Ozone-based wastewater treatment for disinfection and removal of micropollutants

控制污染对于实现联合国为指导21世纪全球发展而制定的水和卫生可持续发展目标(即可持续发展目标6)的各项目标至关重要。在全球范围内，排放到环境中的废水中有80%未经处理。在加拿大，许多农村社区，特别是土著社区，正在向水环境排放未经处理的废水。在日益缺水的情况下，废水再利用现在被认为是扩大获得水资源(即“厕所到水龙头”)的一个可行的选择。我提出的关于基于臭氧的水处理策略开发的研究计划建立在我过去15年在麦吉尔大学发展起来的专业知识的基础上，得到了NSERC和其他资助机构、私营部门和政府机构的支持。这项工作将积极促进新千年发展目标6的目标，即普遍获得清洁水和卫生设施，将未经处理的废水排放量减半，并改善水质。我的工作重点是减少废水中微污染物的排放，这与欧洲议会2019年4月通过的一项决议是一致的，该决议呼吁采取更大行动来监管对当代人和子孙后代的健康构成严重威胁的内分泌干扰物(EDCs)。在加拿大，联邦政府和几个省(如不列颠哥伦比亚省、安大略省)的机构已经制定了水质指南，以保护水生生物的几种药物和其他微污染物。法规的制定将增加改善废水处理的需要，以减少EDCs和其他微污染物在我们环境中的排放。正如《柳叶刀》污染与健康委员会指出的那样，污染不能再被视为一个孤立的环境问题，而是一个影响整个社会健康和福祉的超越问题。因此，领导人和政府必须将污染控制提升为高度优先的问题。我提议的研究计划还将有助于发展关于环境和工程系统中几种污染物的存在和去向的新知识，包括最近关注的污染物，如全氟烷基物质和多氟烷基物质(PFAS)。从中长期来看，我的拟议研究将有助于知识和技术的发展，以确保对高级处理技术的投资具有消除微污染物和最大限度地减少残留毒性的额外好处。

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.