Adverse Health Impact of Environmental Contaminants in Southern Alberta, Canada

Adverse Health Impact of Environmental Contaminants in Southern Alberta, Canada

Presenter:    Dr. Hamid Habibi     

Date:               January 25, 2017

Time:              12 - 1pm

Location:      Conference Room ‘A’, Husky Conference Centre, Calgary, AB

                             Plus 30 level, 707-8th Avenue SW (take the escalator up two flights)

Webinar:      https://albertabiology.adobeconnect.com/jan2017/

  CCP:              This presentation entitles ASPB members to earn 1 Professional Development Hour

                            Registration is not required for this event

Description

There is increasing awareness of environmental contaminants that can cause health and environmental damage. In a mutidisciplinary project performed over the past ten years we identified and investigated the impact of environmental contaminants in various locations in Southern Alberta Rivers upstream of major cities as well as downstream sites in the areas with intensive agriculture and animal farms. In addition, urban sites were chosen to monitor water quality issues upstream and downstream of municipal wastewater treatment plants.  The results demonstrate the presence of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals, herbicides, pesticides, plasticizers, phthalate esters, and nonylphenol ethoxylates in receiving river waters of Southern Alberta. We demonstrated that these compounds have hormone-like activity and are present at concentrations capable of causing adverse health effects in humans and wildlife. Our findings provide a strong evidence for cumulative impacts of municipal wastewater, agriculture and large cattle operations within the basin. Our results provide evidence linking environmental contaminants with health problems including behavioural abnormalities, obesity and reproductive disorders.

To address this problem effectively, we initiated an ambitious multidisciplinary project known as Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets (ACWA) to build a unique, world-class research facility embedded within the City of Calgary’s new Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.  The main goal is to advance wastewater treatment technologies to address increasing environmental and public health issues.

Biography

Dr. Habibi received his BSc and Ph.D. degrees from Birmingham, United Kingdom, followed by postdoctoral training at St. Francis Xavier University and the University of Alberta, Canada. He joined the University of Calgary as an Assistant Professor and NSERC Scholar in 1988, and went through the ranks as an academic member. He is currently a full professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Faculty of Science, and Physiology and Pharmacology at the Cumming School of Medicine. Dr. Habibi’s teaching and research interests are in the areas of comparative endocrinology and environmental toxicology. His research contributed to the understanding of the mechanisms of endocrine disruption by environmental contaminants. He also made contribution in the area of hormonal control of reproduction and growth, and led to development of technologies relevant to pharmaceutical, environmental and agri-food/aquaculture industries.

He received a number of International awards including the Grace Pickford Medal by the International Federation of Comparative Endocrinological Societies and a Professorship/Lectureship in Science and Sustainable Development by the UNESCO and the World Academy of Science. He was also recognized by the Award of Excellence in Community Outreach for promoting public awareness in environmental issues from the University of Calgary. He is a frequent keynote and plenary speaker in major national and international events, and has published over 175 peer-reviewed full papers as well as 260 abstracts, short articles and book chapters. He has trained over 45 graduate students (MSc and PhD) and postdoctoral fellows during the past 29 years.

He is a founding co-principle investigator and former acting executive Director of the Advances in Canadian Wastewater Asset (ACWA). He is an active contributor to the scientific community at the national and international level.  He has served as Chair of the NSERC Network Strategic Research Grant Site Visit Committee, member of NSERC Grant Selection Committee, a member of the University of Calgary Board of Governors, and Board of Directors of the University Technologies International, which is responsible for technology transfer, and Commercialization at the University of Calgary. He also served on the editorial boards of several scientific journals, as well as serving as chair of the organizing committees of a number international conferences, including the 18^th International Congress of Comparative Endocrinology to be held in Canada in 2017.

For inquiries about this BBL, contact [email protected]

The ASPB is not responsible for the content of this presentation; the information and views expressed by the presenter(s) are their own.