Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=aRAr-asAAAAJ&hl=fr

Research Interests

My research focuses on the biogeochemical cycle of mercury in aquatic environments. Mercury is a global pollutant that is converted to toxic methylmercury (MeHg) by aquatic micro-organisms and bioaccumulates in aquatic food webs. Humans and wildlife are exposed to MeHg primarily through the consumption of fish and marine mammals. I study the sources, fate and chemical transformations (methylation and demethylation) of mercury in the water column, sediment and at the air-water interface and the interactions of mercury species with other metals and anthropogenic pollutants (e.g., nanoplastics). My research combines field-based studies, analytical techniques development and applying tools from stable isotope geochemistry to better understand the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on the biogeochemical cycling of elements in natural environments.

Education

2008 - 2015
PhD. Environmental and Life Sciences
Trent University, Canada
Investigating the sources and fate of monomethylmercury and dimethylmercury in the Arctic marine boundary layer and waters

2005 - 2007
M.Sc in Environmental Engineering
University of Guelph, Canada
Measurement of Mercury Species in the Atmosphere and the Interactions of Ozone and Particulate Matter with Mercury Over Cropped Land

1998 - 2001
BSc in Agriculture specialization agricultural engineering
University of Mauritius, Reduit (Mauritius)

Research Experience

Post-Doctoral fellow (2021 - present)
International Research Laboratory Takuvik (CNRS / ULaval) (IRL 3376)
Université Laval, Canada

Research professional (2018 - 2021)
Marine Biogeochemistry
Stanford University, USA

Post-Doctoral fellow (2014 - 2016)
Mercury lab
Geosciences Environnement Toulouse-GET/ IRD, France

Research assistant (2008 - 2014)
Prof. Holger Hintermann lab
Trent University, Canada

Research assistant (2005 - 2007)
Prof. Bill Van Heyst lab
University of Guelph, Canada

Awards

2012
Association of Polar early career Scientists (APECS) travel grant (IPY 2012)

2011
Best poster (ArcticNet ASM 2011)

2010
Association of Polar early career Scientists (APECS) travel grant (IPY 2010)

2008
ArcticNet training fund

2008 - 2012
Trent Graduate scholarship (Trent University)

2008 - 2012
Dean scholarship (Trent University)

2005
Graduate entrance scholarship (University of Guelph)

2005 - 2008
Commonwealth scholarship (Canadian foreign affairs and Canadian Bureau for international education - CBIE)

Publications

2021

Kelly, C. L., Travis, N. M., Baya, P. A., & Casciotti, K. L. (2021). Quantifying Nitrous Oxide Cycling Regimes in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific Ocean With Isotopomer Analysis. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 35(2). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GB006637

2020

Guédron, S., Audry, S., Acha, D., Bouchet, S., Point, D., Condom, T., Heredia, C., Campillo, S., Baya, P. A., Groleau, A., Amice, E., Amouroux, D. (2020). Diagenetic production, accumulation and sediment-water exchanges of methylmercury in contrasted sediment facies of Lake Titicaca (Bolivia). Science of the Total Environment, 723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138088

2019

Houssard, P., Point, D., Tremblay-Boyer, L., Allain, V., Pethybridge, H., Masbou, J., Ferriss BE, Baya, P. A., Lagane, C., Menkes, C. E., Letourneur, Y., Lorrain, A. (2019). A model of mercury distribution in tuna from the western and central Pacific Ocean: influence of physiology, ecology and environmental factors. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(3), 1422–1431. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b06058

Strok, M., Baya, P. A., Dietrich, D., Dimock, B., & Hintelmann, H. (2019). Mercury speciation and mercury stable isotope composition in sediments from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Science of the Total Environment, 671, 655–665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.424

2017

Guédron S, Point, D., Acha, D., Bouchet, S., Baya, P. A., Tessier, E., … Amouroux, D. (2017). Mercury contamination level and speciation inventory in Lakes Titicaca & Uru-uru (bolivia): current status and future trends. Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987), 231, 262–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.08.009

2015

Baya, P. A., Gosselin, M., Lehnherr, I., St, L. V. L., & Hintelmann, H. (2015). Determination of monomethylmercury and dimethylmercury in the Arctic marine boundary layer. Environmental Science & Technology, 49(1), 223–32. https://doi.org/10.1021/es502601z

Strok, M., Baya, P. A., & Hintelmann, H. (2015). The mercury isotope composition of Arctic coastal seawater. Comptes Rendus - Geoscience, 347(7-8), 368–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2015.04.001

2013

Baya, P. A., Hollinsworth, J. L., & Hintelmann, H. (2013). Evaluation and optimization of solid adsorbents for the sampling of gaseous methylated mercury species. Analytica Chimica Acta, 786, 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2013.05.019

2010

Baya, A. P., & Van, H. B. (2010). Assessing the trends and effects of environmental parameters on the behaviour of mercury in the lower atmosphere over cropped land over four seasons. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10(17), 8617–8628. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-8617-2010