Anton (Tony) Scheuhammer

Research Scientist - Metals Toxicology

National Wildlife Research Centre (Ottawa, ON)

CURRENT S&T / RESEARCH - Research on anthropogenic (human-induced) environmental metal contamination as a potential threat to wildlife health and ecosystem integrity

• Toxicology of dietary metal (especially mercury, lead, selenium) exposure in migratory birds and other wildlife
• Development of toxicity screening assays to assess hazards of metal and other contaminant exposure in wildlife
• Food chain transfer of metals through aquatic ecosystems

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES / INTERESTS

National spokesperson for Environment Canada for scientific and technical issues involving the exposure and toxicology of lead, mercury and other metals in wildlife

Co-editor, special issue of Ecotoxicology, entitled Recent advances in the toxicology of methylmercury in wildlife, a collection of selected papers on the effects of methylmercury on wildlife from the Eighth International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant

Co-chair, International Expert Panel assembled in Madison, Wisconsin to assess the hazards of methylmercury to humans, fish and wildlife (2006)

Supervisor of graduate students through Adjunct Professorships

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Scheuhammer, A.M., N. Basu, N.M. Burgess, J.E. Elliott, G.D. Campbell, M. Wayland, L. Champoux and J. Rodrigue. 2008. Relationships among mercury, selenium, and neurochemical parameters in common loons (Gavia immer) and bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Ecotoxicology 17(2): 93-101.

Basu, N., A.M. Scheuhammer, K. Rouvinen-Watt, N. Grochowina, R.D. Evans, M. O'Brien and H.M. Chan. 2007. Decreased N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor levels are associated with mercury exposure in wild and captive mink. Neurotoxicology 28: 597-593. [doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2006.12.007]

Scheuhammer, A.M., M.W. Meyer, M.B. Sandheinrich and M.W. Murray. 2007. Effects of environmental methylmercury on the health of wild birds, mammals, and fish. Ambio 36: 12-18.

Weech, S.A., A.M. Scheuhammer and J.E. Elliott. 2006. Mercury exposure and reproduction in fish-eating birds breeding in the Pinchi Lake region, British Columbia, Canada. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 25: 1433-1440. [DOI: 10.1897/05-181R.1]

Scheuhammer, A.M., D.E. Bond, N.M. Burgess and J. Rodrigue. 2003. Lead and stable lead isotope ratios in soil, earthworms, and bones of American woodcock (Scolopax minor) from eastern Canada. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 22: 2585-2591. [DOI: 10.1897/02-361]

Scheuhammer, A.M, S.L. Money, D.A. Kirk and G. Donaldson. 2003. Lead fishing sinkers and jigs in Canada: Review of their use patterns and toxic impacts on wildlife. CWS Occasional Papers no. 108, Environment Canada, Ottawa. 48 pp.