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Dr. Peter Hodson
Peter V. Hodson

Fish Toxicology

 

 

Research Interests:

Fish Toxicology

  • Effect of chemical metabolism on chemical toxicity
  • Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, complex mixtures
  • The effect of chemical dispersants on the toxicity of spilled oil to fish
  • Identification of the components of oil that cause toxicity
  • Tools for assessing exposure and effects (biomarkers)
  • Toxic equivalent factors based on structure-activity; bioassays of short-term indicators
  • Responses of fish populations (especially American eel) to chemical stress
  • The role of food webs in transferring mercury from sediments to fish
  • The history of pesticide use in the St. Lawrence R.

My current interest is the role of metabolism in chemical toxicity to fish, with a focus on the reactive by-products of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolism by liver cytochrome P450 or CYP1A enzymes. The goal is to understand the mechanism of PAH toxicity, specifically of the alkyl-substituted forms, to the early life stages (embryos and larvae) of fish and the consequences for larval survival and recruitment. The results are directly applicable to ecological risk assessment of PAHs from oil, coal tar, creosote, soot and the by-products of microbial degradation of resin acids from pulp mill effluents. 

My research is currently supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.  These grants facilitate collaboration with other scientists at Queen’s, University of Waterloo, university of Massachusetts, the Université de Québec à Rimouski, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, Ontario  Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune de Québec.


 
Department of Biology, Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6 - Telephone: (613) 533-6160, Fax: (613) 533-6617