Research Interests:

My research focuses on the development of Hg stable isotopes as tracer for sources and processes in the environment. My main research interests are the exchange of mercury between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems as well as transformation and transport processes in soils. I have recently been working on boreal and Arctic ecosystems. Our current work focuses on the uptake of atmospheric elemental mercury by vegetation across Europe. To achieve our goals, we will combine the novel mercury isotope fingerprinting tool with remote sensing and modeling techniques. I am also interested in developing new analytical techniques and new applications using Hg stable isotopes.  

Education:

09/2011 - 10/2015
Teaching Certificate in Environmental Education, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

05/2010 - 10/2014
PhD in Environmental Sciences, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics (IBP), and Isotope Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology (IGP), ETH Zurich, Switzerland,
Terrestrial mercury cycling investigated with stable mercury isotopes,

01/2008 - 04/2010
MSc ETH in Environmental Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Major in Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Minor in analytical Chemistry

10/2004 - 01/2008
BSc ETH in Environmental Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Employment Information:

1/2018 - today
Research Associate - SNSF Ambizione Fellow, Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, Switzerland

4/2017 - 12/2017
Research Fellow, Geosciences Environment Toulouse (GET), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Toulouse, France

04/2015 - 03/2017
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow in Geosciences Environment Toulouse (GET), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Toulouse, France
Understanding the fate of Arctic atmospheric mercury (Hg) deposition - A Hg stable isotope investigation of redox processes and Hg re-emissions

05/2010 - 11/2014
PhD Thesis in Soil Chemistry; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics (IBP), and Isotope Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology (IGP), ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Publications:

18. Jiskra, M., Marusczak, N., Leung K. H., Hawkins, L., Prestbo, E., Sonke, J. E., Automated stable isotope sampling of gaseous elemental mercury (ISO-GEM) – Insights into GEM emissions from building surfaces, Environ. Sci. Technol., accepted, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06381

17. Olson, C. L., Jiskra, M., Sonke, J. E., Obrist, D., Mercury in tundra vegetation of Alaska: spatial and temporal dynamics and stable isotope patterns,Sci. Total Environ., 2019, 660, 1502-1512

16. Sun, R., Jiskra, M., Amos, H. M., Zhang, Y., Sunderland, E. M., Sonke, J. E., Modelling the mercury stable isotope distribution of Earth surface reservoirs: implications for global Hg cycling,Geochim Cosmochim Ac., 2019, 246, 156-173

15. Xu, H., Sun, R., Cao, J., Guinot, B., Shen, Z., Jiskra, M., Li, C., Du, B., He, C., Liu, S., Zhang., T., Sonke, J.E., Mercury stable isotope compositions of Chinese urban fine particulates in winter haze days: Implications for Hg sources and transformations,Chem. Geol., 2019, 504, 267-275

14. Saiz-Lopez, A., Sitkiewicz, S., Roca-Sanjuan, D., Oliva-Enrich, J., Davalos, J., Notario, R., Jiskra, M., Xu, Y., Wang, F., Thackray, C., Sunderland, E., Jacob, D., Travnikov, O., Cuevas, A. Acuna, C., Rivero, D., Plane, J., Kinnison, D., and Sonke, J.E., Photoreduction of gaseous oxidized mercury changes global atmospheric mercury speciation, transport and deposition, Nature comms., 2018,9, 4796

13. OlsonC., Jiskra, M., Biester, H., Chow, J., Obrist, D., Mercury in Arctic Tundra Soils: Concentrations, Pools, and Spatial Patterns, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 2018, 32, (7), 1058-1073.

12. Jiskra, M., Sonke, J.E., Obrist, D., Bieser, J., Ebinghaus, R., Myhre, C. L., Pfaffhuber, K. A., Wängberg, I., Kyllönen, K., Worthy, D., Martin, L. G., Labuschangne, C., Mkololo, T., Ramonet, M., Magand, O. Dommergue, A vegetation control on seasonal variations in global atmospheric mercury concentration, Nature Geoscience, 2018, 11, 244-250, https://edoc.unibas.ch/65733/

11. Obrist, D., Kirk, J.L., Zhang L., Sunderland E., Jiskra, M., Selin, N., A review of global environmental mercury processes in response to human and natural perturbations: changes of emissions, climate and land use, Ambio, 2018, 47, 116-140, https://edoc.unibas.ch/68582/(ISI highly cited paper, Hot Paper: top 0.1%)

10. Jiskra, M., Wiederhold, J.G., Kronberg, RM., Skyllberg, U., and Kretzschmar, R. Source tracing of natural organic matter bound mercury in boreal forest runoff with mercury stable isotopes, Environ. Sci: Processes Impacts.2017, 19, 1235-1248, https://edoc.unibas.ch/68584/

9. Obrist, D., Y. Agnan, M. Jiskra, C. Olson, D. Colegrove, J. Hueber, C. Moore, J.E. Sonke, D. Helmig, Tundra uptake of atmospheric elemental mercury drives Arctic mercury pollution. Nature, 2017,547 (7662), 201-204. (ISI highly cited paper)

8. Marusczak, N., J.E. Sonke, X. Fu, and M. Jiskra, Tropospheric GOM at the Pic du Midi Observatory – correcting bias in denuder based observations.Environ. Sci. Technol., 2017, 51 (2), 863-869, https://edoc.unibas.ch/68586/

7. Kronberg, R.M., M. Jiskra, J.G. Wiederhold, E. Bjorn, and U. Skyllberg, Methyl Mercury Formation in Hillslope Soils of Boreal Forests: The Role of Forest Harvest and Anaerobic Microbes.Environ. Sci. Technol., 2016. 50 (17), 9177-86, https://edoc.unibas.ch/68587/

6.Kronberg, R.-M., A. Drott, M. Jiskra, J.G. Wiederhold, E. Björn, and U. Skyllberg, Forest harvest contribution to Boreal freshwater methyl mercury load.Global Biogeochem. Cy., 2016, 30 (6), 825-843.

5. Jiskra, M., J.G. Wiederhold, U. Skyllberg, R.M. Kronberg, I. Hajdas, and R. Kretzschmar, Mercury deposition and re-emission pathways in boreal forest soils investigated with Hg isotope signatures.Environ. Sci. Technol., 2015. 49(12), 7188-96, https://edoc.unibas.ch/68588/

4. Wiederhold, J.G., U. Skyllberg, A. Drott, M. Jiskra, S. Jonsson, E. Björn, B. Bourdon, and R. Kretzschmar, Mercury Isotope Signatures in Contaminated Sediments as a Tracer for Local Industrial Pollution Sources.Environ. Sci. Technol., 2015. 49(1), 177-185, https://edoc.unibas.ch/68589/

3. Jiskra, M., D. Saile, J.G. Wiederhold, B. Bourdon, E. Björn, and R. Kretzschmar, Kinetics of Hg(II) exchange between organic ligands, goethite, and natural organic matter studied with an enriched stable isotope approach.Environ. Sci. Technol., 2014, 48 (22), 13207-13217, https://edoc.unibas.ch/68590/

2. Jiskra, M., J.G. Wiederhold, B. Bourdon, and R. Kretzschmar, Solution speciation controls mercury isotope fractionation of Hg(II) sorption to goethite.Environ. Sci. Technol., 2012. 46 (12), 6654-62, https://edoc.unibas.ch/68591/

1. Skarpeli-Liati, M., M. Jiskra, A. Turgeon, A.N. Garr, W.A. Arnold, C.J. Cramer, R.P. Schwarzenbach, and T.B. Hofstetter, Using Nitrogen Isotope Fractionation to Assess the Oxidation of Substituted Anilines by Manganese Oxide. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011. 45 (13), 5596-5604,  edoc.unibas.ch/68592/