Grant: Engage Grants Program

Operators of construction and demolition (C&D) waste disposal sites are facing public concerns on possiblewater pollution. About 100 million tons of construction and demolition (C&D) debris are transported todisposal sites in Canada each year. Abandoned C&D sites contain asphalt shingles, wood, tires, electronics,vehicles, etc. Hazardous chemicals may be present and could be leaching out from these old sites. Thesechemicals have either acute or chronic toxicity, which poses risk to the environment and human health. Currentmonitoring methods are not adequate to address toxic organic contaminants. A company has approached Dr.Anthony Tong at Acadia University about undertaking a project to examine contamination around the C&Dsite. In the proposed research, harmful chemical contaminants will be identified and characterized. Both groundwater and surface water around the C&D site will be studied. The fate of contaminants will be assessed fortheir potential environmental impact. With this information, the company will be able to determine ifremediation is needed and the feasibility of expanding current operation. The methodology developed in thisstudy may also be applied to other C&D sites and landfills in Canada. The proposed research will helpCanadian waste management industry to optimize their operation to reduce environmental footprint, which isimportant to the sustainable growth of Canadian economy.