Estudos de coeficiente de partição mostram que o valor de Kp do metal pode variar ordens de grandeza conforme as características físico-químicas do solo. Portanto, o Kp é um parâmetro sensível no modelo de avaliação de risco à saúde humana, e normalmente é um valor nominal adotado por agências ambientais que pode não representar adequadamente o solo em estudo e implicar erros no cálculo do risco. Este trabalho tem como objetivos: avaliar a contaminação do solo adjacente à usina termoelétrica de Figueira por metais tóxicos; determinar o Kp dos metais As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb e Zn no solo pela razão entre a concentração do metal obtida por digestão com HNO3 concentrado e a concentração do metal obtida por extração com EDTA 0,05 mol L-1 (KpEDTA) ou Ca(NO3)2 0,1 mol L-1 (KpCa(NO3)2); e avaliar a influência do uso dos diferentes valores de Kp no modelo de avaliação de risco à saúde humana C-Soil no cálculo do risco. As principais conclusões foram: os metais contaminantes do solo de Figueira foram As, Cd, Mo, Pb e Zn, e o As foi o elemento mais crítico; tanto o valor de KpCa(NO3)2 quanto o de KpEDTA poderiam ser utilizados no cálculo do risco à saúde humana, no caso de Figueira, exceto para o Pb, mas o KpEDTA seria mais recomendado, por apresentar valores com menor dispersão; os valores nominais de KpCSoil dos metais poderiam ser utilizados para o cálculo de risco à saúde humana no caso de Figueira, ou seja, não teria necessidade de se determinar valores de Kp locais (KpEDTA e KpCa(NO3)2), exceto para o Pb. / Studies of partition coefficient show that Kp values of metals can vary orders of magnitude according to the soil physical-chemistry characteristics. Therefore, the Kp is a sensible parameter in human health risk assessment model. In general, a default value is adopted by environmental agencies and often it is not represent suitably the soil studied and can cause errors in the risk calculation. The objectives of this work are: evaluate the heavy metals soil contamination around the Figueira coal-fired power plant; determine the metal Kp of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil by the ratio between the metal concentration obtained by concentrate HNO3 digestion and the metal concentration obtained by extraction with EDTA 0,05 mol L-1 (KpEDTA) or Ca(NO3)2 0,1 mol L-1 (KpCa(NO3)2); and evaluate the influence of the application of different Kp values in human health risk assessment C-Soil model in risk calculation. The main conclusions of the present study were: As, Cd, Mo, Pb e Zn were the Figueira soil metal contaminants, being As the pollunt of major human health concern; either KpCa(NO3)2 or KpEDTA values could be used for human health risk calculation, in Figueira case, except for Pb, and the KpEDTA values were preferably recommended due to the less dispersion of their values; the KpCSoil metals default values could be applied for the human health risk calculation in Figueira case, in other words, it would not have necessity to determine Kp values of region (KpEDTA and KpCa(NO3)2), except to Pb.

Quantitative soil ingestion studies employing a mass balance tracer approach have been used to determine soil ingestion rate for use in human health risk assessments (HHRAs). Past studies have focused on soil ingestion in populations living in urban/suburban environments and the results have been highly variable. Moreover, there is a paucity of reliable quantitative soil ingestion data to support human health risk assessments of other lifestyles that may be predisposed to ingesting soil, such as indigenous populations following traditional lifestyles. Thus, the primary objective of the research was to determine if populations following lifestyles typical of traditional land use practices in rural or wilderness areas ingest more soil than populations living in urban or suburban environments. Further, the research investigated the use of alternative mass balance tracers, specifically isotopes of the 238U and 232Th decay series, to reduce soil ingestion estimate variability. Mass balance tracer methods were developed and validated in a pilot canine study, and methods using isotope tracers were adapted to permit quantification of sediment ingestion in the benthic fish Moxostoma macrolepidotum (Shorthead Redhorse Sucker). A pilot human soil ingestion study of 7 subjects from an Aboriginal community in British Columbia was conducted over a 3-week period. The mean soil ingestion rate calculated using the daily means of the 4 elemental tracers with the lowest food-to-soil ratios (i.e., Al, Ce, La, Si) was observed to be approximately 74 mg d-1 (standard deviation 91 mg d-1), The median soil ingestion rate was 60 mg d-1, and the 90th percentile was 196 mg d-1. These soil ingestion rate estimates are higher than those currently recommended for HHRAs of adults, and higher than those obtained in most previous studies of adults. However, the estimates are much lower than the earlier qualitative assessments for subsistence lifestyles (i.e., 330-400 mg d-1). The study results also demonstrated that isotopes of the 238U and 232Th decay series radionuclide are not reliable mass balance tracers for estimating soil ingestion in humans; however, they may be useful for quantifying soil and sediment ingestion in wildlife.

Quantitative soil ingestion studies employing a mass balance tracer approach have been used to determine soil ingestion rate for use in human health risk assessments (HHRAs). Past studies have focused on soil ingestion in populations living in urban/suburban environments and the results have been highly variable. Moreover, there is a paucity of reliable quantitative soil ingestion data to support human health risk assessments of other lifestyles that may be predisposed to ingesting soil, such as indigenous populations following traditional lifestyles. Thus, the primary objective of the research was to determine if populations following lifestyles typical of traditional land use practices in rural or wilderness areas ingest more soil than populations living in urban or suburban environments. Further, the research investigated the use of alternative mass balance tracers, specifically isotopes of the 238U and 232Th decay series, to reduce soil ingestion estimate variability. Mass balance tracer methods were developed and validated in a pilot canine study, and methods using isotope tracers were adapted to permit quantification of sediment ingestion in the benthic fish Moxostoma macrolepidotum (Shorthead Redhorse Sucker). A pilot human soil ingestion study of 7 subjects from an Aboriginal community in British Columbia was conducted over a 3-week period. The mean soil ingestion rate calculated using the daily means of the 4 elemental tracers with the lowest food-to-soil ratios (i.e., Al, Ce, La, Si) was observed to be approximately 74 mg d-1 (standard deviation 91 mg d-1), The median soil ingestion rate was 60 mg d-1, and the 90th percentile was 196 mg d-1. These soil ingestion rate estimates are higher than those currently recommended for HHRAs of adults, and higher than those obtained in most previous studies of adults. However, the estimates are much lower than the earlier qualitative assessments for subsistence lifestyles (i.e., 330-400 mg d-1). The study results also demonstrated that isotopes of the 238U and 232Th decay series radionuclide are not reliable mass balance tracers for estimating soil ingestion in humans; however, they may be useful for quantifying soil and sediment ingestion in wildlife.

Quantitative soil ingestion studies employing a mass balance tracer approach have been used to determine soil ingestion rate for use in human health risk assessments (HHRAs). Past studies have focused on soil ingestion in populations living in urban/suburban environments and the results have been highly variable. Moreover, there is a paucity of reliable quantitative soil ingestion data to support human health risk assessments of other lifestyles that may be predisposed to ingesting soil, such as indigenous populations following traditional lifestyles. Thus, the primary objective of the research was to determine if populations following lifestyles typical of traditional land use practices in rural or wilderness areas ingest more soil than populations living in urban or suburban environments. Further, the research investigated the use of alternative mass balance tracers, specifically isotopes of the 238U and 232Th decay series, to reduce soil ingestion estimate variability. Mass balance tracer methods were developed and validated in a pilot canine study, and methods using isotope tracers were adapted to permit quantification of sediment ingestion in the benthic fish Moxostoma macrolepidotum (Shorthead Redhorse Sucker). A pilot human soil ingestion study of 7 subjects from an Aboriginal community in British Columbia was conducted over a 3-week period. The mean soil ingestion rate calculated using the daily means of the 4 elemental tracers with the lowest food-to-soil ratios (i.e., Al, Ce, La, Si) was observed to be approximately 74 mg d-1 (standard deviation 91 mg d-1), The median soil ingestion rate was 60 mg d-1, and the 90th percentile was 196 mg d-1. These soil ingestion rate estimates are higher than those currently recommended for HHRAs of adults, and higher than those obtained in most previous studies of adults. However, the estimates are much lower than the earlier qualitative assessments for subsistence lifestyles (i.e., 330-400 mg d-1). The study results also demonstrated that isotopes of the 238U and 232Th decay series radionuclide are not reliable mass balance tracers for estimating soil ingestion in humans; however, they may be useful for quantifying soil and sediment ingestion in wildlife.

Estudos de coeficiente de partição mostram que o valor de Kp do metal pode variar ordens de grandeza conforme as características físico-químicas do solo. Portanto, o Kp é um parâmetro sensível no modelo de avaliação de risco à saúde humana, e normalmente é um valor nominal adotado por agências ambientais que pode não representar adequadamente o solo em estudo e implicar erros no cálculo do risco. Este trabalho tem como objetivos: avaliar a contaminação do solo adjacente à usina termoelétrica de Figueira por metais tóxicos; determinar o Kp dos metais As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb e Zn no solo pela razão entre a concentração do metal obtida por digestão com HNO3 concentrado e a concentração do metal obtida por extração com EDTA 0,05 mol L-1 (KpEDTA) ou Ca(NO3)2 0,1 mol L-1 (KpCa(NO3)2); e avaliar a influência do uso dos diferentes valores de Kp no modelo de avaliação de risco à saúde humana C-Soil no cálculo do risco. As principais conclusões foram: os metais contaminantes do solo de Figueira foram As, Cd, Mo, Pb e Zn, e o As foi o elemento mais crítico; tanto o valor de KpCa(NO3)2 quanto o de KpEDTA poderiam ser utilizados no cálculo do risco à saúde humana, no caso de Figueira, exceto para o Pb, mas o KpEDTA seria mais recomendado, por apresentar valores com menor dispersão; os valores nominais de KpCSoil dos metais poderiam ser utilizados para o cálculo de risco à saúde humana no caso de Figueira, ou seja, não teria necessidade de se determinar valores de Kp locais (KpEDTA e KpCa(NO3)2), exceto para o Pb. / Studies of partition coefficient show that Kp values of metals can vary orders of magnitude according to the soil physical-chemistry characteristics. Therefore, the Kp is a sensible parameter in human health risk assessment model. In general, a default value is adopted by environmental agencies and often it is not represent suitably the soil studied and can cause errors in the risk calculation. The objectives of this work are: evaluate the heavy metals soil contamination around the Figueira coal-fired power plant; determine the metal Kp of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil by the ratio between the metal concentration obtained by concentrate HNO3 digestion and the metal concentration obtained by extraction with EDTA 0,05 mol L-1 (KpEDTA) or Ca(NO3)2 0,1 mol L-1 (KpCa(NO3)2); and evaluate the influence of the application of different Kp values in human health risk assessment C-Soil model in risk calculation. The main conclusions of the present study were: As, Cd, Mo, Pb e Zn were the Figueira soil metal contaminants, being As the pollunt of major human health concern; either KpCa(NO3)2 or KpEDTA values could be used for human health risk calculation, in Figueira case, except for Pb, and the KpEDTA values were preferably recommended due to the less dispersion of their values; the KpCSoil metals default values could be applied for the human health risk calculation in Figueira case, in other words, it would not have necessity to determine Kp values of region (KpEDTA and KpCa(NO3)2), except to Pb.

Quantitative soil ingestion studies employing a mass balance tracer approach have been used to determine soil ingestion rate for use in human health risk assessments (HHRAs). Past studies have focused on soil ingestion in populations living in urban/suburban environments and the results have been highly variable. Moreover, there is a paucity of reliable quantitative soil ingestion data to support human health risk assessments of other lifestyles that may be predisposed to ingesting soil, such as indigenous populations following traditional lifestyles. Thus, the primary objective of the research was to determine if populations following lifestyles typical of traditional land use practices in rural or wilderness areas ingest more soil than populations living in urban or suburban environments. Further, the research investigated the use of alternative mass balance tracers, specifically isotopes of the 238U and 232Th decay series, to reduce soil ingestion estimate variability. Mass balance tracer methods were developed and validated in a pilot canine study, and methods using isotope tracers were adapted to permit quantification of sediment ingestion in the benthic fish Moxostoma macrolepidotum (Shorthead Redhorse Sucker). A pilot human soil ingestion study of 7 subjects from an Aboriginal community in British Columbia was conducted over a 3-week period. The mean soil ingestion rate calculated using the daily means of the 4 elemental tracers with the lowest food-to-soil ratios (i.e., Al, Ce, La, Si) was observed to be approximately 74 mg d-1 (standard deviation 91 mg d-1), The median soil ingestion rate was 60 mg d-1, and the 90th percentile was 196 mg d-1. These soil ingestion rate estimates are higher than those currently recommended for HHRAs of adults, and higher than those obtained in most previous studies of adults. However, the estimates are much lower than the earlier qualitative assessments for subsistence lifestyles (i.e., 330-400 mg d-1). The study results also demonstrated that isotopes of the 238U and 232Th decay series radionuclide are not reliable mass balance tracers for estimating soil ingestion in humans; however, they may be useful for quantifying soil and sediment ingestion in wildlife.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The increasing evidence of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in water bodies is causing major concern around the world because of their toxicological effects upon humans and aquatic organisms. The release of wastewater to the aquatic environment is most likely to introduce some trace levels of organic contaminants, some of which may be toxic, carcinogenic, or endocrine disruptors, as well as, persistent in the environment. These compounds are often persistent but not regularly monitored because they are mostly still excluded from environmental legislation. Their fate and persistence in the environment are not well understood

Single-use plastic packaging waste is overflowing the Earth’s surface, releasing mi- croplastics that contaminate our food. This poses serious threats and concerns to food safety and security. The project aims to raise public awareness about the issue of microplastic con- tamination in the food system. It will use friendly visual language to help people understand how plastic waste from local recycling stations can end up back on their plates and in their bodies. The outcome of the project is a dining workshop that explores the journey of microplastics into the food system. Visual elements and dishes are used as tools to connect partic- ipants with this complex issue. This enables the audience to learn, think critically and reflect on their daily plastic consumption habits. It inspires them to take responsibility and makea change towards reducing plastic waste. Currently, there is no clear scientific literature on whether there is a potential risk to humans associated with exposure to microplastics in food.

Human activities over the years, especially the unconventional exploitation of oil sands deposits, downstream on the Athabasca River (AR), might have affected the water quality and ecological integrity of the river basin, thereby presenting a threat to the environment and human health. There have been concerns that the oil sands process-affected waters stored in tailing ponds may be percolating to surface waters as well as underground waters, contaminating neighboring watersheds with a cocktail of chemicals including Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are present both naturally and from human activities as pollutants in the environment. Forest fires, geologic activities, and oil seeps are examples of natural sources of PAHs in the environment. The major sources of PAHs in the Athabasca region are leaching of oil sands deposits and contamination from oil sands production. On occasions, forest fires contribute PAHs in the area. There has been no comparative data on the exposure of PAHs to fish along the AR and Slave River. I used an integrative monitoring of selected fishes as an indicator to achieve four objectives: i) describe the spatial and seasonal distribution of measurable concentrations of products of biotransformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PBPAH) in bile of fish; ii) determine the levels of parent PAHs in the muscle of fish, and extrapolate the data to estimate potential risk to human consumers, and to identify which species and geographic regions, if any, pose the greatest risk to humans; iii) use patterns of contamination to provide a scientific basis for elucidating the source of contamination; and iv) perform fish health investigation by collecting morphometric health measures and perform a systematic assessment of the occurrence of lesions in the fishes. I sampled whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), jackfish/northern pike (Esox luscius), walleye (Sander vitreus), goldeye (Hiodon alosoides) and burbot (Lota lota) from Fort McMurray, Fort McKay, and Fort Chipewyan in Alberta, and from Fort Smith and Fort Resolution on the Slave River in the Northwest Territories. The rationale for selecting fishes included: their abundance along the basin (some have short ranges, e.g., northern pike); their dietary/nutritional and cultural significance to communities in the area; their feeding strategy, such as benthic, supra-benthic, or pelagic, trophic status, and patterns of migration and habits of spawning. I addressed the first objective in Chapter 2, where the total PBPAHs were determined. Concentrations of products of biotransformation of 2 and 3-ringed, 4-ringed, and 5-ringed PAHs were measured using synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. Spatial and seasonal differences were observed with greater concentrations of PBPAHs in samples of bile of fish collected from Fort McKay as well as greater concentrations of PBPAHs in bile of fish collected during summer compared to those collected in other seasons. Overall, PBPAHs were greater in fishes of lower trophic levels and fishes more closely associated with sediments. In particular, goldeye (Hiodon alosoides), consistently contained greater concentrations of all the PBPAHs studied. In Chapter 3, I achieved the second objective by measuring levels of parent PAHs in muscle of selected fishes and extrapolated the results to determine potential human health risks due to fish consumption. Dorsal muscle of fishes from upstream reaches of the AR close to oil sands extraction and upgrading activities, contained greater concentrations of individual PAHs than concentrations in muscle of fishes from further downstream in the Slave River. Risks posed by PAHs to humans were assessed using a B[a]P equivalents approach. According to the risk assessment results, the average lifetime risk of additional cancers for humans who consumed fish was less than 10-6. In Chapter 4, alkylated PAHs were also measured in fish muscle to achieve the third objective. The general presence of naphthalenes and phenanthrenes and the evaluation of molecular ratios (i.e., LMW/HMW alkyl-PAHs) allowed me to conclude that the major source of pollution is petrogenic, probably due to increases in oil sand activities around Fort McMurray and Fort McKay. I achieved the fourth objective in Chapter 5 by studying the health status and potential effects of industrial development on individuals of economically and culturally significant fishes. A resurgence in condition factor of all species after a low in 2011 was observed. Annual variation was also observed in condition factor and the incidence of anomalies or lesions. Morphometric data demonstrated relatively consistent health among fishes in both the Athabasca and Slave rivers. Analysis of condition factor and somatic indices did not demonstrate consistent differences along the river system. Overall, the health of fish as determined by the metrics employed in this study, does not appear to be adversely affected by the current level of development in the Alberta oil sands region. The data presented in this dissertation make invaluable contribution to the much needed monitoring program in the Athabasca and Slave Rivers. Overall, my findings provide baseline data on fish health, concentrations of parent and alkylated PAHs, and products of biotransformation of PAH in five species of large-bodied fishes consumed by humans in communities in the Lower Athabasca and Slave River basin. These results will be useful for establishing the status and trends and spatial distribution of PAHs during monitoring of the lower Athabasca basin and most importantly, as a valuable reference point before any potential permitted discharges of wastewaters from processing of oil sands to the AR.

The conventional battery for genotoxicity testing is not well-suited to assessing the large number of chemicals needing evaluation. Traditional in vitro tests lack throughput capacity, provide little mechanistic information, and have poor specificity in predicting in vivo genotoxicity. The Health Canada GeneTox21 research program is developing a multi-endpoint platform for modernized in vitro genotoxicity assessment. The GeneTox21 assays include the TGx-DDI transcriptomic biomarker (i.e., 64-gene expression signature to identify DNA damage-inducing (DDI) substances), the MicroFlow® assay (i.e., a flow cytometry-based micronucleus (MN) test), and the MultiFlow® assay (i.e., a multiplexed flow cytometry-based reporter assay that yields mechanism-of-action (MoA) information). As part of GeneTox21 development, the objective of this study was to investigate the utility of the TGx-DDI transcriptomic biomarker, multiplexed with the MicroFlow® and MultiFlow® assays, as an integrated testing strategy for screening data-poor substances prioritized by Health Canada’s New Substances Assessment and Control Bureau. Human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells were exposed to 3 control and 10 data-poor substances, using a 6-point concentration range. Cells were exposed for 4 hours with or without exogenous metabolic activation. Gene expression profiling was conducted using the targeted TempO-SeqTM assay, and the TGx-DDI classifier was applied to the dataset. Classifications were compared with those based on the MicroFlow® and MultiFlow® assays. Benchmark Concentration (BMC) modeling was used for potency ranking. The results of the integrated hazard calls indicate that five data-poor compounds are genotoxic in vitro, causing DNA damage via a clastogenic MoA, and one is positive via a pan-genotoxic MoA. Two compounds are likely irrelevant positives in the MN test; two are considered possibly genotoxic causing DNA damage via an ambiguous MoA. From quantitative analyses of concentration-response data, we observed nearly identical potency rankings for each assay with two main potency groups being observed. This ranking was maintained when all endpoint BMCs were converted into a single score using the Toxicological Prioritization (ToxPi) approach. Overall, this study contributes to the establishment of a modernized approach for effective genotoxicity assessment and chemical prioritization for further regulatory scrutiny. We conclude that integration of the TGx-DDI biomarker with other GeneTox21 assays is an effective NAM-based strategy for genotoxicity assessment of data-poor compounds.