoparticles

Journal Article Environmental Science \& Technology · 2011 Full text Link to item Cite

Influence of dissolved organic matter on the environmental fate of metals, nanoparticles, and colloids

Journal Article Environmental Science \& Technology · 2011 Full text Link to item Cite

FEMMES: A one-day mentorship program to engage 4th -- 6th grade girls in STEM activities

Journal Article Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering · 2011 Full text Link to item Cite

Females Excelling More in Math, Engineering, and Science (FEMMES): An after-school STEM program for girls that fosters hands-on learning and female to female mentorship

Journal Article Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering · 2011 Cite

The mechanism of silver nanoparticle toxicity is dependent on dissolved silver and surface coating in Caenorhabditis elegans

Journal Article Environmental Science & Technology · 2011 Cite

Estimating historical atmospheric mercury concentrations from silver mining and their legacies in present-day surface soil in Potosí, Bolivia

Journal Article Atmospheric Environment · November 2010 Detailed Spanish records of mercury use and silver production during the colonial period in Potosí, Bolivia were evaluated to estimate atmospheric emissions of mercury from silver smelting. Mercury was used in the silver production process in Potosí and ne ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Environmental Impacts of the Coal Ash Spill in Kingston, Tennessee: An Eighteen-Month Survey

Journal Article Environ Sci & Technol · November 2010 A year and a half investigation of the environmental impacts of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee has revealed that leachable coal ash contaminants (LCACs), particularly arsenic, selenium, boron, strontium, and bari ... Open Access Cite