Assessment and Optimization of an Innovative Adsorption Product to Treat Contaminated Waters and Wastewaters

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Industrial growth over the past several decades has accelerated the emission of contaminants in water and wastewater across Canada. As a result of these increases, discharge limits and regulations associated with them have become stricter. Pollutants including heavy metals, oils, and nutrients found in water and wastewater can have a strong negative impact on the environment into which they are released. For this reason, development of a cost-effective and efficient contaminant adsorption material is of high priority. Current available adsorption materials are extremely costly and are usually limited to a one-time use, leading to the creation of additional contaminant-saturated wastes which end up in landfills. Green Circle Salons Inc. is an Ontario-based company that diverts salon and spa waste from landfills. Due to its adsorptive properties, hair clippings are an innovative environmental remediation product that can remove numerous pollutants from a variety of contaminated water sources. The primary objective of this applied research project is to assess and optimize the adsorption efficiency of hair clippings to maximize the removal of contaminants from contaminated water and wastewater. Optimization of the product's performance will be confirmed by determining optimal adsorption conditions on various contaminated waters, including the potential of leaching pollutants back into the source water under different application conditions (pH, contact time). Once identified, adsorption potential will be validated for multiple competing contaminants under real-world conditions. Other objectives of this research will be to investigate the reclamation potential of adsorbed contaminants and re-use potential for the hair clippings. Identified contaminants for adsorption will be used to identify and assess market opportunities for the final developed product and examine potential packaging solutions for it. The results of this research will allow Green Circle Salons to develop and optimize their unique product, in turn identifying and targeting market opportunities and ultimately leading to a final product with commercial potential.