Research Activities
Risk Assessment
Risk Assessments (RAs) for metals in the environment integrate ecological and human health risks, and are often both site specific and community based as it is recognized that involving the community in RA is key to successfully conducting the RA and ommunicating risk. Ingested soil, water and foods are the principal routes of exposure of humans to metals. In addition, the biotic communities in soils and waters are themselves potentially at risk because of the redistribution of metals among environmental compartments by natural and anthropogenic processes. These issues are critical components of many CBRAs for metals that are either underway, or on the horizon, in Canada.
The three themes of research for the Metals in the Human Environment (MITHE) Research Network (2005-09) focus on these components. Each theme will improve estimates of the bioavailable fraction of metals, identifying the factors that modify metal bioavailability (and movement of metals into the food chain), and distinguishing anthropogenic from background contributions. The targeted metals of the MITHE-SN science program (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Se, TI) were chosen because of trophic transfer and sector-specific issues.
Network RA Consultants are:
Dr. Peter Chapman
(peter_chapman@golder.com)
Dr. Steve Sheppard
(sheppards@ecomatters.com)
Aquatic Theme
The research under “Water” is focused on predicting biotic uptake and accumulation of metals on the basis of water chemistry and animal physiology, enabling predictions of toxicity and/or potential for trophic transfer which include bioavailability and bioaccessibility into environmental quality criteria for metals.
University-based and government-based team leaders
are:
Dr. Uwe Borgmann
(uwe.borgmann@ec.gc.ca)
Dr. Peter Campbell
(peter.campbell@ete.inrs.ca)
Soils + Plants Theme
The “Soils” theme will address the controls on bioaccessibility and bioavailability of metals in soils, as they influence their fate and effects.
University-based and government-based team leaders are:
Dr. William Hendershot
(william.hendershot@mcgill.ca)
Dr. Andy Rencz
(rencz@nrcan.gc.ca)
Foods and Ingested Particles Theme
The “Ingesteds” theme will focus on the application of in vitro methods for estimating the bioavailable and bioaccessible fractions of metals in foods and inhaled particles, and validating these laboratory observations with field-based studies. The results will contribute to the development of new metal criteria for soils, water, and food which incorporate bioavailability of metal of concern in the environmental compartment for which risk is being assessed which will lead to the development of more informed environmental quality standards.
University-based and government-based team leaders are:
Dr. Robert Garrett
(garrett@nrcan.gc.ca)
Dr. Beverley Hale
(bhale@uoguelph.ca)
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