Global-Scale Biogeochemical Processes of Coupled Mercury and Selenium
Advancing an Ecotoxicological Framework for PFAS in Aquatic Ecosystems

Project by

Mi-Ling Li
Senior Fellow 2025–2026

This project investigates how mercury and selenium cycle through marine ecosystems and how their interactions influence the safety of seafood consumed worldwide.

In collaboration with her Associate Fellow Lenny Winkel, Mi-Ling Li will study the global biogeochemical cycling of mercury and selenium and their interactions in ocean environments. Mercury is a potent neurotoxicant that accumulates in marine food webs and poses risks to human health through seafood consumption. Selenium, an essential trace element, can counteract some of mercury’s toxic effects under certain conditions.

Combining Winkel’s expertise in selenium geochemistry and global contaminant modeling with Mi-Ling’s work on mercury cycling and environmental health, the project will examine how these two elements are distributed, transformed, and accumulated in marine organisms. The research will focus on the pathways that shape mercury and selenium levels in seafood species consumed around the world. By clarifying how these elements interact in marine food webs, the project aims to improve risk assessment approaches and inform policies that support global seafood safety.