Dr. Amila O. De Silva

Research Scientist - Environmental chemistry of priority and emerging organic pollutants

Canada Centre for Inland Waters (Burlington, ON)

CURRENT S&T / RESEARCH - Develop knowledge on the distribution, fate and bioaccumulation of priority substances for assessment and management of chemicals

• Conduct bioaccumulation and biotransformation of candidate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aquatic organisms including invertebrate
• Interrogate sources of candidate POPs based on environmental distribution and patterns of pollution
• Contribute information on the environmental fate and disposition including persistence, bioaccumulation, and long range transport potential of chemicals relating to the Chemicals Management Plan
• Studies on new contaminants in foodwebs such as those of the Great Lakes and Arctic terrestrial

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Lee, H., A.O. De Silva, and S.A. Mabury. 2012. Dietary bioaccumulation of perfluorophosphonates and perfluorophosphinates in juvenile Rainbow Trout: evidence of metabolism of perfluorophosphinates. Environ. Sci. Technol. in press.

De Solla, S.R., A.O. De Silva, and R.J. Letcher. 2012. Highly elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate and other perfluorinated acids found in biota and surface water downstream of an international airport, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Environ. Intern. 39: 19-26.

Müller, C.E., A.O. De Silva, J. Small, M. Williamson, X. Wang, A. Morris, S. Katz, M. Gamberg, and D.C.G. Muir. 2011. Biomagnification of perfluorinated compounds in a remote terrestrial food chain: lichen-caribou-wolf. Environ. Sci. Technol., 45: 8665:8673.

De Silva, A.O., C. Spencer, B.F. Scott, S. Backus, and D.C.G. Muir. 2011. Detection of a cyclic perfluorinated acid, perfluoroethylcyclohexane sulfonate in the Great Lakes of North America. Environ. Sci. Technol. 45: 8060-8066.