Investigating Mercury Chemistry Using X-Rays

This winter, Julia Davidson, a second-year Ph.D. student, and Professor Brett Poulin visited the National Synchrotron Light Source II at Brookhaven National Laboratory to conduct research using high-energy X-ray techniques. Working with a team of X-ray physicists, they examined the chemical forms of mercury in a diverse set of samples, including wildlife tissues and mercury-containing skin-lightening creams. This work helps clarify how mercury behaves in biological systems, improving our understanding of mercury toxicity and the processes by which humans and wildlife transform and detoxify this potent contaminant.