Prof. Ryan Prosser, School of Environmental Sciences, spoke to CBC’s Marketplace to offer his expertise on counterfeit products bought on the internet.

The show investigated the prevalence of counterfeit products online and found several cosmetics ordered were high in heavy metals, including lead and mercury.

That’s concerning, Prosser said, because exposure to high levels of lead and mercury can affect cognitive ability.

Prosser researches the fate of industrial and agricultural contaminants in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and has experience in a range of toxicological issues.

Watch the episode below: