Suchana Shamsunnahar, PhD

NSERC postdoctoral fellow
Biocolloids and Surfaces Laboratory
McGill University

Compound Specific Isotope Analysis for Understanding Reaction Mechanisms and In Situ Fate of Emerging Contaminants 

Abstract

Human activities release thousands of unregulated and potentially toxic emerging organic contaminants into the environment, posing significant risks to human and ecosystem health. Understanding the environmental fate of these contaminants using conventional concentrationbased approaches is challenging as transfer processes (e.g., sorption) and transformation processes (e.g., biodegradation) can simultaneously influence concentrations. In this seminar, I will introduce compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA), a powerful analytical technique that
can provide direct evidence of in situ contaminant transformation in complex environmental systems by measuring stable isotope signatures. While CSIA is well-established for traditional groundwater contaminants, its application to emerging contaminants in complex surface water
systems presents unique analytical challenges. I will explore these challenges and demonstrate how multi-element CSIA, integrated with complementary advanced analytical tools, can elucidate reaction mechanisms for model emerging contaminants. Finally, I will highlight a
novel application of CSIA to identify and quantify the in situ transformation of agrochemical feedstocks in engineered nature-based systems.

Biosketch

Shamsunnahar Suchana received her PhD in environmental engineering from the University of Toronto. Her doctoral work focused on developing advanced analytical techniques, specifically compound specific isotope analysis, to assess the fate of emerging industrial chemicals in
complex aquatic matrices. She then completed a one-year postdoctoral training at the same institution, where she applied these techniques to understand the in situ fate of emerging contaminants in passive nature-based treatment systems, such as constructed wetlands and
bioretention cells. Currently, she is an NSERC postdoctoral fellow at McGill University, focusing on understanding the environmental fate of conventional and biodegradable agroplastics. In Spring 2026, she will join the University of South Carolina, USA, as a tenuretrack assistant professor in the Division of Environmental and Analytical Chemistry.

Date
Date(s) - April 22, 2025
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Emplacement / Location
Université de Montréal - Campus MIL (Beer and pizza at 18h, conference at 19h in A-4502)