Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Human activities release many anthropogenic chemicals to the natural environment. Some of these chemicals are produced and consumed with high volumes globally, may be persistent in the environment and pose risks to ecosystems and humans. Thus, the sources, pathways and environmental fate of anthropogenic chemicals are of significant scientific and public concern. In recent years, there has been increasing attention paid to the environmental behavior of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) such as plastic additives, industrial byproducts, and personal care products. They may enter the environment during manufacture, application, and waste disposal processes. Many of these substances are potentially toxic to organisms and humans at low concentrations, but they are not commonly monitored and regulated. Substituted diphenylamine antioxidants (SDPAs), benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BZT-UVs), and polyhalogenated carbazoles (PHCZs) are three classes of chemicals that are present in many products such as plastics, rubbers, fuels, lubricants, dyes, food packages, and personal care products. These compounds are potentially persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic in the environment. However, our knowledge about the ecological risks of these contaminants is insufficient. To this end, this research program will investigate: (1) the sources and pathways of target CECs in the aquatic environment; (2) the biomagnification behavior of target CECs in aquatic food webs; and (3) the biotransformation processes of target CECs. This research will use the St. Lawrence River System as the study site. By understanding the sources, pathways, and environmental fate of these CECs, we can access the exposure risks of humans and organisms to these contaminants and develop rational approaches to protecting human and ecosystem health.