Dr. Mary-Claire Buell is an Assistant professor cross-appointed with the School of the Environment and Department of Forensic Science at Trent University. Her research examines the sources, fate, and impacts of environmental contaminants, with a focus on both organic and inorganic pollutants in freshwater and aquatic ecosystems.
Dr. Buell’s work integrates environmental toxicology with impact and risk assessment to better understand how contaminants such as PFAS, mercury, and other pollutants affect water systems, fish, and communities. A core feature of her research approach is community-based and partnership-driven science, working across disciplines and sectors to address complex environmental challenges related to pollution, mining, and resource extraction.
Dr. Buell is the founder and director of the TRransdisciplinary Action confronting Contaminants in the Environment(TRACE) Lab, where she leads collaborative research on environmental contamination, aquatic ecosystem health, and risk assessment. Through TRACE, her work brings together academic researchers, communities, governments, and industry partners to support environmental monitoring and generate science that informs decision-making, environmental protection, and public understanding.
Buell, M.-C., Ritchie, D., Ryan, K. & Metcalfe, C. (2020). Using Indigenous and Western knowledge systems for environmental risk assessment. Ecological Applications. (Trent University)
Dr. Mary-Claire Buell’s research examines the occurrence, transport, and biological effects of environmental contaminants in freshwater and aquatic ecosystems. Her work focuses on both organic and inorganic pollutants, including emerging contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and legacy contaminants such as mercury, with particular attention to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and impacts on fish and aquatic food webs.
An important component of her research integrates environmental toxicology with impact and risk assessment to better understand how contaminant exposure affects ecosystem health and human–environment relationships. Her work frequently addresses pollution associated with mining and resource extraction, examining how industrial activities influence water quality, ecological integrity, and long-term environmental risk.
Dr. Buell’s research is grounded in community-based and partnership-driven approaches and is often conducted in collaboration with Indigenous communities, governments, and industry partners. Through transdisciplinary research methods, her work brings together scientific, local, and applied knowledge systems to support environmental monitoring, decision-making, and the development of practical solutions to complex environmental challenges.