Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Water scarcity is one of the most pressing challenges of the twenty-first century. This fresh water crisis inhibits not only societal and economic development, but also aggravates other issues, such as energy shortages, food scarcity, ecosystem destruction, and human health. Seawater desalination as well as wastewater recycling and reuse are considered the most effective ways to increase water resources beyond the hydrological cycle. Membrane-based processes have proven to be versatile and efficient techniques for the production of fresh water from non-potable water sources. Therefore, the primary focus of this proposed research is to develop emerging membrane materials and processes that can improve efficiency and reduce the energy consumption of water desalination, and water recycling and reuse. To advance this line of research, the investigation will focus on the following aspects:******a) Investigating emerging membrane-based technologies for desalination and water reclamation and reuse; b) Developing nanocomposite membranes, and; c) Optimizing electrochemical processes for water and wastewater treatment.******The proposed research is highly multidisciplinary and combines diverse disciplines including environmental engineering, polymer chemistry, materials science, microbiology, and chemical process engineering. The proposed research is expected to develop high flux, fouling resistant forward osmosis (FO) and omniphobic membrane distillation (MD) membranes for water desalination and water recycling and reuse and, therefore, will render membrane-based processes more efficient for use in desalination and wastewater reclamation. The novel anti-fouling FO membranes will significantly reduce operating costs and increase the “active lifespan” of the membrane, meaning less need for replacement. The proposed anti-wetting (omniphobic) membranes will make the MD process more applicable for treating various challenging feed waters, such as high salinity fracking water and water produced from oil and gas industries, where reverse osmosis (RO) is not effective. As well, the proposed electrochemical membrane filtration technology will ensure effective pretreatment of high-strength waste streams for water recycling and reuse. Overall, the proposed research will help to ensure the future of our fresh water supplies and the research outcomes will not only place Canada in a position of leadership in the field of water treatment, but also increase our contribution toward sustaining future freshwater resources for the benefit of local communities, the nation, and the world in general. The proposed research will also provide excellent opportunities to train multiple highly qualified personnel who will constitute the next generation of Canada's environmental workforce.**