Regional Contaminants Analysis Laboratory - Project Leader: Michael Ikonomou

Assess dioxin/furan, PCBs, PBDEs and pesticide contamination in environmental samples from the Pacific Region and elsewhere in DFO. The data produced are used to: a) monitor water quality and regulate fisheries and b) to project contaminant fate and pathways.  The lab provides analytical support to: a) contaminants monitoring program of HEB Water Quality Unit; b) regional research projects; c) to collaborative projects the Pacific region has with all other DFO regions, Universities and other national and international research establishments. Our analytical facility has the capacity to analyze hundreds of environmental samples annually for more than 20 classes of environmental contaminants.  This provides the opportunity for other DFO sectors nation-wide to have samples analyzed in our laboratory on a cost-recovery basis, an undertaking that facilities inter-regional collaborative research in a very cost-effective way.  The RDL also develops novel GC/HRMS and LC/ESI-MS/MS based analytical methods for the determination of "new-era" contaminants in complex environmental matrices.

Assess dioxin/furan, PCBs, PBDEs and pesticide contamination in environmental samples from the Pacific Region and elsewhere in DFO. The data produced are used to: a) monitor water quality and regulate fisheries and b) to project contaminant fate and pathways. The lab provides analytical support to: a) contaminants monitoring program of HEB Water Quality Unit; b) regional research projects; c) to collaborative projects the Pacific region has with all other DFO regions, Universities and other national and international research establishments. Our analytical facility has the capacity to analyze hundreds of environmental samples annually for more than 20 classes of environmental contaminants. This provides the opportunity for other DFO sectors nation-wide to have samples analyzed in our laboratory on a cost-recovery basis, an undertaking that facilities inter-regional collaborative research in a very cost-effective way. The RDL also develops novel GC/HRMS and LC/ESI-MS/MS based analytical methods for the determination of "new-era" contaminants in complex environmental matrices.

Analyze a wide range of environmental samples (including QA/QC and inter-calibration samples) for dioxins/furans and other organohalogen contaminants and "new-era" endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) for DFO Pacific Region (science, HEB-WQU and other sectors), and other DFO sectors from across the country.

The Regional Dioxin Laboratory has been providing analytical support to HEB Water Quality Unit in the Pacific region since 1992. Samples from the HEB contaminants monitoring program are analyzed for dioxins/furans, PCBs and PBDEs. The data are submitted to Health Canada for evaluation and based on the findings fisheries openings and closures are regulated accordingly. The data are also published in DFO technical or data reports and in the open literature. The RDL also provides analytical support to numerous regional and national contaminants related projects and the findings are primarily published in the open literature. Some recent publications that have resulted from the RDL data are listed in Dr. Ikonomou's publications page.

Contaminants Fate and Transport, International Collaborations - Project Leader: Michael Ikonomou

Examine the presence, environmental pathways and fate of classical (dioxins/furans, PCBs) and new-era (PBDEs, PCDEs, NP, PEs and other EDCs) environmental contaminants from combustion processes and industrial and municipal discharges in cooperation with a large number of government and non-government agencies: Health Canada, Environment Canada, Alberta Health, Alberta Environment, City of Calgary, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Pohang University, Trent University, University of Toronto, Institute of Marine Resources and Environment in Japan, Korea Oceanographic Research and Development Institute (KORDI), Center for Disease and Prevention Control China.  Also, through these collaborations we provide ultra-trace contaminants analyses training to scientists, chemists, graduate students and support staff from the organizations we collaborate with.

Analyze representative samples from combustion processes and industrial and municipal discharges. Identify characteristic dioxin/furan, PCBs and PBDEs congener patterns produced by various combustion and industrial processes.  Examine the fate and impacts of classical and new-era contaminants of interest in industrial and municipal discharges. Develop an understanding of contaminant pathways through ecosystems of interest to DFO, through analyses of samples not normally available to DFO from internal programs

Numerous research papers reflecting the collaborative work undertaken have been published and are listed in Dr. Ikonomou's publications page.