Elvira Vergara Pineda

Dr. Vergara is an environmental ecotoxicologist whose research spans ecosystems from polar regions to urban centers. Work in polar environments includes investigations of the bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in Antarctic marine mammals. Research in temperate systems has examined mercury biomagnification in Chilean river food webs using stable isotopes and transcriptomics. Collaborative contributions include global 6PPD‑Q mapping efforts and studies of 6PPD‑Q in rainwater, advancing understanding of occurrence patterns and ecological risk. Current work centers on the microbiome within urban grime and its interactions with air chemistry, emphasizing microbial influences on pollutant transformation, atmospheric reactivity, and exposure pathways across urban environments.