Graduate Students

Owen Armstrong, PhD Candidate

ɬ�﷬ - Chemical Engineering

Wastewater management faces rising pressure as emerging contaminants and growing demand strain conventional treatment. Cellulose fibers can improve contaminant removal, speed processing, and reduce reliance on synthetic coagulants by increasing floc size and maturation. My project explores how surface-modified cellulose super-bridging agents can enhance performance. Using chemical synthesis and applied materials science, this research aims to better remove nanoplastics and dissolved hydrocarbons from wastewater.

Krishnaveni Kannan, PhD Candidate

ɬ�﷬ - Chemical Engineering

My research focuses on removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from wastewater using coagulation–flocculation and fiber-based treatments. I evaluate coagulants (alum, ferric chloride, advanced) and flocculants (cationic/anionic PAM, pDADMAC) to determine optimal removal. The study also tests pristine or functionalized fibers with powdered activated carbon (PAC) to improve efficiency. I assess how co-contaminants—TSS, organic matter, and nanoplastics—affect PFAS removal, aiming to identify correlations and simple performance indicators.

Ambroise Bellamy - PhD Candidate

Polytechnique Montréal - Civil Engineering

Wastewater treatment plants are recognized as a major source of micro- and nanoplastics released into the environment, with nanoplastics remaining largely unquantified. This PhD project aims to develop a standardized sample pretreatment protocol for the reliable identification and quantification of micro- and nanoplastics in wastewater, and to assess their biodegradation by biofilms in biological treatment processes. Building on a first published phase focused on microplastics, the project extends to the nanoscale and to biodegradation under realistic conditions. By integrating analytical chemistry, microbiology and process engineering, this interdisciplinary research will provide municipalities with practical tools to better monitor and reduce plastic pollution.

Donald Bimpong, PhD Candidate

ɬ�﷬ - Food Science

Single-use plastic food contact materials are widely used but raise significant food safety concerns due to the migration of chemical substances into food. These include intentionally added additives such as plasticizers, stabilizers, and flame retardants, as well as non-intentionally added substances formed as impurities or degradation products. Many of these chemicals occur as complex mixtures that are often overlooked in safety assessments. This study aims to investigate chemical mixtures leached from single-use plastics by developing a standard protocol to generate microplastics, along with robust targeted and non-targeted analytical methods to characterize migrated chemicals from both bulk plastics and derived microplastics. The methods will be applied to food packaging materials from Canada and Ghana, supporting improved food safety, sustainability, and regulatory decision-making.

Brenda Li Ludena, Master's Candidate

University of Toronto - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

For my research, I am conducting a preliminary ecological risk assessment of microplastics in Peru. I am collaborating with local government agencies to generate site-specific monitoring data on microplastic concentrations in the northern and central coast, as well as Lake Titicaca. We are then applying the data to existing quantitative ecological risk assessment and management frameworks, adapted to the Peruvian context. This research will provide baseline data on microplastic pollution in Peru that can be used to inform policy and management strategies, support future monitoring programs and contribute to global efforts to understand and mitigate the ecological risks of microplastics.

Philip Johnsen, PhD Candidate

ɬ�﷬ - Chemical Engineering

Antifouling paints used on marine vessels wear away throughout the season representing an environmentally relevant example of micro- and nanoplastics. Furthermore, these paints contain biocides to prevent the growth/attachment of plants and fauna to boats. However, these added chemicals may leach into waters contributing to toxicity. Presently, the effects of this complex mixture to aquatic organisms are largely unknown. My research focuses on using omics techniques to assess the toxicity of complex mixtures to aquatic ecosystems and understand how humans impact the environment. The toxicity of antifouling paints to aquatic invertebrates will be assessed using multi-omic techniques combined with traditional toxicity indicators.

Yeri Manjarres, Master's Candidate

INRS-ETE - Water Science

My research focuses on understanding the effects of lanthanum alone or combined with all the other rare earth elements, on Daphnia magna, a small crustacean widely used in ecotoxicology. We seek to identify changes in gene expression and the molecular pathways activated after exposing Daphnia across a range of concentrations, which will be observed using transcriptomics to identify dose-dependent molecular responses associated with sublethal and toxic effects. This approach allows the exploration of adaptive responses at low concentrations and biological perturbations at higher concentrations, contributing to a mechanistic understanding of metal toxicity.

Zoë Ungku Fa'iz, PhD Candidate

University of Toronto - Physical and Environmental Sciences

Currently a PhD student in Dr. Chelsea Rochman’s lab at the University of Toronto, I am developing automated Raman and FTIR spectroscopy workflows by using colorful, chemically diverse plastics and thorough validation of recovery to rapidly and reliably characterize microplastics in environmental samples. Previously, I researched microplastics in landfill leachate and worked with the U of T Trash Team to divert and characterize plastics from the Toronto waterfront. Outside of the lab, I enjoy communicating science creatively and have made a stop‑motion film from discarded plastics to make this often overlooked source of pollution more visible to my community.

Arav Saherwala, PhD Candidate

ɬ�﷬ - Chemical Engineering

Microplastics and nanoplastics are prevalent in every corner of the globe. As such, understanding how they impact the environment and life is crucial to mitigate their harm. My research focuses on developing methods to detect plastic particles within organisms, understanding their transport in aquatic environments, and investigating their interactions with other chemicals and contaminants.

William Chapman, Master's Candidate

ɬ�﷬ - Biology

Lake ecosystems have been changing as a result of human impacts, including climate change and land-use changes. My research focuses on how these human impacts have altered processes within lakes, and how this has affected the accumulation of multiple metal contaminants in Canadian lakes over time. Within-lake processes such as organic matter distribution, primary production, and sediment deposition, interact with each other to drive metal contaminant deposition. Understanding which processes, both within lakes and outside of lakes, are most important for driving contaminant deposition is crucial to properly managing the effects of metal contamination on lake ecosystems.

Fulgence Macha, PhD Candidate

ɬ�﷬ - Chemical Engineering

Paint-derived particles are an emerging but underexplored source of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments, primarily originating from antifouling paints on ships and recreational boats. My research focuses on characterizing and quantifying these particles in environmental samples using advanced spectroscopic and mass spectrometry techniques, including O-PTIR, Pyro GC-MS, and ICP-MS. I also investigate their effects on aquatic species at both the organismal and molecular levels. By providing detailed insights into the occurrence and impacts of paint-derived particles, this study aims to inform and support the development of policies for plastic pollution monitoring in Québec, across Canada, and globally.