Organic Contaminants in the Aquatic Environment — Sampling and Laboratory Techniques
NRTG’s MicroCourses offer focused, accessible training designed to build practical skills in just a few hours. This four-hour MicroCourse is part of our Water Quality & Safety Series and provides an applied introduction to organic contaminants—some of the most common and impactful chemical parameters affecting aquatic environments and human health.
Focusing on solvents, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals/personal care products (PPCPs), the course explores how these everyday compounds—originating from households, agriculture, and industry—move through air, water, soil, and organisms. Students will learn why some organics break down quickly while others persist for decades, and how this affects their behavior, toxicity, and potential for bioaccumulation.
The MicroCourse also introduces the key steps in sampling and analysis for water, sediment, and tissue. Participants will gain insight into field and lab techniques used to detect organic contaminants, including how to avoid cross-contamination and interpret results in line with environmental and health guidelines.
Interactive components, including group discussions, case studies, and knowledge checks, help simplify complex chemistry concepts and relate them to real-world applications.
Topics include:
- Types and sources of organic contaminants
- Mobility, persistence, and bioaccumulation
- Sampling methods for water, sediment, and tissue
- Handling, transport, and lab analysis
- Environmental and human health considerations
This MicroCourse is ideal for environmental professionals, technicians, and anyone working in water quality monitoring or environmental assessment. It offers a clear, engaging foundation for understanding how organic chemicals behave in the environment and why monitoring them is essential for protecting ecosystems and public health.
Format: 2 x 2-hour sessions.
Lindsey Felix, BSc, PhD, RPBio, PBiol
Instructor and Editor
Lindsey Felix is a scientist and instructor with seven years of professional experience in environmental consulting. She holds a Ph.D. in Aquatic Toxicology from the University of Alberta, where her doctoral research investigated the toxicology of nanomaterials in fish. Lindsey also holds a B.Sc. in the Marine Biology Cooperative Program with a Minor in Environmental Studies from Dalhousie University. She is working to receive a Graduate Diploma in Fisheries Resource Management at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Lindsey’s consulting and laboratory experiences have involved various inorganic and organic compounds. She has contributed to field programs, risk assessments, and ecotoxicological studies across Canada, including environmental monitoring and assessments. She has supported over 100 technical deliverables and published 10 peer-reviewed journal articles and two book chapters. One notable example is her 2016 study published in Carbon titled “Physicochemical properties of functionalized carbon-based nanomaterials and their toxicity to fishes” (Felix, L.C. et al. 2016. Carbon, 104: 78–89).
Currently, Lindsey works as a Science Consulting Editor with Trinity Consultants Canada Water & Ecology (Ecofish Research Ltd.) and teaches for the Natural Resources Training Group and MacEwan University. She has developed and instructed courses in Ecotoxicology, Occupational Toxicology, and the Environmental Field Skills Program.
Lindsey is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia and a Professional Biologist in Alberta. Based in Nova Scotia, she enjoys helping others learn, writing clear documents, and providing technical insight for multidisciplinary environmental projects.