Mercury Toxicology and Risk Assessment

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PROGRAM SCOPE***Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant and there is strong evidence that the emission, in particular from coal-burning power plants, will increase by 50% in 2050. Hg is a known neurotoxicant and can have adverse effects on the health of fish, wildlife and human populations in different ecosystems around the world. The overarching goal of our research program is to understand the mechanisms of the adverse effects of environmental contaminants such as Hg on ecosystem health and develop new tools for risk assessment and public health intervention. ***Over the past 6 years of NSERC funding, my group has contributed new insights into the molecular mechanisms of Hg, its interactions with nutrients such as selenium and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and the development of novel biomarkers for wildlife and human populations. Our research results have been contributed to the wildlife and public health management and policy from the regional to the international levels. The contributions of my NSERC program have trained a significant number of graduate and undergraduate students from all over the world, who have gone on to take positions in university, industry, and government.*********OBJECTIVES OF NSERC PROGRAM***I propose to study the underlying mechanisms of delayed effects of MeHg prenatal exposure, the modulating effects of gut-microbiota on mercury elimination and the application of the results of the basic research to risk assessment and risk management purposes. Specific objectives are: *** **** **a. To study mechanisms of MeHg effects on neural stem cell development and their roles on delayed MeHg effects;***b. To study effects of diet alteration in gut microbiome on mercury metabolism;***c. To study the relationship between body burden of MeHg and fecal microbiota in river otters; and ****d. To study the proteomic changes in different brain regions and the relationship between body burden of mercury in beluga whales and polar bears.***A total of 10 BSc, 3 MSc, 5 Ph.D. and 1 PDF will be trained in the proposed program. **********SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY***Our approach of studying the same endpoints in keystone mammalian species (including human) is novel and relevant. The understanding of how fetal exposure to mercury can cause long-term effects decades later will be groundbreaking. We also have the capacity to use the findings from cutting-edge basic experiments for applied wildlife and epidemiological studies. Our results may be used to establish thresholds for ecosystem health management purposes.*** *** **