Oceanographer Henrietta Dulai studies global water cycle and pollution

Henrietta Dulai, a Slovak radiochemist and chemical oceanographer, is conducting research at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa regarding the global water cycle and its increasing pollution. Her work focuses on how climate change and human activities impact water quality, specifically examining the movement and mixing of water in coastal areas and continental shelves using geochemical tracers.

Dulai’s research includes developing new measurement methods and scientific instruments to study nutrient cycles, trace metals, and anthropogenic pollutants. Her findings highlight that drinking water issues are not limited to remote islands but are becoming a global concern. She has noted specific environmental challenges, such as increased salinity in the water supply on Rapa Nui and the ecological consequences of the Fukushima disaster.