Nathalie Tufenkji, McGill University

Research

plastic pollution water treatment environmental nanotechnology sustainability antimicrobial materials ecotoxicity biocolloids surfaces sustainable nanotechnology water protection antimicrobial graphene green chemistry

Latest papers

Urban Runoff Toxicity to Aquatic Species: Physiological and Biomarker Responses with Toxicant Characterization.
Environmental science & technology · 2026 · senior author
Cranberry juice potentiates sensitivity of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains to fosfomycin and decreases occurrence of spontaneous resistance.
Applied and environmental microbiology · 2026
Release of microplastics and metals from antifouling paint during weathering in simulated cold climates.
Environmental science. Processes & impacts · 2026 · senior author

All 127 publications

Latest funding

Advancing Indigenous-led Methods for Microplastic and Nanoplastic Research in Indigenous Communities
NSERC · 2025 · Principal investigator
$598,650
Expédition Bleue Saguenay Saint-Laurent
SSHRC · 2024 · Co-investigator
$25,000
Augmentation de la capacité et de la résilience des infrastructures de traitement et de gestion des eaux pour les contaminants émergents et normés
NSERC · 2023 · Co-investigator
$133,419

All 48 grants and awards

127 publications.

01

Urban Runoff Toxicity to Aquatic Species: Physiological and Biomarker Responses with Toxicant Characterization.

Macha FJ, Kalogerakis G, Quevedo AC, Liao W, Hamilton BM, Robinson SA, Tufenkji N

Environmental science & technology2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c07634 PMID: 41570203

02

Cranberry juice potentiates sensitivity of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains to fosfomycin and decreases occurrence of spontaneous resistance.

Groleau M-C, Houle S, Quevedo AC, McKay G, Nguyen D, Dozois CM, Tufenkji N, Déziel E

Applied and environmental microbiology2026

DOI: 10.1128/aem.02521-25 PMID: 42080572

03

Release of microplastics and metals from antifouling paint during weathering in simulated cold climates.

Santos G, Kalogerakis GC, Macairan JR, Hernandez LM, Ahabchane HE, Provencher JF, Wilkinson KJ, Tufenkji N

Environmental science. Processes & impacts2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1039/d6em00126b PMID: 42037191

04

Gender differences in submission behavior exacerbate publication disparities in elite journals.

Ni C, Basson I, Badia G, Tufenkji N, Sugimoto CR, Larivière V

eLife2026

DOI: 10.7554/elife.90049 PMID: 41718703

05

UV-degradation is a key driver of the fate and impacts of marine plastics. How can laboratory experiments be designed to effectively inform risk assessment?

Hernandez LM, Howarth-Forster L, Sørensen L, Booth AM, Vidal A, Tufenkji N, Sempéré R, Schmidt N

Marine pollution bulletin2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118271 PMID: 40505493

06

Label-Free Identification and Imaging of Microplastic and Nanoplastic Biouptake Using Optical Photothermal Infrared Microspectroscopy.

Macairan JR, Saherwala A, Li F, Monteil-Rivera F, Tufenkji N

Environmental science & technology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c14367 PMID: 40696889

07

Nanoplastics and the Role of the Corona in the Biological Responses of Daphnia magna.

C Quevedo A, Armstrong O, Wheeler KE, Riley KR, Tufenkji N

The journal of physical chemistry. B2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5c06053 PMID: 41239958

08

Hydrophobization and anti-condensation of cellulose-based films by silanization.

Jiang Y, Moradian M, Quevedo AC, Tufenkji N, van de Ven TGM

International journal of biological macromolecules2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145798 PMID: 40623567

09

Multigenerational Effects of Weathered Polyethylene Microplastics on Drosophila melanogaster.

Chahal S, Macairan JR, Hernandez LM, Bui HN, Smith A, Larsson HCE, Tufenkji N

Environment & health (Washington, D.C.)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/envhealth.4c00274 PMID: 40704077

10

Demonstrating scale-up of a novel water treatment process using super-bridging agents.

Blancho F, Lapointe M, Quevedo AC, Kannan K, Tufenkji N

Water research2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121301 PMID: 38417265

Advancing Indigenous-led Methods for Microplastic and Nanoplastic Research in Indigenous Communities

Principal investigatorNSERC2025ECCC - Plastics

Principal investigators: Tufenkji, Nathalie

Keywords: Environment; Water

$598,650

Expédition Bleue Saguenay Saint-Laurent

Co-investigatorSSHRC2024Partnership Engage Grants

Principal investigators: Deslauriers, Camille

Keywords: Pollution plastique; création littéraire; formes brèves; plasticocène; expédition; interdisciplinarité; environnement

$25,000

Augmentation de la capacité et de la résilience des infrastructures de traitement et de gestion des eaux pour les contaminants émergents et normés

Co-investigatorNSERC2023Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Lapointe, Mathieu M

Keywords: agents de pontage; coagulation et décantation; contaminants émergents; eau potable; eaux de ruissellement; eaux usées; filtration; interception des contaminants; matériaux durables; traitement avancés

$133,419

Biocolloids and Surfaces

Principal investigatorNSERC2022Canada Research Chairs

Principal investigators: Tufenkji, Nathalie

Keywords: plastic pollution; water treatment; environmental nanotechnology; sustainability; antimicrobial materials; ecotoxicity

$300,000

Low-cost Sustainable Fibrous Materials as a Disruptive Technology for Water Treatment

Principal investigatorNSERC2022Idea to Innovation

Principal investigators: Tufenkji, Nathalie N

$125,000

A high sensitivity fluorescence spectrophotometer for advanced characterization of nanomaterials, biomaterials, and biocolloids

Principal investigatorNSERC2021Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Tufenkji, Nathalie

$100,360

Advanced Technological Training network on the risk and remediation of Pollution in URban Environments (PURE CREATE)

Co-investigatorNSERC2019Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Principal investigators: Wilkinson, Kevin K

Keywords: air pollution; analytical instrumentation; cities; effects measurements; metals; organics; risk analysis; soil pollution; training; water pollution

$1,650,000

Fate and Impacts of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Terrestrial and Freshwater Environments

Principal investigatorNSERC2019Discovery Grants Program - Accelerator Supplements

Principal investigators: Tufenkji, Nathalie

$120,000

Zetasizer Ultra for Advanced Characterization of Microplastics, Nanomaterials and Biocolloids

Principal investigatorNSERC2019Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Tufenkji, Nathalie

$121,145

Fate and Impacts of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Terrestrial and Freshwater Environments

Principal investigatorNSERC2019Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Tufenkji, Nathalie

Keywords: aggregation; colloid characterization; colloid-surface interactions; freshwaters; microplastics and nanoplastics; northern climate; plastic weathering; soils; toxicity; transport and deposition

$483,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering - McGill University
Civil Engineering
Medicine
Département de génie de la construction
Génies civil, géologique et des mines
Génie électrique et génie informatique
Other

Co-authors at McGill University, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Subhasis Ghoshal

Civil Engineering

14 shared papers, latest 2018

Zeinab Hosseinidoust

Chemical Engineering

12 shared papers, latest 2020

Christopher Moraes

Chemical Engineering

6 shared papers, latest 2024

Dao Nguyen

Medicine

5 shared papers, latest 2026

Mathieu Lapointe

Département de génie de la construction

4 shared papers, latest 2023

Dominique Claveau-Mallet

Génies civil, géologique et des mines

2 shared papers, latest 2023

Nariman Yousefi

Chemical Engineering

2 shared papers, latest 2021

Michael CANVA

Génie électrique et génie informatique

2 shared papers, latest 2024

Sasha Omanovic

Chemical Engineering

2 shared papers, latest 2017

Marta Cerruti

Mining and Materials Engineering

1 shared papers, latest 2018

Yves Comeau

Département des génies civil, géologique et des mines (CGM)

1 shared papers, latest 2009

Samantha Gruenheid

Microbiology and Immunology

1 shared papers, latest 2011

Daniel Lamarre

Médecine

1 shared papers, latest 2009

Write to this professor

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Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2025

Subject: Prospective PhD student: plastic pollution Dear Professor Tufenkji, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Urban Runoff Toxicity to Aquatic Species: Physiological and Biomarker Responses with Toxicant Characterization." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Advancing Indigenous-led Methods for Microplastic and Nanoplastic Research in Indigenous Communities" (2025), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]