Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Concordia University
$89,678.00
Characterization of contaminated suspended solids, soils and sediment
FY 2007-08
Summary
A laser diffraction analyser is requested in this grant proposal and is to be used to support the research in the NSERC Discovery Grant, and more recent grants from the MDEIE and the SRO programs for the development in Japan and Canada of an in situ water stystem. This treatment system can be easily moved to the area where the treatment is required. The concept is based on filtration to remove suspended solids from the water which have a high capacity for adsorbing heavy metals and other contaminants of organic nature. These particles can pose a significant problem to the organisms that live in the water and to the humans that use the water for drinking purposes. In addition, this technology could be combined with a dredging process which resuspends organic solids such as algae and bacteria and fine contaminated sediments. In this manner, the expensive and disruptive process of dredging could be minimized. To accomplish, therefore, this type of research, it is a requirement to determine the size of the particles and their distribution in suspension in the water. The use of sieves is difficult to determine the distribution in aqueous media and is particularly difficult for the smaller particle sizes (below 75 microns) that accumulate the majority of the contaminants by sorption. These smaller particles are also more mobile due to their lower specific gravity and thus pose a large risk to the environment. Therefore the distribution of the particle sizes and the association with the contaminants is highly important. It is proposed to utilize a laser particle size analyzer for this purpose. With this equipment, the particle size distribution from 0.01 to 2000 microns can be determined. It is not currently available at McGill or Concordia Universities. Samples must be sent to an accredited laboratory costing $300 per sample which is highly expensive for the many samples we would like to analyse. Other research projects related to sorption of arsenic by biomass, desorption of arsenic from mining residues, and the effect of biosurfactants on metal removal from soils and sediments would all have an increase in progress due to the use of this analyzer.
Program
Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Recipient
Location
Quebec, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
359388-2008
Name nom
Mulligan, Catherine
Department département
Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Organization id
70
Institution établissement
Concordia University
Province en
Québec
Province fr
Québec
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2007
Competition year année de concours
2008
Award amount
89678
Program id
EQPEQ
Program name en
Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Program name fr
Outils et instruments de recherche - catégorie 1 (<150 000$)
Group en
Discovery grants programs
Group fr
Programmes de subventions à la découverte
Committee code
1062
Committee name en
Civil Engineering - B
Committee name fr
Génie civil - B
Area of application code
400
Area of application group en
Environment
Area of application group fr
Environnement
Area of application en
Environment
Area of application fr
Environnement
Research subject code
1500
Research subject group en
Environmental engineering
Research subject group fr
Génie de l'environnement
Research subject en
Environmental engineering
Research subject fr
Génie de l'environnement
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
Characterization of contaminated suspended solids, soils and sediment
Keyword
NA
Application summary
A laser diffraction analyser is requested in this grant proposal and is to be used to support the research in the NSERC Discovery Grant, and more recent grants from the MDEIE and the SRO programs for the development in Japan and Canada of an in situ water stystem. This treatment system can be easily moved to the area where the treatment is required. The concept is based on filtration to remove suspended solids from the water which have a high capacity for adsorbing heavy metals and other contaminants of organic nature. These particles can pose a significant problem to the organisms that live in the water and to the humans that use the water for drinking purposes. In addition, this technology could be combined with a dredging process which resuspends organic solids such as algae and bacteria and fine contaminated sediments. In this manner, the expensive and disruptive process of dredging could be minimized. To accomplish, therefore, this type of research, it is a requirement to determine the size of the particles and their distribution in suspension in the water. The use of sieves is difficult to determine the distribution in aqueous media and is particularly difficult for the smaller particle sizes (below 75 microns) that accumulate the majority of the contaminants by sorption. These smaller particles are also more mobile due to their lower specific gravity and thus pose a large risk to the environment. Therefore the distribution of the particle sizes and the association with the contaminants is highly important. It is proposed to utilize a laser particle size analyzer for this purpose. With this equipment, the particle size distribution from 0.01 to 2000 microns can be determined. It is not currently available at McGill or Concordia Universities. Samples must be sent to an accredited laboratory costing $300 per sample which is highly expensive for the many samples we would like to analyse. Other research projects related to sorption of arsenic by biomass, desorption of arsenic from mining residues, and the effect of biosurfactants on metal removal from soils and sediments would all have an increase in progress due to the use of this analyzer.
