Research Interests
Rajiv completed his MSc studying the impacts of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent on aquatic ecosystems in the Grand River, Ontario. His research focused on endocrine disruption in wild fish populations, examining the occurrence and severity of intersex conditions (testis-ova) in sentinel species such as rainbow darter downstream of major effluent outfalls.
As part of this work, he developed and optimized a “smear” technique for assessing intersex in rainbow darter, improving the detection and quantification of testis-ova in field-collected samples. His findings showed increased incidence and severity of intersex in fish exposed to wastewater effluent, along with associated physiological changes in biomarkers such as gonad and liver indices. Overall, his research advanced understanding of how municipal wastewater influences endocrine function and energy allocation in wild fish.
After completing his MSc and working with environmental consultants in the Alberta oil sands region, Rajiv went on to pursue a PhD at the University of Calgary with Kelly Munkittrick, where he is building on this work using additional approaches to assess wastewater impacts in complex aquatic systems.
Publications
To view his full publication list, visit his Google Scholar profile.