February 3, 2022
Congratulations to Talia Neal-Walthall for publishing her first paper in Environmental Science & Technology, titled "Utility of Diffusive Gradient in Thin-Film (DGT) Passive Samplers for Predicting Mercury Methylation Potential and Bioaccumulation in Freshwater Wetlands". This study represents a joint effort with lab alumnus UD Ndu and the rest of the group in their field experiments testing passive samplers for detecting bioavailable mercury in freshwater wetland ecosystems. Talia, UD and the team showed that diffusive gradient in thin-film (DGT) passive samplers can effectively quantify bioaccumulative forms of mercury in aquatic ecosystems. They also showed that the placement of these DGT samplers (i.e., in the water column versus surface sediments) needs to consider the pathway in which methylmercury biomagnifies in the aquatic food web.
We are happy that your hard work has paid off and looking forward to more follow-up results!
Neal-Walthall, N.; Ndu, U.; Rivera, N.A.; Elias, D.A; Hsu-Kim, H. (2022) Utility of Diffusive Gradient in Thin-Film (DGT) Passive Samplers for Predicting Mercury Methylation Potential and Bioaccumulation in Freshwater Wetlands. Environ. Sci. & Technol. 56, 1743-1752. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c06796
