03/18/2021
By Matthew Gage

The Kennedy College of Science, Department of Chemistry, invites you to attend a master's thesis defense by Kaylyn Michaud entitled “Using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy to Analyze for Heavy Metal Content in Cannabidiol Products.”

The defense will be held on April 7 at 12:30 p.m. via Zoom. Please contact Matthew Gage for meeting information if you are interested in attending. The committee will be composed of Kwok-Fan Chow (chair), David Ryan, and Michael Ross. A brief abstract is provided below.

Abstract: Heavy metals are a danger to the environment as well as to public health. With the rapid growth of the cannabis industry, it is important that cannabidiol (CBD) products that are on the market are regulated and tested for their heavy metal content. Several CBD products that are on the market were tested for their lead, copper, cobalt, and cadmium content. All of the samples tested contained at least one of these metals and some samples contained toxic amounts of these metals and did not have proper labeling of serving sizes. This lack of information could cause harmful effects to the consumer.

All interested students and faculty members are invited to attend.