Ozone-based wastewater treatment for disinfection and removal of micropollutants

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Pollution control is essential to achieving the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goal for water and sanitation (i.e. SDG 6) established by the United Nations to guide global development in the 21st century. Globally, 80% of wastewater discharged into the environment is untreated. Here in Canada, many rural and particularly Indigenous communities are discharging poorly treated wastewater into the aquatic environment. In the context of increasing water scarcity, wastewater reuse is now considered a viable option for expanding access to water resource (i.e. “toilet to tap”). My proposed research program on the development of ozone-based water treatment strategies builds on the expertise that I have developed at McGill University over the past 15 years with support from NSERC and other funding agencies, the private sector and governmental agencies. This work will actively contribute to the SGD 6 objectives of providing universal access to clean water and sanitation, halving the discharges of untreated wastewater and improving water quality. The focus of my work on reducing discharges of micropollutants in wastewater is in line with a resolution passed by the European Parliament in April 2019 calling for greater action to regulate endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that pose a serious threat to the health of current and future generations. Here in Canada, agencies for the federal government and several provinces (e.g. B.C., Ontario) have developed water quality guidelines to protect aquatic life for several pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants. The development of regulations will increase the need to improve wastewater treatment to mitigate the release of EDCs and other microcontaminants in our environment. As stated in the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, pollution can no longer be viewed as an isolated environmental issue, but rather as a transcendent problem that affects the health and wellbeing of entire societies. Thus, leaders and government must elevate pollution control to an issue of high priority. My proposed research program will also contribute to the development of new knowledge on the presence and fate of several contaminants in the environment and engineered systems, including contaminants of more recent concerns, such per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Over the medium to long term, my proposed research will contribute to the development of knowledge and technologies to ensure that investments in advanced treatment technologies, which are required because of more stringent regulations, have the added benefit of removing micropollutants and minimizing residual toxicity.