James Shine, PhD
Senior Lecturer on Aquatic Chemistry
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Biography
Dr. Shine is on the faculty in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. His research is in the area of aquatic environmental chemistry, which he applies within an applied environmental health context. Specifically, his research aims to better understand the transport and fate of chemicals in the environment in order to better assess risks, determine appropriate interventions, or set efficient regulatory guidelines. From an applied perspective, this is important in that we must first understand the transport of contaminants released to the environment in order to frame how and why we are exposed to those contaminants. Unless we adequately understand these processes, our ability to craft control strategies or regulatory criteria protective of both human and ecological health will be compromised.
Dr. Shine’s current research projects range from seafood safety in relation to mercury dynamics in marine & freshwater ecosystems, understanding the role of oxidative processes on the fate and effects of metals associated with mining wastes, development of tools to measure contaminant bioavailability in aquatic ecosystems, and development of engineering strategies to remediate contaminated sediments. Dr. Shine has served on a variety of regional, national, and international panels touching on issues such as the development of marine monitoring programs, indicator approaches to protect marine ecosystem health, and the development of sediment quality guidelines protective of human health.