Our Research

We focus on municipal and industrial wastewater-related research projects, including the fate and transport of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in surface waters and the impact of their fluctuating concentrations in our aquatic environment. We continue to apply different methodologies to answer our research questions. These include (1) advanced analytical chemistry techniques, (2) bioanalytical tools, and (3) fate/transport modeling. We have successfully collaborated with municipalities (City of Calgary), provincial government (Alberta Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas, AEPA), industry (e.g., oil sands, startup water tech companies), and academics in Canadian Institutions (UCalgary, UToronto, UWaterloo, UAlberta) and abroad (ETH-Zürich, University of the Philippines). We continue to work with international water research institutes (University of the Philippines, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology [Eawag], Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research [UFZ]).

Research: Welcome

Research Projects

Fate and transport of micropollutants in the urban sections of the Bow River in Calgary and their potential bioaccumulation in exposed aquatic organisms. Collaboration with the City of Calgary and University of Calgary (Dr. Kelly Munkittrick), University of Waterloo (Dr. Mark Servos)

Micropollutants in the Bow

Utilizing in vitro bioassays to assess the biological activity of stormwater entering a drinking water reservoir. Collaboration with the City of Calgary (Dr. Norma Ruecker), UAlberta School of Public Health (Dr. Norm Neumann, main PI), and MacEwan University (Dr. Matt Ross)

Waterproofing Alberta's Urban Communities

Examining constructed wetlands (CW) as a low-energy wastewater treatment in dairy farms for re-use in irrigation. Collaboration with Dr. Anne Laarman (ALES, UofA) and Dr. Audrey Murray (AAFC - PEI)

Constructed wetlands for lagoon wastewater reuse

In vitro bioassays to assess impacts of oil sands process-affected water in receiving aquatic environments. Collaboration with Dr. Beate Escher and Alberta EPA (Dr. Keegan Hicks)

OSPW impacts on receiving waters

Treating waste with waste: assessing the potential of Calcined Bauxite Residue as a Treatment Option. Collaboration with GRON. Funded by MITACS.

Calcined Bauxite Residue (CBR)

Assessing the sorption potential of organic chemicals on micro- and nanoplastics. Collaboration with Dr. Jeff Farner (Environmental Engineering) and Dr. Goss (Biology)

Micro- and nanoplastics

Bioanalytical monitoring of Laguna Lake (Philippines) to scope out environmental and human health impacts and water research priorities associated with organic chemical pollution. Collaboration with the University of the Philippines

Laguna Lake (Philippines) Project

The Land2Lab Camp is funded by the UofA Faculty of Engineering Research Exploration Fund and Arramat (NFRF-Transformation).

Land2Lab Camp

Advancing the use of water quality models by coupling them with ecotoxicological models. Collaboration with Dr. Juliane Hollender (Eawag)

Exposure-Effects Modelling

Simulating Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Surface Water and Fish Tissue in the Athabasca River Basin, Alberta.

Hydrological - Water Quality - Fish Model