Heileen Hsu-Kim, M.S., Ph.D.

Associate Professors

Duke University

Contact Information

(919) 660-5109

Research Interests

Professor Heileen (Helen) Hsu-Kim's research interests include the chemical processes that affect the fate of trace metals in the environment. In particular, she is interested in the biogeochemical cycling of pollutant metals and interfacial processes controlling the fate and bioavilability of nanoparticles in aqueous systems.

Dr. Hsu-Kim's current research efforts focus on the role of reduced sulfur and natural organic matter for controlling mobility and toxicity of metals in the aquatic environment. The methodologies her group employs for this research include laboratory techniques for quantifying trace metal speciation, water-surface interactions, and in-situ applications of solid-state microelectrodes to determine important aquatic constituents in water and sediment.

CEINT Publications

A. P. Gondikas, Masion, A. , Auffan, M. , Lau, B. L. T. , and Hsu-Kim, H. , “Early-stage precipitation kinetics of zinc sulfide nanoclusters forming in the presence of cysteine”, Chemical Geology, vol. 329, pp. 10 - 17, 2012.

T. Zhang, Kim, B. , Levard, C. , Reinsch, B. C. , Lowry, G. V. , Deshusses, M. A. , and Hsu-Kim, H. , “Methylation of Mercury by Bacteria Exposed to Dissolved, Nanoparticulate, and Microparticulate Mercuric Sulfides”, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 46, no. 13, pp. 6950 - 6958, 2012.

A. P. Gondikas, Morris, A. , Reinsch, B. C. , Marinakos, S. M. , Lowry, G. V. , and Hsu-Kim, H. , “Cysteine-Induced Modifications of Zero-valent Silver Nanomaterials: Implications for Particle Surface Chemistry, Aggregation, Dissolution, and Silver Speciation”, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 46, no. 13, pp. 7037 - 7045, 2012.

G. V. Lowry, Espinasse, B. P. , Badireddy, A. R. , Richardson, C. J. , Reinsch, B. C. , Bryant, L. D. , Bone, A. J. , Deonarine, A. , Chae, S. , Therezien, M. , Colman, B. P. , Hsu-Kim, H. , Bernhardt, E. S. , Matson, C. W. , and Wiesner, M. R. , “Long-Term Transformation and Fate of Manufactured Ag Nanoparticles in a Simulated Large Scale Freshwater Emergent Wetland”, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 46, no. 13, pp. 7027-7036, 2012.

X. Yang, Gondikas, A. P. , Marinakos, S. M. , Auffan, M. , Liu, J. , Hsu-Kim, H. , and Meyer, J. N. , “Mechanism of Silver Nanoparticle Toxicity Is Dependent on Dissolved Silver and Surface Coating in Caenorhabditis elegans”, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 1119-1127, 2012.

T. Zhang, Kim, B. , Levard, C. , Reinsch, B. C. , Lowry, G. V. , Deshusses, M. A. , and Hsu-Kim, H. , “Methylation of mercury by bacteria exposed to dissolved, nanoparticulate, and microparticulate mercuric sulfides”, Environmental Science & Technology, 2011.

A. Deonarine, Lau, B. L. T. , Aiken, G. R. , Ryan, J. N. , and Hsu-Kim, H. , “Effects of humic substances on precipitation and aggregation of zinc sulfide nanoparticles”, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 45, pp. 3217-3223, 2011.

G. R. Aiken, Hsu-Kim, H. , and Ryan, J. N. , “Influence of dissolved organic matter on the environmental fate of metals, nanoparticles, and colloids”, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 45, pp. 3196-3201, 2011.

G. R. Aiken, Hsu-Kim, H. , Ryan, J. N. , and Alvarez, P. , “Guest comment: nanoscale metal-organic matter interactions”, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 45, pp. 3194-3195, 2011.

A. P. Gondikas, Jang, E. K. , and Hsu-Kim, H. , “Influence of amino acids cysteine and serine on aggregation kinetics of zinc and mercury sulfide colloids”, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, vol. 347, no. 2, pp. 167-171, 2010.

A. Deonarine and Hsu-Kim, H. , “Precipitation of Mercuric Sulfide Nanoparticles in NOM-Containing Water: Implications for the Natural Environment”, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 43, pp. 2368-2373, 2009.

Heileen Hsu-Kim, M.S., Ph.D.

Contact Information

Research Interests

CEINT Publications

Pages