Discovery and application of technologies to improve management of contaminated aquatic sites in Canada

加拿大各地的许多水生场所受到工业活动的严重影响，造成遗留污染，对海洋或淡水生态系统构成生态风险。虽然学术文献对泥沙筛选和生态风险评估技术有丰富的研究，但很多技术并没有在实践中得到应用。这些地点的评估旨在为管理决策提供信息（如沉积物疏浚、处置或补救），评估结果差异很大，而且往往是肤浅的，所采用的方案不一致。这就造成了与污染的程度和程度有关的知识缺口和不确定性，引起了水生场所管理者对如何充分管理环境责任成本的严重关切。本研究计划的目的是确定与加拿大受污染的水生场所有关的主要问题，改善管理，减少不确定性，限制环境责任成本，提高生态风险的预测。我的研究小组的短期研究将包括分析来自加拿大各地受到污染物输入的水生场所的次要数据集，并开发评估目前正在监测或修复的受污染水生场所的新方法。将进行长期研究，以便向负责管理受污染水生场所的机构转让技术和知识。已经与工业伙伴（环境咨询公司）以及联邦和省级机构（加拿大交通部、加拿大渔业和海洋部、新斯科舍省土地部）建立了伙伴关系。在长期研究方面，已经与各省的机构和教员建立了伙伴关系和协议（例如，对新斯科舍省的Boat Harbour进行了修复，该港口50年来一直受到纸浆厂废水的影响）。这项研究将吸引加拿大其他几所大学和政府机构的研究人员。在接下来的5年里，我们研究的短期目标将是开发优选的实践和技术，以表征加拿大受污染的水生场所。我们的研究将确保遵循将创新工具与既定框架结合起来的方法，以使水生场地决策者受益。我的课题组将专门针对硕士研究生（5名论文研究生和5名实习生）和1名博士研究生开展个别和重叠的研究，从而有助于培养高素质人才（HQP）。此外，我将指导本科荣誉论文学生支持正在进行的研究，但没有具体的NSERC DG资金要求。这项研究项目的长期效益将帮助加拿大各地的利益相关者修复、恢复和管理这些水生系统的环境和经济可行性。

Many aquatic sites across Canada have been severely impacted by industrial activity resulting in legacy contamination, posing ecological risks to marine or freshwater ecosystems. Although academic literature is rich in sediment screening and ecological risk assessment technologies, many techniques are not applied in practice. Assessments at these sites, designed to inform management decisions (eg sediment dredging, disposal or remediation), vary widely and are often superficial with inconsistent protocols applied. This creates knowledge gaps and uncertainty related to magnitude and extent of contamination, raising serious concerns for custodians of aquatic sites on how to adequately manage environmental liability costs. Objectives of this research program are to identify major issues related to contaminated aquatic sites across Canada, improve management, reduce uncertainty, limit environmental liability costs and improve predictions of ecological risk. Short-term studies by my research group will include analysis of secondary datasets from aquatic sites across Canada that have been subject to contaminant inputs and develop new approaches for assessing contaminated aquatic sites currently undergoing monitoring or remediation. Long-term studies will be designed to enable technology and knowledge transfer to agencies responsible for managing contaminated aquatic sites. Partnerships have already been established with industrial partners (environmental consulting companies) and federal and provincial agencies (Transport Canada [TC], Fisheries and Oceans Canada [DFO], Nova Scotia Lands). For long-term studies, partnerships and agreements have already been established with provincial agencies and faculty across the Maritimes (eg the remediation of Boat Harbour, Nova Scotia which has been impacted by 50 years of pulp mill effluents). This research will engage researchers at several other Canadian universities and government agencies. Over the next 5 years, short-term goals of our research will develop preferred practices and techniques for characterizing contaminated aquatic sites across Canada. Our research will ensure approaches are followed that incorporate innovative tools alongside established frameworks for the benefit of aquatic site decision makers. Individual and overlapping studies will be developed by my research group, specifically geared toward Master's graduate students (5 thesis based and 5 interns), plus 1 PhD student, thus contributing to highly qualified personnel (HQP) training. Additionally, I will supervise undergraduate honours thesis students to support ongoing research, but no specific NSERC DG funds are requested for this. Long-term benefits of this research program will help a diverse group of stakeholders across Canada to remediate, restore and manage environmental and economic viability of these aquatic systems.