Grant: Industrial Research Chairs

This proposal requests the renewal (second term: 2012-2017) of a Senior NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Groundwater Contamination in Fractured Media for Dr. Beth Parker, School of Engineering, University of Guelph. The IRC research program aims to i) develop a better understanding of the subsurface behaviour of common types of persistent groundwater contamination in sedimentary bedrock aquifers and ii) develop and assess new methods and approaches for investigating contamination in this type of bedrock, which is widespread in Canada and many other countries. This research concerns common contamination in urban and industrialized areas due to decades old leakages and spills of oil-like organic chemicals that are denser than groundwater and sink deep into the subsurface where they have contaminated freshwater sources. Many thousands of former industrial properties in Canada and thousands more in the United States and Europe with this type of contamination have been identified and many more likely exist. The research also concerns bedrock contamination from agriculture activities and waste streams (sewage, municipal and hazardous waste facilities) from a variety of sectors. Information about contamination transport and fate in bedrock aquifers is minimal relative to other types of aquifers. New investigative approaches are needed to enhance the value of each hole drilled into the rock and to provide for better prediction of the ultimate fate of the contaminants. The Chair research will be directed at intensive field investigations and data integration, interpretation, and modeling efforts on four bedrock aquifer research sites from Term 1 as well as new sites with varying hydrogeologic conditions and contaminant types such as nitrates, pesticides, and emerging contaminants. Selected sites in the USA, Brazil, and Europe are enhancing method development and expanding the reach of knowledge transfer. The IRC research will continue to advance the manner in which fractured rock hydrogeology is practiced as well as strengthen Canadian capabilities in related manufacturing and consulting sectors that serve the global community.