Biomonitoring is the use of organisms and organic materials to quantitatively measure elements of interest in the environment. The advantages of biomonitoring for anthropogenic pollution include (1) organisms concentrate chemicals to measurable concentrations, (2) organisms can reflect average pollution over a time interval, and (3) concentration in the organisms reflects the bioavailable fraction of the pollutant (Bjerregaard et al., 2015). Fish, in particular, are excellent biomonitors in aquatic systems. My research focuses on the use of Pacific salmon (chinook, chum, pink) as biomonitors for anthropogenic metal contamination in the Pacific Ocean offshore British Columbia (BC). We are measuring elemental concentrations and lead isotopic compositions by HR-ICP-MS in a variety of tissue types from salmon of different ages to establish strong, reproducible methodology, and identify potential metal sources in the Strait of Georgia, BC.
Graduate Council Coordinator, EOAS, University of British Columbia (2021 - present)
BSc (Honours, 1st Class). Geology, University of Calgary (2020)
Chase, J. E., Arizaleta, M. L., Tutolo, B. M. 2021. A Series of Data-Driven Hypotheses for Inferring Biogeochemical Conditions in Alkaline Lakes and Their Deposits Based on the Behavior of Mg and SiO2, Minerals, doi: 10.3390/min11020106
