Grant: Canada Research Chairs

One of the key challenges for responsible and sustainable development in the rapidly changing Arctic is the ecological and human health risk posed by remobilization of legacy contaminants stored in the Arctic environment and introduction of emerging contaminants from industrial activities. The objective of this research program is to support governance of Arctic and Northern development by advancing urgently needed knowledge to reduce and mitigate the risk of contaminants of Arctic concern. Specifically, the research aims to quantify melting glaciers as a mercury source to improve projections of Arctic marine ecosystem recovery from mercury contamination, understand the weathering behaviour of microplastics and its impact on the sea ice and marine environment, and co-develop with Indigenous rightsholders and other stakeholders oil spill response techniques that are appropriate and accessible to Arctic communities. The research approach will integrate experimental studies, modelling, and knowledge co-development. Knowledge co-development will fully engage partners across multiple disciplines, sectors, and knowledge systems (especially Indigenous Knowledge) to incorporate Multiple-Ways-of-Knowing and to inform research priorities and experimental design. Modeling will be based on our recent framework of a global climate-contaminant-and-risk model for projecting human health impact under various emission scenarios in a changing climate to identify critical knowledge gaps. Experimental studies will be carried out at laboratory, mesocosm, and field scales to address the role of the rapidly changing Arctic cryosphere on the fate and effects of mercury, microplastics, and oil spills to support knowledge co-development and improve modelling and model projections. The research program is novel in that it will create new knowledge on environmental chemical processes at freezing temperatures as relevant to the Arctic cryosphere and contaminants, which represents a new frontier for scientific discovery. It is also novel in that the research relies on a co-development approach to ensure relevance and appropriateness, and to facilitate knowledge mobilization and uptake. The knowledge and highly qualified personnel trained through the program will directly support technological and policy innovations for pollution reduction and control to ensure responsible and sustainable Arctic development for the benefit of Indigenous peoples, all Canadians, and global society.