Sampling platform for environmental toxicology and chemistry studies of airborne contaminants

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In Canada, about 80% of the population lives in urban areas, which are globally the most important emitters of airborne contaminants in addition to wildfires. However, the environmental risks of these atmospheric contaminants are poorly quantified, in part due to analytical difficulties in obtaining high-quality air samples and measuring the concentrations of a large suite of contaminants to assess human and wildlife exposure. Active air samplers (AAS) are the most common and reliable instruments used today to obtain high-quality samples for the measurement of gaseous, semi-volatile, and particulate contaminants. The present multidisciplinary and diverse research team composed of Dr. Verreault (ecotoxicology; U. du Québec à Montréal), Dr. Zhang (environmental chemistry and modelling; Concordia U.), Dr. McKinney (wildlife ecology and ecotoxicology; McGill U.), Dr. Hayes (atmospheric chemistry; U. de Montréal), and Dr. Liu (environmental engineering and chemistry; McGill U.) urgently needs specific AAS models to address critical questions related to urban air pollution associated with human and wildlife health. The team leads innovative and high-quality research projects necessitating sampling and analysis of a wide range of contaminants in various environmental samples (air, soil, water, sediments, and biota) to document their sources, fate, and exposure-related effects in wildlife and humans. However, the present team currently does not possess or has access to adequate AAS models in our respective universities or through collaborating institutions in Quebec. We therefore request funds from NSERC to urgently purchase three models of AAS (low- and high-volume, and impactor) with specific configurations and associated equipment/materials forming a complete air sampling platform to ensure the realisation and success of our ongoing (and future) research programs and collaborative projects. This air sampling platform, which currently does not exist in Quebec, will provide the team with unique capacity to perform environmental toxicology and chemistry studies of airborne contaminants. The proposed air sampling platform is intended to be used at full capacity by the team and their HQP as it will be deployed in different contaminated urban/industrial sites (e.g., cities, wastewater treatment plant aeration ponds, along roads, etc.) and reference sites for a few days up to several weeks over different years and times of the year to characterize spatial, seasonal, and inter-annual contaminant level variations. Because of the widespread use of air sampling techniques in environmental research and monitoring in academia as well as the public (federal and provincial governments) and private sectors (e.g., environmental consultant firms), HQP will benefit greatly from training on this unique air sampling platform.