Upgrade package for an existing gas chromatograph to analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons

环境生物工程实验室的研究针对的是石油和采矿业以及农业部门遇到的一些环境问题。这些措施包括对特定溪流进行生物处理，如酸性矿山废水、含硫化物的水和酸性气体，遏制油库的酸化和生物腐蚀，以及控制畜牧业的气味排放(特别是硫化氢)。硫循环中的细菌及其所进行的反应是连接这些项目的关键要素。此外，我们还参与了一项由工业资助的合作研究，旨在开发一种修复被多环芳烃、重石油化合物和环烷酸污染的土壤和水的生物技术，后者是与加拿大西部油砂加工相关的一个主要环境问题。这些污染物的检测和量化在我们的研究中是必不可少的。目前，本研究采用离子色谱仪和气相色谱仪作为主要的分析仪器。目前提案的目的是获得资金，用于购买和安装升级组件，以扩大现有气相色谱仪的能力，使多环芳烃、重石油化合物和环烷酸的检测和量化成为可能。这将有助于我们有效和及时地研究生物修复过程，并最终开发用于清除各种环境污染物的生物技术。

The research in the Environmental Bioengineering Laboratory targets some of the environmental problems encountered in the petroleum and mining industries, as well as the agriculture sector. These include biotreatment of specific streams such as acid mine drainage, sulphide-laden waters and sour gases, containment of souring and biocorrosion in oil reservoirs, and control of odorous emissions (specially H2S) from livestock operations. The bacteria of sulphur cycle and the reactions which are carried-out by these bacteria are the key elements which link these projects. In addition, we are involved in an industrially funded collaborative research aiming to develop a biotechnology for remediation of soils and waters contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy petroleum compounds and naphthenic acids, with the latter being a major environmental issue associated with the processing of oil sands in western Canada. Detection and quantification of these contaminants is essential in our research. Presently, an ion chromatograph and a gas chromatograph are used in our research as the main analytical instruments. The purpose of the current proposal is to obtain funding for the purchase and installation of an upgrade package to expand the capability of the existing gas chromatograph so that the detection and quantification of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy petroleum compounds and naphthenic acids becomes possible. This will assist us to study the bioremediation processes effectively and in a timely manner and eventually develop a biotechnology for the clean-up of a variety of environmental pollutants.