Hydro-biogeochemistry of contaminant transformation and transport

污染物转化和迁移的水文生物地球化学

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-04913
• 负责人: Mitchell, Carl
• 金额: $ 2.19万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=659894
• 关键词: Hydro; biogeochemistry; contaminant; transformation; transport

Environmental pollution is a widespread issue of international concern that can affect the health of both humans and ecosystems. The proposed research program focuses on: 1) understanding how contaminants move through soils, 2) how the chemical environment within wet soils affects reactions involving contaminants, and 3) how alterations to our environment, like climate and land-use changes, impact contaminant movement and reactions to either worsen or lessen pollution problems. The proposed research program will focus strongly on the contaminant mercury. Our research uses cutting-edge methods and integrates processes that are also important to carbon and sulphur cycling. One of our main purposes will be to test specific theories about how inputs of mercury from the air and through water are transformed into methylmercury. This naturally occurring transformation process in the environment is a key environmental reaction because methylmercury is the principal form of mercury that accumulates in living organisms, such as fish. Human consumption of fish is then the main route of being exposed to mercury pollution. ******In helping to address the proposed research program's objectives, at least 16 highly qualified personnel will be funded to undertake training through laboratory experiments and field research. Students will significantly enhance their technical capabilities and gain transferable job skills, such as through training on the operation of advanced analytical chemistry instrumentation. ******Mercury pollution is an important international issue and is continuing to affect a number of communities across Canada. In the long-term, this program will help my research group and other scientists to better simulate and predict how changes to our environment will impact pollutant behaviour. This will help protect human and ecosystem health, and to meet our obligations under international agreements such as the Minimata Convention, a recently ratified international pact to reduce global mercury pollution.

环境污染是国际社会广泛关注的问题，会影响人类和生态系统的健康。拟议的研究计划重点关注：1）了解污染物如何在土壤中移动，2）湿土壤中的化学环境如何影响涉及污染物的反应，以及3）我们环境的变化（例如气候和土地利用变化）如何影响污染物的移动和反应，从而恶化或减轻污染问题。拟议的研究计划将重点关注污染物汞。我们的研究采用尖端方法并整合对碳和硫循环也很重要的工艺。我们的主要目的之一是测试有关空气和水中的汞如何转化为甲基汞的具体理论。这种环境中自然发生的转化过程是一个关键的环境反应，因为甲基汞是在活生物体（例如鱼类）中积累的汞的主要形式。人类食用鱼类是接触汞污染的主要途径。 ******为了帮助实现拟议研究计划的目标，将资助至少 16 名高素质人员通过实验室实验和实地研究进行培训。学生将显着提高他们的技术能力并获得可转移的工作技能，例如通过先进分析化学仪器的操作培训。 ******汞污染是一个重要的国际问题，并持续影响加拿大各地的许多社区。从长远来看，该计划将帮助我的研究小组和其他科学家更好地模拟和预测我们的环境变化将如何影响污染物行为。这将有助于保护人类和生态系统健康，并履行我们根据《水俣公约》等国际协议承担的义务，水俣公约是一项最近批准的减少全球汞污染的国际公约。