Pathogen Reduction in Decentralized Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies

联合国可持续发展目标6.1是到2030年实现人人普遍和公平获得安全和负担得起的饮用水。然而，在世界上许多社区，饮用水源受到污染。在加拿大，超过70%的原住民社区面临污染的风险。其中一些处于长期沸水警告[3]之下，这表明饮用水受到污染或怀疑受到细菌，病毒或原生动物等病原体的污染[3]。第一民族社区的水传播感染率是全国平均水平的26倍；然而，关于这些饮用水源受到污染的风险的信息很少，特别是关于这些社区和其他边缘社区受到病毒污染的信息。该研究项目旨在利用微生物学和分子生物学工具来解决这一知识缺口，以识别分散饮用水水源中令人关注的微生物污染物，并开发和评估监测和灭活这些污染物的技术。该研究项目的长期目标是为21世纪开发和评估创新的、具有成本效益的、节能的清洁水技术，以降低分散式水处理系统的风险。系统的方法是首先发展对问题的基本理解，然后将这些知识应用到新兴技术中，以解决特定的工程挑战。在申请人之前工作的基础上，本发现资助计划将表征水源中的微生物污染物（特别是病毒），包括受地表水直接影响的地下水、有病原体风险的地下水和蓄水池中的水，然后开发和评估廉价的分散式水处理解决方案。该项目将进一步开发和评估紫外线发光二极管（UV LED）技术，该技术可与其他技术结合使用，以解决原住民社区和国外边缘化社区的饮用水污染问题。该计划的一个重点是在当地开展工作，并在全球范围内转移解决方案。在这种情况下，该项目将与来自东非的一名博士生和一名博士后一起，将研究重点扩大到分散饮用水水源的水污染问题，并将潜在的处理方案推广到他们的家庭社区。该计划的另一个重点是培养包括2名博士生，2名MASc学生和1名博士后在内的实习生，以进入当今的劳动力市场。今天的毕业生面临着越来越复杂的挑战，包括气候变化、微生物和化学污染物、老化的基础设施以及关键水资源的缺乏所带来的快速增长的全球人口。该计划将准备他们处理紧迫的现实世界的挑战与知识，支持，实用技能和独创性。

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6.1 is to achieve, by 2030, universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all [1]. However, in many communities worldwide, drinking water sources are contaminated. In Canada, over 70% of First Nations communities are at risk of contamination [2]. Several are under long-term boil water advisories [3], which indicates that the drinking water is contaminated or suspected to be contaminated by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or protozoa [4]. Water-borne infections in First Nations communities are 26 times higher than the national average [5]; however, little information exists about the risk of contamination of these drinking water sources, especially viral contamination in these and other marginalized communities. This research program aims to address this knowledge gap using microbiology and molecular biology tools to identify microbial contaminants of concern in decentralized drinking water sources and to develop and evaluate technologies to monitor and inactivate them. The long-term goals of the research program are to develop and evaluate innovative, cost-effective, and energy efficient clean water technologies for the 21st century for reducing risk in decentralized water treatment systems. The systematic approach is to first develop a fundamental understanding of the problem and then to apply that knowledge to emerging technologies to address a specific engineering challenge. Building upon the applicant's previous work, this Discovery Grant program will characterize the microbial contaminants (specifically viruses) in source waters, including groundwater under the direct influence of surface waters, groundwater at risk of pathogens, and water in cisterns and then develop and evaluate inexpensive decentralized water treatment solutions. The program will further develop and evaluate ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) technology, which could be used in combination with other technologies to address drinking water contamination in First Nations communities and in marginalized communities abroad. A focus of this program is to work locally and transfer solutions globally. In this case, with a PhD student and a postdoctoral fellow from East Africa, the program will expand the research focus on water contamination in decentralized drinking water sources and potential treatment solutions to their home communities. Another focus of this program is to prepare trainees, including 2 PhD students, 2 MASc students, and 1 postdoctoral fellow, to enter today's workforce. Today's graduates face increasingly complex challenges, including a rapidly growing global population confronted by climate change, microbial and chemical contaminants, aging infrastructure, and a lack of critical water resources. This program will prepare them to handle pressing real-world challenges with knowledge, support, practical skills and ingenuity.