Cynthia de Wit Professor Emerita

Research in my group was focussed on the analysis of legacy and emerging flame retardants (brominated, chlorinated, organophosphate-based) in indoor (air and dust) and outdoor environments (air, soil). Research also included studies of human exposure from air inhalation, dust ingestion, and dietary intake, as well as measurement of internal concentrations. I have research interests in the ecotoxicology, analysis and environmental fate of persistent organic pollutants, particularly halogenated and organophosphorus-based flame retardants, which includes a study of Baltic Sea food webs. A recent project involved studying organohalogen compounds (OHCs) in sewage treatment plant related samples using combustion ion chromatography to determine the total amount of OHCs (total iceberg) and targeted analysis to determine the known OHCs (tip of the iceberg). Using these methods, we tried to determine the amount of total OHCs that are unknown (hidden part of the iceberg), and then use non-target screening to try to identify and quantify these unknown OHCs. I am involved in leading international assessment reports of persistent organic pollutants, including contaminants of emerging concern, in the Arctic under the aegis of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme.