Assessing the strategic role of aquatic floc linking water quality to ecosystem and public health

一个NSERC战略项目的调查建议，将直接检查环境水生絮凝物（小颗粒），重金属，病原体和抗菌素耐药性之间的联系。沉积物絮状物是水生环境中一个未经探索的部分，对水质、生态系统和公共卫生具有重大意义，拟议的研究将提供一些初步数据，综合对絮状物作为（1）金属（2）病原体和（3）在特定环境物理和化学条件下的抗菌剂耐药性的环境储存库进行联合评估;在影响其生态系统和公共卫生影响的这些因素中捕捉重要的协同作用。它将确定新的诊断指标，这将促进我们的非学术合作伙伴的经济，环境和公共卫生部门相关的下一代方法和工具的战略改进和发展：加拿大环境部，安大略和市政公共卫生单位，西奈山医院，Xstrata和特洛伊技术。加拿大将从这项研究中获得重大利益，反映出重大和实质性的潜力，以改变深刻的环境和健康问题的诊断能力，确保我们在淡水供应管理方面继续发挥领导作用，提高关键行业部门的绩效，改善加拿大人的健康和生活质量。8个相关的HQP和环境，工业和公共卫生部门的非学术合作伙伴。HQP将获得在环境和健康技术方面非常宝贵的跨学科技能，并将积极参加与最终用户的研讨会，加强他们的培训，并提供可能的就业途径。此外，工业、环境和卫生监管机构的合作伙伴将受益于年度会议/研讨会，这些会议/研讨会将加强知识转让，并确保及时有效地利用研究成果。

A NSERC Strategic Project investigation is proposed that will directly examine the links between environmental aquatic floe (small particles), heavy metals, pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. Sedimentary floe is an unexplored compartment of the aquatic environment with enormous significance for water quality, as well as both ecosystem and public health relevance.The proposed research will provide some of the first data that integrates joint assessment of floe as an environmental repository of (l)metals (2) pathogens and (3) antimicrobial resistance under characterized environmental physical and chemical conditions; capturing important synergies in these factors which influence their ecosystem and public health impacts. It will identify new diagnostic indicators that will promote strategic improvements and develpment of next generation approaches and tools relevant to economic, environmental and public health sectors for our non-academic partners: Environment Canada, Ontario and Municipal Public Health Units, Mount Sinai Hospital, Xstrata and Trojan Technologies. Significant benefit to Canada will ensue from this research, reflecting the significant and substantial potential to transform the diagnostic capabilities for profound environmental and health issues, ensuring our continuing leadership role in the stewardship of freshwater supplies, improved performance for key industry sectors and improving the health and quality of life for Canadians.An integrated collaboration is proposed amongst 5 investigators, 8 associated HQP and environmental, industrial and public health sector non-academic partners. HQP will gain highly valuable transdisciplinary skills in environment and health techniques and will actively participate in workshops with end users enhancing their training and providing possible employment avenues. In addition the industrial, environmental and health regulatory agency partners will benefit from annual meeting/workshops enhancing knowledge transfer and ensuring timely and effective research outcomes for their use.