Life, metals and sediments
27 Sep | At the upcoming Natural Capital Singapore seminar, Dr Chen Mengli discuss the important roles of sediments in regulating metal pollutants in coastal waters.
We are surrounded by all sorts of metals. Although some metals play vital roles in metabolism, others are toxic and can accumulate in the food chain. At this talk, Dr Chen Mengli will be talking about the important roles of sediments in regulating metal pollutants in coastal waters.
In Singapore’s multi-used landscape, cultivation of seafood takes place adjacent to industrial developments, shipyards, and urban conglomerates. Fortunately, Dr Chen has found that the sediments in the water column can buffer the metals in seawater by adsorption onto particles, and hence lower the concentration of metals in the water. Although the actual mechanism is still poorly explored, sediments seem to have some important roles in regulating the metal pollutant in the coastal water.
About the speaker
Dr Chen Mengli is a chemical oceanographer. She is interested in the marine environment changes through time. Dr Chen uses natural archives like corals and sediments to investigate the environment in which they come from. Dr Chen is now a postdoc in Tropical Marine Science Institute.