Urgent replacement of ICP-OES system for multi-element determination in water samples

淡水资源对加拿大人具有巨大的社会、环境和经济价值，但由于人类活动和日益增加的气候压力，许多溪流、河流和湖泊的水质继续恶化。创新和商业化新的废水和雨水处理技术，以及开发减少自然水域污染的方法，对于保护加拿大的淡水资源和支持加强我们经济的举措至关重要。对于开展水处理技术和修复方法的前沿研究来说，提供一种快速、经济有效地分析大量水和固体样品中多种元素（包括有毒金属和有害营养素）的方法是至关重要的。该提案寻求资金用于紧急更换电感耦合等离子体光学发射分光光度计（ICP-OES）系统，该系统是满足这一关键需求的唯一类型的元素分析仪器。我们以前的ICP-OES系统在经过15年的大量使用后，已经到了使用寿命的终点，它是西部水务中心（包括申请人的研究项目）领导的变革性研究项目的关键仪器和主力。ICP-OES是测定样品中多元素浓度最有效的方法，因为它快速且经济高效，并且对于HQP在系统上进行训练和独立运行样品分析具有足够的鲁棒性。在西部（或周边地区）没有其他ICP-OES或类似的元素分析仪器可供申请人使用，成本效益高，样品周转时间合理（<6周）。申请人的研究项目正在推进具有强大商业化和衍生潜力的水处理技术，但由于我们以前的ICP-OES系统失败而停滞不前。如果没有ICP-OES系统，目前不可能实现我们现有项目的成果。我们以前的ICP-OES系统的故障也严重影响了20多个HQP目前的培训和项目成果。根据我们之前的经验，预计在未来5年内，将有60多名HQP接受有关所要求的替代系统的培训，并获得对职业发展非常有价值的技术和实践技能。所要求的ICP-OES系统对于支持领先的研究项目至关重要，这些项目将通过测试和商业化新的水处理技术，为加拿大带来巨大利益，并直接为政府保护和修复淡水资源的政策提供信息。

Freshwater resources are of immense societal, environmental and economic value for Canadians, yet the water quality in many streams, rivers and lakes continues to deteriorate due to human activities and increasing climate-induced pressures. Innovating and commercializing novel wastewater and stormwater treatment technologies as well as developing approaches to reduce pollution in natural waters is critical for safeguarding Canada's freshwater resources and supporting initiatives to strengthen our economy. Availability of a method for rapid cost-effective analysis of large numbers of water and solid samples for multiple elements including toxic metals and harmful nutrients is a critical necessity for conducting cutting edge research on water treatment technologies and remediation approaches. This proposal seeks funding for the urgent replacement of an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrophotometer (ICP-OES) system that is the only type of elemental analysis instrument that meets this critical need. Our former ICP-OES system, which reached end of life and failed after 15 years of heavy usage, was a critical instrument and workhorse for the transformative research programs led by the Western Water Centre including the applicants' research programs. ICP-OES is the most effective way to determine multi-element concentrations in samples as it is fast and cost efficient, as well as sufficiently robust for HQP to be trained on the system and independently run sample analyses. There is no other ICP-OES or similar elemental analysis instrument at Western (or in the surrounding area) for the applicants to use that is available, cost effective and has reasonable (<6 week) sample turn-around time. The applicants' research programs, which are advancing water treatment technologies with strong commercialization and spin-off potential, have stalled since our former ICP-OES system failed. It is not currently possible to achieve the outcomes of our existing programs without access to an ICP-OES system. The failure of our former ICP-OES system is also severely impacting the current training and project outcomes of over 20 HQP. Based on our prior experience, it is expected over 60 HQP will be trained on the requested replacement system over the next 5 years and gain technical and hands-on skills highly valuable for career advancement. The requested ICP-OES system is critical for supporting leading research programs that will have enormous benefits for Canada through testing and commercialization of new water treatment technologies as well as directly informing government policy for protection and remediation of freshwater resources.