Heileen Hsu-Kim

Heileen Hsu-Kim is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and Director of Graduate Studies at Duke University. Her research focuses on aquatic geochemistry, environmental health and exposure science, nanogeoscience, and metal biogeochemical cycling and mineral resourcing. She investigates the behavior of pollutants such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and selenium in natural and built environments, with an emphasis on their mobility, bioavailability, and potential health risks. Her work also explores technologies for the extraction and valorization of critical metals from waste materials. Dr. Hsu-Kim's research employs geochemical methods, including mass spectrometry and X-ray spectroscopy, to analyze contaminant interactions at solid-liquid-microbial interfaces.

Heileen Hsu-Kim is a researcher in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Duke University, focusing on the environmental fate and behavior of contaminants in aquatic systems. Her work explores the interactions between dissolved organic matter and metals, nanoparticles, and colloids, with a particular emphasis on mercury and silver. She investigates mechanisms regulating mercury bioavailability, the toxicity of silver nanoparticles, and the long-term transformation of manufactured nanoparticles in freshwater environments. Her research also addresses the environmental and health impacts of coal ash spills and the role of natural organic matter in contaminant transport and transformation.