Engineering synergy of microbes and minerals for clean technology: integrating environmental remediation and converting waste to valuables

加拿大的能源和自然资源工业对加拿大经济至关重要，并在竞争激烈的全球市场上运作。他们面临着应对环境风险的挑战，受到全球运动的极大关注，并承担着减轻环境干扰的责任。我已经制定了我研究的长期愿景，为加拿大创新清洁技术，并考虑到这些行业。我的NSERC DG研究，微生物和矿物在清洁技术中的工程协同作用：整合环境修复和将废物转化为贵重物品，是基于以下核心概念：设计天然污染物降解微生物的自然弹性和矿物反应，将废物转化为贵重物品。我最近发现了可以控制的外部因素，以自然地延长寒冷气候下受石油影响的土壤的生物修复。在冰冻和冰冻污染的土壤中，利用本地耐应力烃类降解微生物群落的季节性恢复力是可能的，其效果是可重复的，一致的，并且在满足国家环境标准方面具有意义。这一重要发现揭示了在没有能源供应和减少整体修复时间和成本的偏远寒冷气候地区进行耐压生物修复研究的新机会。我的研究还表明，在目标污染物存在的情况下，快速的自然矿化是另一种可用于推进修复技术的自然弹性。在去除过量氯离子方面，镁铝铝石到水钙铝石的矿物转化非常有效。过量氯离子会导致盐度和腐蚀，对土壤健康、水质和地下基础设施都有重大影响。我们成功地以经济的方式合成了mayenite，为新型清洁技术的发展提供了机会。我的DG研究计划的短期目标是：(1)进一步建立治理机制并优化我们的工程方法，这些方法涉及到寒冷气候下石油影响土壤的耐应力生物修复的关键因素；(2)进一步发展我们的钾盐矿废物的矿物基脱盐循环，将其与养分回收结合起来；并评估利用回收的富含营养的矿物质对石油和煤炭生产的废弃土壤进行生物修复的可行性。钾矿废液最终可能有利于油田废液的处理。我的NSERC DG研究将在环境修复和矿山废物管理方面引发概念和实践的变革。它将产生混合补救和废物管理技术，这些技术将成为循环经济中有利可图的一部分，而不是环境成本。本研究对加拿大的可持续发展和环境保护具有重要的借鉴意义。

Canadian energy and natural resource industries are essential to Canada's economy and operate in highly competitive global markets. They face the challenge of dealing with environmental risks, receive tremendous attention from global movements, and are being held responsible for mitigating environmental disturbances. I have developed the long-term vision of my research to innovate clean technologies for Canada with these industries in mind. My NSERC DG research, Engineering synergy of microbes and minerals for clean technology: integrating environmental remediation and converting waste to valuables, is based on the following central concept: engineering the natural resilience of native pollutant-degrading microbes and mineralogical reactions for waste-to-valuables conversion. I recently identified external factors that can be controlled to naturally extend the bioremediation of oil-impacted soils in cold climates. Leveraging the seasonal resilience of indigenous stress-tolerant hydrocarbon-degrading microbial communities in freezing and frozen contaminated soils is possible, and its effects are reproducible, consistent, and meaningful in terms of meeting national environmental standards. This crucial finding has revealed new opportunities for research into stress-tolerant bioremediation for remote cold-climate sites that have no energy supply and decreased overall remediation times and costs. My research also shows that rapid natural mineralization in the presence of target contaminants is another natural resilience that can be utilized to advance remediation technology. The mayenite-to-hydrocalumite mineral transformation is highly effective at removing excess chloride ions, which cause salinity and corrosion and are a significant concern for soil health, water quality, and subsurface infrastructure. We successfully synthesized mayenite in an economical way, revealing a development opportunity for novel clean technology. The short-term objectives of my DG research program are to (1) further establish the governing mechanisms and optimize our methods of engineering the key factors involved in stress-tolerant bioremediation for petroleum-impacted soils in cold climates and (2) further develop our mineral-based desalination cycles for potash mine waste, integrate them with nutrient recovery, and assess the feasibility of using recovered nutrient-enriched minerals for the bioremediation of waste soils from oil and coal production. Potash mine waste products may ultimately be beneficial to oilfield waste treatment. My NSERC DG research will trigger transformative changes in concepts and practices within environmental remediation and mine waste management. It will produce hybrid remediation and waste management technologies that will become a significantly profitable part of a circular economy, rather than an environmental cost. This research is highly beneficial to sustainable development and environmental protection in Canada.