Eggs with a side of PFAS: the unseen legacy of forever chemicals in our Great Lakes’ aquatic life cycles  ̶  Geneviève Haché

When: Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM

Where: Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals present all around us. They make our pans nonstick, our clothes and makeup waterproof and our containers greaseproof. After decades of use, PFAS have now contaminated every corner of our planet. Their tough chemical bonds and resilience have earned them the name “forever chemicals”, but what does this nickname imply?

In the Great Lakes, PFAS contamination runs so deep that female fish unknowingly transfer some of their PFAS body load to their eggs through a process called “maternal transfer”. In other words, PFAS are present in fish eggs before they start to develop. As luck would have it, PFAS happen to be toxic to cells. If we know that PFAS are toxic, then how does their presence affect the development of fish embryos?

Come join us as we discuss PFAS contamination of our Great Lakes and our fish, how we got here in the first place, what this means for the future of our environment and how we can stay safe as consumers.

Geneviève Haché is a first-year PhD student in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology at Carleton University. She studies the effects of toxic pollutants on the environment, human health and animal health. Outside the lab, Geneviève is a big nerd for language learning, especially for Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, and loves fantasy tabletop games like Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons. Geneviève can also be found jamming out with the National Capital Concert band, hanging out with her cats and coaching gymnastics to kids and adults at Kazam Gymnastics.

Admission is free, people of all ages are welcome, and refreshments will be served.

Hope to see you there!

Questions & Suggestions? Please email barbara@blackburnhamlet.ca.