Christian Blaise

Research Scientist - Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Fluvial Ecosystem Research

St. Lawrence Centre (Montreal, QC)

CURRENT S&T / RESEARCH

Contribution to the protection and conservation of aquatic ecosystems

• Development/application of bioassays and biomarkers for the study of the aquatic environment
• Experiments on aquatic food chains to assess the potential for contaminant bioaccumulation/biomagnification
• Assessment of the toxic potential of complex matrices (liquids and solids) and emerging substances (pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials)
• Impact studies of mixed and non-point source pollution on water quality in the Saguenay Fjord demonstrated using a bivalve model (Mya arenaria)
• Technology transfer of ecotoxicological tools at the (inter)national level, publication of books and writing of summary articles in the field of aquatic ecotoxicology

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES / INTERESTS

Co-chair of the International Steering Committee of the International Symposium on Toxicity Assessment (ISTA)

Member of the editorial board of scientific journals: Environmental Toxicology; Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety; Brazilian Journal of Aquatic Science and Technology

Invited foreign member of the scientfic board of INERIS (Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France): 4-year term

Co-supervisor of three PhD students at UQAR, UQAM and the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil)

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Blaise, C., S. Trottier, F. Gagné, C. Lallement and P.-D. Hansen. 2002. Immuno-competence of bivalve hemocytes by a miniaturized phagocytosis assay. Environ. Toxicol. 17 : 160-169.

Blaise, C., F. Gagné, N. Chèvre, M. Harwood, K. Lee, J. Lappalainen, B. Chial, G. Persoone and K. Doe. 2004. Toxicity assessment of oil-contaminated freshwater sediments. Environ. Toxicol. 19: 267-273.

Dellamatrice, P., R. Monteiro, C. Blaise, J.L. Slabbert, F. Gagné and S. Alleau. 2005. Toxicity Assessment of reference and natural freshwater sediments with the Luminotox assay. Environ. Toxicol. 21:395-402.

Blaise, C. and J.F. Férard. (Eds.). 2005. Small-scale Freshwater Toxicity Investigations, Volume 1 (Toxicity test methods, 551 pages) and Volume 2 (Hazard assessment schemes, 422 pages), Springer Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Blaise, C., F. Gagné, P. Eullaffroy and J.-F. Férard. 2006. Ecotoxicity of selected pharmaceuticals of urban origin discharged to the Saint-Lawrence River (Québec, Canada) : a review. Braz. J. Aquat. Sci. Technol. 10(2):29-51.

Blaise, C. and F. Gagné. 2007. Bioassays and biomarkers, two pillars of ecotoxicology: past, present and prospective uses. J. Environ. Sci. Health (in press).