Senior Research Scientist Oceanography & Hydrography Environmental & Analytical Chemistry Marine Pollution • Ocean Acidification • Radioecology • Blue Carbon Location KMFRI Mombasa Department Oceanography and Hydrography Research Interests Ocean Acidification and Marine Carbonate Chemistry; Radioecology and Environmental Radionuclides; Heavy Metals and Trace Element Analysis; Plastics pollution in Marine Environments; Nanotechnology and Carbon-Based Nanocomposites for Environmental Remediation; Sediment Radioisotope-Based Sediment Dating; Water Quality Monitoring and Coastal Ecosystem Health; Sustainable Blue Economy and Marine Environmental Management | Research Focus: Investigating the occurrence, fate, transport, and ecological impacts of emerging contaminants, ocean acidification, and marine biogeochemistry to inform marine environmental policy and climate adaptation strategies. Dr. Veronica Wanjeri is a Senior Research Scientist at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), Mombasa, Kenya, specializing in environmental and analytical chemistry with a focus on marine environmental pollution, ocean acidification, marine biogeochemistry, and the Blue Economy. Her research focuses on the occurrence, fate, transport, and ecological impacts of emerging contaminants, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and microplastics in marine ecosystems. She also conducts research on ocean acidification, marine carbonate chemistry, blue carbon, radionuclide applications, and environmental isotope techniques to better understand climate change impacts and ecosystem health. Dr. Wanjeri has contributed to numerous national and international research projects supported by organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), IUCN, the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), and NORAD. She has participated in multidisciplinary oceanographic expeditions aboard the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen and KMFRI's R/V Mtafiti, contributing to marine environmental monitoring and sustainable management of marine resources. Her work has generated scientific evidence that informs marine environmental policy, pollution management, and climate adaptation strategies in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean region. She has published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, presented her research at international conferences, supervised students and early-career scientists, and actively collaborates with regional and international institutions to strengthen scientific capacity and advance innovative solutions for sustainable marine ecosystem management. Research & Administrative Responsibility
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Selected Publications Wanjeri, V. W.O, Okuku, E., Ngila, J. C., Waiyaki, E., Nyingi, J. K., & Ndungu, P. G. (2025). Occurrence and distribution of selected pharmaceuticals in fresh fish along the Kenyan coast and assessment of potential human health risks. Environmental Science: Advances, 4(6), 938-951. doi:10.1039/D4VA00392F Wanjeri VWO, Okuku E, Ngila JC, Ouma J, Ndungu PG. (2025). Distribution of pharmaceuticals in marine surface sediment and macroalgae (ulvophyceae) around Mombasa peri-urban creeks and Gazi Bay, Kenya. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. Wanjeri, V. W. O., Okuku, E., Ngila, J. C., & Ndungu, P. G. (2023). Effect of seawater acidification on physiological and energy metabolism responses of the common Cockle (Anadara antiquata) of Gazi Bay, Kenya. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 195, 115500. Wanjeri, V. O. W., Okuku, E., Gachanja, A., Ngila, J. C., and Ndungu, P. G. (2023). Occurrence, distribution, and environmental risk of pharmaceutical residues in Mombasa peri-urban creeks, Kenya. Chemosphere, v. 311, p. 137144. Wanjeri, V. W. O., Okuku, E. O., Barsanti, M., Schirone, A., Delbono, I., Owato, G., and Delfanti, R. (2021). Baseline radionuclide and heavy metal concentrations in sediments of Sabaki River estuary (Kenya, Indian Ocean). Marine Pollution Bulletin, v. 164, p. 112033. Wayayi, V. W., Okuku, E. O., and Ohowa, B. O. (2021). Distribution of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls present in surface sediments of the Sabaki and Tana estuaries, Kenya. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, v. 20, no. 2, p. 57-67. Wanjeri, V. W., Gbashi, S., Ngila, J. C., Njobeh, P., Mamo, M. A., and Ndungu, P. G. (2019). Chemical Vapour Deposition of MWCNT on Silica Coated Fe3O4 and Use of Response Surface Methodology for Optimizing the Extraction of Organophosphorus Pesticides from Water. International Journal of Analytical Chemistry, v. 2019. Wanjeri, V., Sheppard, C., Prinsloo, A., Ngila, J., and Ndungu, P. (2018). Isotherm and kinetic investigations on the adsorption of organophosphorus pesticides on graphene oxide based silica coated magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with 2-phenylethylamine. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, v. 6, no. 1, p. 1333-1346. Wanjeri, V. O., Okuku, E. O., Ohowa, B. O., Kosore, M. C., and Ongore, C. O. (2013). An insight into ecotoxicological significance of PAHs contamination in selected Kenyan estuaries. Journal of Environmental Science and Water Resources, v. 2, no. June, p. 157-166. Kamau, J. N., Ngila, J. C., Kirui, B., Mwangi, S., Kosore, C. M., Wanjeri, V., and Okumu, S. (2015). Spatial variability of the rate of organic carbon mineralization in a sewage-impacted mangrove forest, Mikindani, Kenya. Journal of Soils and Sediments, v. 15, no. 12, p. 2466-2475. Links |
