NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Fractured Rock Contaminant Hydrology

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Groundwater in sedimentary bedrock (i.e., bedrock aquifers) is the most important source of fresh water inCanada and globally; however, many of these aquifers are polluted due to a large variety of human activities.Chlorinated organic solvents are the most common industrial contaminant found in groundwater. Little isknown about how subsurface conditions affect movement of these contaminants from source areas to receptorsbecause of over-reliance on poor characterisation tools. Dr. Parker, with her NSERC Industrial Research Chairon Groundwater Contamination in Fractured Rock (held since 2007), has overcome these limitations using newtechnologies and detailed field and laboratory measurements applied to real contaminated sites. Dr. Parker andher research team show that pollutants move quickly from their source through rock fractures but are slowed byspreading into the bedrock pores accessed through many active fractures where they are sorbed to minerals andslowly degrade due to naturally occurring chemical and microbial reactions. Over many decades the plumesbecome stationary or even retreat back toward source areas. The next five years of research will usemeasurement and computer modeling insights to predict future conditions and rates of natural or enhancedremediation to hasten cleanup. Results will be useful for sedimentary rock aquifers worldwide, informingdecisions regarding groundwater contamination threats to water supply wells and ecosystems, and how toprotect both. This work enables reliable, cost-effective management and eventual cleanup of polluted sites andpositions Canadians as world leaders in groundwater science, technology manufacturing, and resourceprotection. This is achieved through hands-on student training at real-world sites and improved methods andtechnologies for protecting a global resource that is critical for sustaining life and supports producing food andmanufacturing.