Grant: College - University Idea to Innovation Grants

Many hydrocarbon contaminated subsurface sites within urban centers can not be excavated because of disruption to the city's infrastructure and thus, companies stimulate degradation of hydrocarbons onsite by insuring that there is sufficient oxygen (O2), phosphorus (P), and occasionally nitrogen, for hydrocarbon degradation. However, this relatively simple goal is challenging because O2 and P are rapidly depleted when hydrocarbons are degraded and remediation 'stalls'. Federated Coop Limited (FCL) has developed a suite of technologies to avoid this remediation stall: namely, alternative P species, low molecular weight organic acids (LMOA) and fungi. However, each of these approaches was developed in isolation and is not yet consistently effective. FCL has partnered with the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) to develop an integrated brownfield subsurface remediation technology. Based on a NSERC Engage project, FCL has approached the University of Saskatchewan and SIAST to address their scientific and technical needs. The U of S team led by Siciliano, has had two NSERC grants investigating fungi and LMOA in soil as well asnumerous Brownfield related grants. Together, this University and College team has the expertise, experience and know-how needed to integrate FCLs subsurface remediation approaches into a single technology platform for brownfield remediation.We will use laboratory and site experiments to identify optimal P, LMOA and fungi combined approaches for hydrocarbon degradation. We will test lab results at a Saskatoon brownfield site to evaluate the integrated technology approach will work and trial the proposed technology across eight different other sites. At the conclusion of this project, FCL, SIAST and the U of S will have an integrated subsurface technology.