Grant: Engage Grants Program
University of Northern British Columbia
$25,000.00
Carbon amendments for the reduction of selenium within saturated waste rock environments at Brule Coal Mine, B.C. (version 2)
FY 2014-15
Summary
Coal mining activities in northeastern B.C. may generate waste water effluents that are high in soluble selenium. Selenium concentrations need to be reduced prior to the release of effluents to the environment. This laboratory-based MSc project will examine a biological method that uses natural-occurring microbes to convert soluble selenium into solid forms, effectively removing selenium from mine effluents. The removal of soluble nitrate through denitrification is required prior to the chemical reduction of selenium. Two different carbon sources will be examined for their efficacy of producing the appropriate environmental conditions for selenium (and nitrate) removal. The results of this study will aid the mine in designing field-scale biocell reactors for the removal of soluble selenium (and nitrate) from mine effluents. The results will also aid in the Brule mine's selenium management efforts and could lead to operational-scale technologies that are more cost effective than traditional management strategies.
Program
Engage Grants Program
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
470972-2014
Name nom
Rutherford, Michael
Department département
Environment Sciences Program
Organization id
3
Institution établissement
University of Northern British Columbia
Province en
British Columbia
Province fr
Colombie-Britannique
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2014
Competition year année de concours
2014
Award amount
25000
Program id
EGP
Program name en
Engage Grants Program
Program name fr
Programme de subventions d'engagement partenariat
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
1554
Committee name en
Pacific Internal Decision Committee
Committee name fr
Comité de décision interne pour le Pacifique
Area of application code
902
Area of application group en
Commercial services
Area of application group fr
Services commerciaux
Area of application en
Waste, waste management and recycling
Area of application fr
Déchets, gestion des déchets et recyclage
Research subject code
1502
Research subject group en
Environmental engineering
Research subject group fr
Génie de l'environnement
Research subject en
Waste water treatment
Research subject fr
Traitement des eaux usées
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
Carbon amendments for the reduction of selenium within saturated waste rock environments at Brule
Coal Mine, B.C. (version 2)
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
Coal mining activities in northeastern B.C. may generate waste water effluents that are high in soluble selenium. Selenium concentrations need to be reduced prior to the release of effluents to the environment. This laboratory-based MSc project will examine a biological method that uses natural-occurring microbes to convert soluble selenium into solid forms, effectively removing selenium from mine effluents. The removal of soluble nitrate through denitrification is required prior to the chemical reduction of selenium. Two different carbon sources will be examined for their efficacy of producing the appropriate environmental conditions for selenium (and nitrate) removal. The results of this study will aid the mine in designing field-scale biocell reactors for the removal of soluble selenium (and nitrate) from mine effluents. The results will also aid in the Brule mine's selenium management efforts and could lead to operational-scale technologies that are more cost effective than traditional management strategies.
