Primary Interests

My research is highly interdisciplinary and has its theoretical basis in Bayesian mathematical modeling, contaminant biology, environmental toxicology, and environmental governance. Specifically, my interests are focused on three principle themes (a) How do contaminants affect organisms, including humans, (b) How can contaminants in ecosystem compartments be modeled using Bayesian statistics and information theory, and (c) How can this information be used in a scientific translation and environmental governance context. I primarily work with real data sets that tend to be large in nature and that consider broad spatial and temporal scales. Additionally, since 2010 I have served as the North American Chairperson for the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Global Mercury Working Group which is an official member of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global Mercury Partnership.

Current Projects

  • Global Climate Change and Mercury Pollution: Environmental Governance, Research and Management of Converging Issues
  • United Nations Environment Programme’s global mercury partnership: developing science for successful implementation of the Minamata Convention
  • National Assessment of Mercury Speciation in North American Amphibians
  • Evaluating Reproducibility in Environmental Contaminant Studies
  • Building Scientific Capacity for Environmental Contaminants: A Global Perspective

Education

Ph.D., 2005, University of Maine

Books

Bank, M.S. (editor). 2012. Mercury in the Environment: Pattern and Process. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 360 pages. ISBN: 9780520271630.

Selected Publications

Bank, M.S., J.B. Crocker and J. Wachtl.  2016.  Effects of mining on mercury bioaccumulation in giant salamander larvae from the Pacific Northwest, USA.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  In Prep.

Gustin, M.S., D.C. Evers, M.S. Bank, C.R. Hammerschmidt, A. Pierce, N. Basu, J. Blum, P. Bustamante, C.Y. Chen, C.T. Driscoll, M. Horvat, D. Jaffe, J. Pacyna, N. Pirrone, and N. Selin.  2016.  Importance of integration and implementation of emerging and future mercury research into the Minamata Convention.  Environmental Science & Technology 50: 2767-2770.

Dong, Z., M.S. Bank and J.D. Spengler.  2015.  Assessing metal exposures in a community near a cement plant in the Northeast U.S.  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 12: 952-969.

Bank, M.S., and J.D. Spengler. 2014. Biomonitoring Study of Heavy Metals in Blood from a Cement Factory Based Community. E3S Web of Conferences 1, 41011.

Bank, M.S., D.A.L. Vignati and B. Vigon (Guest Editors). 2014. United Nations Environment Programme’s global mercury partnership special feature. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 33: 1199-1270.

Bank, M.S., D.A.L. Vignati and B. Vigon (Invited Editorial). 2014. United Nations Environment Programme’s global mercury partnership: science for successful implementation of the Minamata Convention. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 33: 1199-1201.

Vignati, D.A.L., S. Polesello, R. Bettinetti, and M.S. Bank. 2013. Mercury environmental quality standard for biota in Europe: opportunities and challenges. Integrated Environmental Assessment & Management 9: 167-168.

Bank, M.S. 2012. Introduction: Mercury on the Rise. Pages XI –XII in M.S. Bank (editor) in Mercury in the Environment: Pattern and Process. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.

Scheuhammer, A.M., N. Basu, D.C. Evers, G.H. Heinz, M.B. Sandheinrich, and M.S. Bank. 2012. Ecotoxicology of mercury in fish and wildlife – recent advances. Pages 223-238 in M.S. Bank (editor) Mercury in the Environment: Pattern and Process. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.

Juillerat, J., D. Ross, and M.S. Bank. 2012. Mercury accumulation in litterfall and upper soil horizons in forested ecosystems in Vermont, USA. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 31: 1720-1729.

Vo, A.E., M.S. Bank, J.P. Shine, and S.V. Edwards. 2011. Temporal increase in organic mercury in an endangered pelagic seabird assessed via century-old museum specimens. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108: 7466-7471.

Apeageyei, E., M.S. Bank, and J.D. Spengler. 2011. Distribution of heavy metals in road dust across a rural-urban gradient in Massachusetts. Atmospheric Environment 45: 2310-2323.

Wyman, K.E, N.L. Rodenhouse, and M.S. Bank. 2011. Mercury bioaccumulation and speciation in riparian spiders from forested watersheds. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 30: 1873-1878.

Senn, D.B., E. Chesney, J.D. Blum, M.S. Bank, A. Maage, and J.P. Shine. 2010. Stable isotope study (C, N, Hg) of methylmercury sources and trophic transfer in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Science &Technology 44: 1630-1637.

Liu, B., L.A. Schaider, D.B. Senn, R.P. Mason, M.S. Bank, P.W. Swarzenski, J.P. Shine, T. Hollweg, and N.N. Rabalais. 2009. Hurricane impacts on mercury dynamics in northern Gulf of Mexico sediments. Journal of Geophysical Research (Biogeosciences). 114 G00C07 doi: 10.1029/2008JG000752.

Chen, C.Y., N. Serrell, D. Evers, B. Fleishshman, K. Lambert, J. Weiss, K. Lambert, R.P. Mason, and M.S. Bank. 2008. Methylmercury in marine ecosystems from sources to consumers. Environmental Health Perspectives 116: 1706-1712.

Evers, D.C., L. Savoy, C. DeSorbo, D. Yates, W. Hanson, K.M. Taylor, L. Siegel, J.H. Cooley, M.S. Bank, A. Major, K. Munney, B.F. Mower, H.S. Vogel, N. Schoch, M. Pokras, M.W. Goodale, and J. Fair. 2008. Adverse effects from environmental mercury loads on common breeding loons. Ecotoxicology 17: 69-81.

Crocker, J.B., M.S. Bank, C.S. Loftin, and R.E. Jung-Brown. 2007. Influence of observers and stream flow on Northern Two-Lined salamander relative abundance estimates in Acadia and Shenendoah National Parks, USA. Journal of Herpetology 41: 325-329.

Kahl, J.S., S. Nelson, I. Fernandez, T. Haines, S. Norton, G.B. Wiersma, G. Jacobson Jr., A. Amirbahman, K. Johnson, M. Schauffler, L. Rustad, K. Tonnessen, M. Neilsen, K. Weathers, R. Lent, M.S. Bank, et al. 2007. Watershed nitrogen and mercury geochemical fluxes integrate landscape factors at Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Environmental Monitoring & Assessment 126: 9-25.

Bank, M.S., E. Chesney, J. Shine, A. Maage, and D. Senn. 2007. Mercury bioaccumulation and trophic transfer in sympatric snapper species from the Gulf of Mexico. Ecological Applications 17: 2100-2110.

Bank, M.S., J.B. Crocker, B. Connery, and A. Amirbahman. 2007. Mercury bioaccumulation in green frog and bullfrog tadpoles from Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 26: 118-125.

Bank, M.S., J. Burgess, D. Evers, and C.S. Loftin. 2007. Mercury contamination in biota from Acadia National Park, Maine, USA: a review. Environmental Monitoring & Assessment 126: 105-115.

Bank, M.S., J.B. Crocker, S. Davis, D. Brotherton, R. Cook, J. Behler, and B. Connery. 2006. Population decline of northern dusky salamanders at Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Biological Conservation 130: 230-238.

Bank, M.S., C.S. Loftin, and R. E. Jung. 2005. Mercury bioaccumulation in northern two-lined salamanders from streams in the Northeastern United States. Ecotoxicology 14: 181-191.

Ellison, A.E., M.S. Bank, B.D. Clinton, et al. 2005. Loss of foundation species: consequences for the structure and dynamics of forested ecosystems. Frontiers in Ecology & the Environment 9: 479-486.