Shirley Anne Smyth

Head, Wastewater Science Unit

Lead wastewater-related research and monitoring within ECCC, collaborate with federal, provincial, municipal, and academic colleagues on studies of trace contaminants in wastewater

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Burlington ON

Current research and/or projects

Reducing the impacts of contaminants on the natural environment:

lead for the wastewater monitoring program under the Chemicals Management Plan
Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, flame retardants, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, antioxidants, metals, and other trace contaminants in municipal wastewater and solids treatment processes

Professional activities / interests

Coordinate a national monitoring program for chemical substances in wastewater influents, effluents and biosolids

Education and awards

B.Sc. Applied Chemistry, University of Guelph

M.Eng. Civil/Environmental, McMaster University, Hamilton

Key publications

Gewurtz SB, Guerra P, Kim MG, Jones F, Challen Urbanic J, Teslic S, Smyth SA, 2020. Wastewater Treatment Lagoons: Local Pathways of Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Brominated Flame Retardants to the Arctic Environment. Environ Sci Technol. 54(10): 6053-6062.

Guerra P, Kim M, Kinsman L, Ng T, Alaee M, Smyth SA, 2014. Parameters affecting the formation of perfluoroalkyl acids during wastewater treatment. J Hazard Mater. 272: 148-154.

Guerra P, Kim M, Shah A, Alaee M, Smyth SA, 2014. Occurrence and fate of antibiotic, analgesic/anti-inflammatory, and antifungal compounds in five wastewater treatment processes. Sci Total Environ. 473-474: 235-243.

Guerra P, Kim M, Teslic S, Alaee M, Smyth SA, 2015. Bisphenol-A removal in various wastewater treatment processes: Operational conditions, mass balance, and optimization. J Environ Manage. 152: 192-200.

Guerra P, Kleywegt S, Payne M, Svoboda ML, Lee H-B, Reiner E, Kolic T, Metcalfe C, Smyth SA, 2015. Occurrence and fate of trace contaminants during aerobic and anaerobic sludge digestion and dewatering. J Environ Qual. 44(4): 1193-1200.

Guerra P, Teslic S, Shah A, Albert A, Gewurtz SB, Smyth SA, 2019. Occurrence and removal of triclosan in Canadian wastewater systems. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 26: 31873–31886.

Kim M, Guerra P, Theocharides M, Barclay K, Smyth SA, Alaee M, 2013a. Parameters affecting the occurrence and removal of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in twenty Canadian wastewater treatment plants. Water Res. 47(7): 2213-2221.

Kim M, Guerra P, Theocharides M, Barclay K, Smyth SA, Alaee M, 2013b. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sewage sludge and treated biosolids: Effect factors and mass balance. Water Res. 47(17): 6496-6505.

Lakshminarasimman N, Gewurtz SB, Parker WJ, Smyth SA, 2021. Removal and formation of perfluoroalkyl substances in Canadian sludge treatment systems – A mass balance approach. Sci Total Envion. 754: 142431.

Shoeib M, Schuster J, Rauert C, Su K, Smyth S-A, Harner T, 2016. Emission of poly and perfluoroalkyl substances, UV-filters and siloxanes to air from wastewater treatment plants. Environ Pollut. 218: 595-604.