Philippe J. Thomas

Philippe J. Thomas

 

Affiliation

Ph.D. candidate
Biology, Specialization Chemical and Environmental Toxicology
Email: philippe.thomas@ec.gc.ca  
Office phone number (optional): 613-998-0511
Website: http://www.ec.gc.ca/scitech/default.asp?lang=En&n=F97AE834-1&xsl=scitechprofile&xml=F97AE834-A762-47A6-A2D9-9C397FD72F37&formid=8FDBBB22-160E-4B92-A0A0-317A65E00610

Research interests

wildlife toxicology
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
food web structure
stable isotopes
genetic biomarkers

 

Bio

I completed my B.Sc. with honors at the University of Ottawa on energy metabolism under the supervision of Dr Jean-Michel Weber. In 2008, I graduated from the University of Northern British Columbia with a M.Sc. in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies – Wildlife Biology. My work focused on flight patterns of migratory birds as a function of topography and weather patterns as they crossed ridgeline wind farm sites in Northern British Columbia. This work was supervised by Dr Ken Otter. As a wildlife biologist with Environment Canada, my research program is now focused on the impacts of contaminants on wildlife and ecosystem health. Specifically, I am interested in the fate and transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs and their alkylated homologues) in terrestrial vertebrates. I’ve come to the realization that you are never competitive in the workplace without a PhD, and my current research interests are in line with my work at Environment Canada, so I decided to make the big step.

Research project

 Impacts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (and their alkylated homologues) on food web trophic structure of an apex predator, the river otter, inhabiting watersheds impacted by Canada's oil sands.

My PhD work will focus mostly on the impacts of sub-lethal, chronic exposures to alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on river otters, their health status (and effects), trophic level impacts (using carbon and nitrogen isotopes as a measure of trophic position and change), and population structuring at sites contaminated by industrial pollutants.

Publications

  • Thomas, P.J., D. Carpenter and C. Boutin. 2013. RARE EARTH ELEMENTS (REEs): EFFECTS ON GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF SELECTED CROP AND NATIVE PLANT SPECIES. Chemosphere In Press http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.07.020
  • Thomas, P.J. and P. Mineau. 2011. DETERMINING PESTICIDE FOLIAR HALF-LIVES FROM SOIL HALF-LIFE VALUE: NOT SO “CUT-AND-DRY”. Chemosphere 84: 1531-1533.
  • Thomas, P.J., P. Mineau, R.F. Shore, L. Champoux, P. Martin, L. Wilson, G. Fitzgerald and J. Elliott. 2011. SECOND GENERATION ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDES IN PREDATORY BIRDS: PROBABILISTIC CHARACTERISATION OF TOXIC LIVER CONCENTRATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PREDATORY BIRD POPULATIONS IN CANADA. Environment International 37: 914-920.
  • Thomas, P.J., A.K. Labrosse, A.C. Pomeroy, and K.A. Otter. 2011. EFFECTS OF WEATHER ON AVIAN MIGRATION AT PROPOSED RIDGELINE WIND ENERGY SITES. The Journal of Wildlife Management 75(4): 805-815.
  • Thomas, P.J., P. Martin and C. Boutin. 2011. BUSH, BUGS, AND BIRDS; INTERDEPENDENCY IN A FARMING LANDSCAPE. Open Journal of Ecology 1(2): 9-23.
  • Boutin, C., K.L. Aya, D. Carpenter, P.J. Thomas, and O. Rowland. 2011. PHYTOTOXICITY TESTING FOR PESTICIDE REGULATION: SHORTCOMINGS IN RELATION TO BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN AGRARIAN SYSTEMS. Science of the Total Environment 415: 79-92.
  • Thomas, P.J., P. Mineau, R.F. Shore, L. Champoux, P. Martin, L. Wilson, G. Fitzgerald and J. Elliott. 2012. SECOND GENERATION ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDES IN PREDATORY BIRDS: PROBABILISTIC CHARACTERISATION OF TOXIC LIVER CONCENTRATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PREDATORY BIRD POPULATIONS IN CANADA. Presentation at 6th SETAC World Congress/ SETAC Europe 22nd Annual Meeting given May 2012. Berlin, Germany.
  • Thomas, P.J., K.A. Otter, A.K. Labrosse, and A.C. Pomeroy. 2008. THE INFLUENCE OF TOPOGRAPHY ON AVIAN MOVEMENT IN RIDGE-TOP WIND INSTALLATIONS IN BC. Presentation at International Society for Behavioural Ecology (ISBE) given August 2008. New York, United States of America.
  • Pomeroy, A.C., A. Labrosse, P.J. Thomas and K.A. Otter. 2008. ASSESSING COLLISION RISK FOR NOCTURNAL MIGRANTS FROM WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT. Presentation at American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) given August 2008. Portland, United States of America.

Technical Reports

  • Thomas, P.J., D. Carpenter, C. Boutin and J. Allison. 2012. CERIUM CHLORIDE (CeCl3): EFFECTS ON CROPS AND SELECTED NATIVE PLANT SPECIES. Report submitted to the Inorganic Units, Ecological Assessment Division, Science and Technology Branch. July 2012.
  • Boutin, C., D. Carpenter, and P.J. Thomas. 2012. YTTRIUM CHLORIDE (YCl3): EFFECTS ON CROPS AND SELECTED NATIVE PLANT SPECIES. Report submitted to the Inorganic Units, Ecological Assessment Division, Science and Technology Branch. April 2012.
  • Boutin, C., D. Carpenter, and P.J. Thomas. 2012. BISMUTH OXIDE (Bi2O3): EFFECTS ON CROPS AND SELECTED NATIVE PLANT SPECIES. Report submitted to the Inorganic Units, Ecological Assessment Division, Science and Technology Branch. March 2012.
  • Boutin, C., D. Carpenter, and P.J. Thomas. 2011. LANTHANUM CHLORIDE (LaCl3): EFFECTS ON CROPS AND SELECTED NATIVE PLANT SPECIES.  Report submitted to the Inorganic Units, Ecological Assessment Division, Science and Technology Branch. December 2011.
  • Pomeroy, A.C., P.J. Thomas, C. Morcos, A. Labrosse, J. Preston, C. Bryden, M. d'Entremont, and K.A. Otter. 2007. WILDLIFE MONITORING REPORT FOR DOKIE AND WARTENBE WIND ENERGY PROJECTS. Report for EarthFirst Energy Ltd.
  • Thomas, P.J., A. Labrosse, and K.A. Otter. 2006. REPORT ON METHODOLOGY AND PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF AERIAL WILDLIFE MONITORING AT DOKIE/WARTENBE. Centre for Wind Energy and the Environment, Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia