Marta Venier

Education

• Ph.D., Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, 2008
• Laurea in Chemistry, University of Trieste, Italy, 2002

Biography

Dr. Marta Venier specializes in the fields of environmental chemistry and environmental toxicology including spatial statistics, public health, and human exposure to toxic chemicals. After earning her laurea degree in Italy, Marta Venier arrived in Bloomington in 2004 to pursue her Ph.D. in environmental science. After completing her doctorate, Venier continued working in SPEA Professor Ron Hites''s laboratory, first as a post-doctoral associate, and now as an associate scientist.

Most of Venier''s work to date has focused on the monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment such as precipitation, air, and biota, with particular study of flame retardants which are widely used in products found in everyday activities. Her studies on flame retardants in bald eagles in the Great Lakes region as well as in pet animals (both cats and dogs) were extensively covered in the news. Her cats'' serum study, featured on the cover of Environmental Science & Technology, found that the concentration of flame-retardants in cats'' serum is higher than that found in humans, despite the fact that they share the same environment.

As part of her work within the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN), Venier examines various contaminants in air and precipitation in the Great Lakes region. She has expanded her focus to other media such as water and sediments with colleagues from Environment Canada and the University of Iowa.

In 2014, Venier co-authored four articles in peer reviewed journals. One of those articles was the result of collaboration with Professor Jana Klanova from Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment as part of the Czech Republic Czech-American Scientific Cooperation Program.