Grant: Engage Grants Program
Thompson Rivers University
$25,000.00
The use of wetlands to sequester and treat mine-influenced effluent containing arsenic
FY 2017-18
Summary
Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. operates the Bralorne Gold Mine in southwestern British Columbia. BralorneGold Mine has been operating under trial production since 2010, but the Company is developing a strategicoperating plan to achieve a profitable operation. During monitoring of mine tailings water at Bralorne GoldMine it has been determined that arsenic is the major contaminant of concern that will require treatmentfollowing mine closure. Wetlands may provide a natural source for the uptake and sequestration of arsenic innon-toxic forms. Here we propose an analysis of arsenic in its various forms within the water, soils, and plantsof a natural wetland that receives an intermittent supply of mine-influenced arsenic-tainted effluent. We willuse the synchrotron facility at the University of Saskatchewan's Canadian Light Source to analyze and maparsenic speciation in our sample materials. Our goal is to test the capability of the synchrotron to analyzearsenic in mine samples and to identify the location of arsenic uptake in our wetland samples. By doing so wehope to better understand the dynamics of the chemical pathway of arsenic so that we can design efficienttreatment methods for ecological restoration.
Program
Engage Grants Program
Recipient
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
514718-2017
Name nom
Fraser, Lauchlan
Department département
Natural Resource Sciences
Organization id
1809
Institution établissement
Thompson Rivers University
Province en
British Columbia
Province fr
Colombie-Britannique
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2017
Competition year année de concours
2017
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
409
Area of application group en
Environment
Area of application group fr
Environnement
Area of application en
Environmental impact of economic activities (including agriculture)
Area of application fr
Effet des activités économiques sur l'environnement (y compris agriculture)
Research subject code
1505
Research subject group en
Environmental engineering
Research subject group fr
Génie de l'environnement
Research subject en
Bioremediation
Research subject fr
Biorestauration
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
The use of wetlands to sequester and treat mine-influenced effluent containing arsenic
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. operates the Bralorne Gold Mine in southwestern British Columbia. BralorneGold Mine has been operating under trial production since 2010, but the Company is developing a strategicoperating plan to achieve a profitable operation. During monitoring of mine tailings water at Bralorne GoldMine it has been determined that arsenic is the major contaminant of concern that will require treatmentfollowing mine closure. Wetlands may provide a natural source for the uptake and sequestration of arsenic innon-toxic forms. Here we propose an analysis of arsenic in its various forms within the water, soils, and plantsof a natural wetland that receives an intermittent supply of mine-influenced arsenic-tainted effluent. We willuse the synchrotron facility at the University of Saskatchewan's Canadian Light Source to analyze and maparsenic speciation in our sample materials. Our goal is to test the capability of the synchrotron to analyzearsenic in mine samples and to identify the location of arsenic uptake in our wetland samples. By doing so wehope to better understand the dynamics of the chemical pathway of arsenic so that we can design efficienttreatment methods for ecological restoration.
