Dr. Mehran Alaee

Research Scientist - Environmental Mass Spectrometry - Priority Substances Exposure

Current research and/or projects

Determination of sources and fate of emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as brominated flame-retardants (BFRs), organosilicon compounds and synthetic dyes to the Great Lakes and the Arctic

  • Determination of the impact of volatile methyl silicones on Canadian environment and health of  Canadians under the Chemical Management Plan
  • Application of mass spectrometry based techniques in identification and characterization of emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment; and  characterization of unknown variable compounds using gas chromatography/time of flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/quadrupole quardrupole time of flight mass spectrometry
  • Analytical methods for quantification of emerging BFRs by  gas chromatography/ high resolution mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MSMS)
  • Development of new sampling and analytical techniques to streamline determination of contaminants in environmental matrices    

Professional activities / interests

Member of Editorial Board for Chemosphere

Member of International Advisory Board for Dioxin Symposia

Member, International Advisory Board for International BFR Workshops

Guest editor, Chemosphere special issues on brominated flame retardants in the environment (February 2002 and June 2006) and Halogenated Persistent Organic Pollutants (August 2008)

Education and awards

Visiting Fellowships in Canadian Government Laboratories (PDF) (1991-1992)

Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) (1989-1991)

B.Sc., Biochemistry, Concordia University

Ph.D., Analytical Chemistry, University of Guelph

Key publications

adjagbo, K., A. Furtos, M. Alaee, S. Moore and S. Sauvé. 2009. Direct Analysis of Volatile Methylsiloxanes in Gaseous Matrixes Using Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Anal. Chem. 81:7288–7293

Bennett, E.R., P.S. Ross, D. Huff, M. Alaee and R.J. Letcher. 2009. Chlorinated and brominated organic contaminants and metabolites in the plasma and diet of a captive killer whale (Orcinus orca). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58:1078–1095.

Fair, P.A., H.B. Lee, J. Adams, C. Darling, G. Pacepavicius, M. Alaee, G.D. Bossart, N. Henry and D. Muir. 2009. Occurrence of triclosan in plasma of wild Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and in their environment. Environmental Pollution, 157:2248–2254.

Houde, H., G. Pacepavicius, D. Darling, P.A. Fair, M. Alaee, G.D. Bossart, K.R. Solomon, R.J. Letcher, A. Bergman, G. Marsh and D.C.G. Muir. 2009. Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Their Hydroxylated Analogs in Plasma of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) from the United States East Coast. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 28:2061–2068.

Houde, M., G. Czub, J.M. Small, S. Backus, X. Wang, M. Alaee and D.C.G. Muir. 2008. Fractionation and Bioaccumulation of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) Isomers in a Lake Ontario Food Web. Environ. Sci. Technol., 42:9397–9403.

Alaee, M., J. Parrott, G. Arsenault and E.J. Reiner. 2008. Advances in Organohalogen Compound Research; selected papers from the 25th International Symposium on Halogenated Environmental Organic Pollutants and POPs. Chemosphere 73:S1.

Ohta, S., H. Tokusawa, T. Nakao, O. Aozasa, H. Miyata and M. Alaee. 2008.  Global Contamination of Coplanar Polybrominated/Chlorinated Biphenyls (Co-PXBs) in the Market Fishes from Japan. Chemosphere 73:S31-38.

Lam, B., A. Baer, M. Alaee, B. Lefebvre, A. Moser, A. Williams and A.J. Simpson. 2007.  Major structural components in freshwater dissolved organic matter.  Environ Sci Technol. 41:8240-8247.

Ouyang, G., W. Zhao, L. Bragg, Z. Qin, M. Alaee and J. Pawliszyn. 2007. Time-weighted average water sampling in Lake Ontario with solid-phase microextraction passive samplers. Environ Sci Technol. 41:4026-31.

Ueno, D., C. Darling, M. Alaee, G. Pacepavicius, C. Teixeira, L. Campbell, R.J. Letcher, A.Bergman, G. Marsh and D. Muir. 2008. Hydroxylated Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (OH-PBDEs) in the Abiotic Environment:  Surface Water and Precipitation from Ontario, Canada. Environ. Sci Technol. 42:1657–1664.

Ouyang, G., W. Zhao, M. Alaee and J. Pawliszyn. 2007. Time-weighted average water sampling with a diffusion-based solid-phase microextraction device. J. Chromat A, 1138:42–46

Ueno, D., C. Darling, M. Alaee, L. Campbell, G. Pacepavicius, C. Teixeira and D. Muir. 2007. Detection of Hydroxylated Polychlorinated Biphenyls (OH-PCBs) in the Abiotic Environment: Surface Water and Precipitation from Ontario, Canada. Environ Sci Technol 41:1841-1848.

de Wit, C.A., M. Alaee and D.C.G. Muir. 2006. Levels and trends of brominated flame retardants in the Arctic Chemosphere 64:209-233.

Balch, G.C., L.A. Vélez-Espino, C. Sweet, M. Alaee and C.D. Metcalfe. 2006. Inhibition of Metamorphosis in Tadpoles of Xenopus laevis Exposed to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs). Chemosphere 64:328-338.